Naoya Inoue wants to attempt to break his own attendance record.
The four-weight world champion fought just once in 2026, beating Junto Nakatani by unanimous decision in front of 55,000 fans in May at the Tokyo Dome, setting a new attendance record for Japanese boxing.
When he returns to the ring for a tentative date in February 2027, he could break it again.
Reports suggest a bout between Inoue and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is being targeted for February at the Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka, with organizers hoping to surpass the 55,000 attendance record set by Inoue’s fight with Nakatani.
A three-weight world champion, Rodriguez, like Inoue, is considered one of boxing’s leading pound-for-pound fighters following wins over Wisaksil Wangek, Sunny Edwards and Juan Francisco Estrada.
Rodriguez fought for the first time at 118 pounds in June when he stopped Antonio Vargas in the sixth round to win the WBA bantamweight title.
The fight against Inoue would need to take place by March, with Inoue planning to move up to featherweight afterward, which would create an eight-pound gap between the fighters.