Inoue vs. Cardenas in May, Akhmadaliev in September

Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue is reportedly set to face Ramon Cardenas and then former unified titlist Murodjon Akhmadaliev as part of his 2025 campaign. After Alan Picasso’s sudden withdrawal necessitated changes to the schedule, Keith Idec reports that Inoue has reached an agreement to fight Cardenas on May 4 in Las Vegas during Riyadh Season’s closing weekend, followed by a showdown with WBA mandatory challenger Akhmadaliev on September 14 in Japan, assuming Inoue is victorious in May.

Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs) has gone undefeated since 2017 and is coming off a recent unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Bryan Acosta on ProBox TV. Despite limited top-tier competition outside of his wins against Acosta and Rafael Pedroza, Cardenas is currently the highest-rated WBA contender behind Akhmadaliev (13-1, 10 KOs).

Though the Cardenas matchup may seem underwhelming—especially following Inoue’s relatively low-profile bout against Ye Joon Kim—the circumstances surrounding the schedule changes, along with Inoue’s intention to fit two additional fights into 2025, help make the fight more acceptable. An official announcement is expected soon.