Naoya Inoue vs. Alan Picasso will headline on December 27 in what is called “The Ring V: Night of the Samurai” event at the Mohammed Abdo Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Turki Alalshikh announced the card earlier today. The event will be shown live on DAZN.
Some people are questioning the wisdom of holding the card in Riyadh rather than Japan, given the fighters on the card and the official title of the event, ‘Night of the Samurai.’
Fans aren’t overly excited about Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) facing Picasso (32-0-1, 17 KOs) in the main event. The fight is viewed as a big step down in class by Inoue, 32, who is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision last Sunday, September 14, against former unified super bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
In the co-feature, unbeaten bantamweight Junto Nakatani (31-0, 24 KOs) will be moving up to the 122-lb division to face unbeaten knockout artist Sebastian Hernandez Reyes (20-0, 18 KOs).
It’s a risky fight for Nakatani, 27, to take in his first contest at super bantamweight, but he needs to face a solid opponent to set up his mega-fight against ‘Monster’ Inoue in Spring 2026 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
Undercard Analysis
- Junto Nakatani vs. Sebastian Hernandez Reyes: It’s a tough fight for Nakatani on paper, facing #8 WBC, #10 WBO, and #12 IBF Hernandez Reyes in his first contest at 122. Again, there’s a lot on the line for Nakatani, as a loss here would ruin his big-money clash against Inoue in 2026. We’re going to find out if Nakatani is a hype job or for real. Hernandez Reyes can punch, and he’ll be an excellent test to show if Nakatani is ready for the next stage of his career against the superstar Inoue.
- Hayato Tsutsumi vs. Jazza Dickens: The WBA super featherweight interim title will be at stake for this fight. It’s the belt held by Jazza (36-5, 15 KOs). This is a big step up in class for the unbeaten Tsutsumi(8-0, 5 KOs). If he loses, you’ll know why. He wasn’t ready for this kind of step up in just his ninth professional fight after three years as a pro. However, Tsutsumi is 27, which is not young for a fighter with only 9 fights, and he’s got to be fast-tracked to the top. If his promoters take the slow approach, he’d be in his 30s and perhaps too old to compete against the younger super featherweights.
- Kenshiro Teraji vs. Willibaldo Garcia Teraj: The former WBC flyweight champion Teraji (25-2, 16 KOs) is getting a straight title shot against IBF super flyweight champion Garcia (23-6-2, 13 KOs) in a new division. In the 33-year-old Teraji’s last fight, he was dethroned by Ricardo Sandoval on July 30, losing by a 12-round split decision in Yokohama, Japan. Sandoval hit Teraji with right hands all night, taking advantage of his inability to stop that punch. It’s debatable whether Teraji deserves an immediate world title shot moving up to the 115-lb division after his loss to Sandoval. At the very least, Teraji should have had to fight the highest-ranked contender in the IBF’s rankings at super flyweight, Andrew Moloney, to put himself in position to fight for a world title.
- Taiga Imanaga vs. Armando Martinez: This is a lightweight matchup between the unbeaten Taiga (9-0, 5 KOs) and the undefeated Cuban Martinez (16-0, 15 KOs). It’s one that favors Taiga, but it wouldn’t be a shock for Martinez to get the victory. Neither fighter has fought high-level opposition during their short careers.
- Reito Tsutsumi vs. Leobardo Quintana Sanchez: The heavy-handed Tsutsumi (3-0, 2 KOs) battles Quintana Sanchez (11-1, 5 KOs). This is more of a showcase fight for the 23-year-old Tsutsumi, who is a big puncher.