WBA featherweight champion tracks Inoue vs Nakatani outcome as next move at 126 remains open
Brandon Figueroa is watching Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani closely as he weighs his next move at featherweight. A unification fight with Rafael Espinoza remains available, but it is not the leading option for his team.
Salvador Rodriguez reported that Brandon Figueroa will be watching the bout between Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani closely, with an eye on future options rather than immediate commitments.
Figueroa currently holds the WBA featherweight title, and one of the available fights in his division involves Rafael Espinoza, the WBO champion at 126 pounds. That fight has been discussed, but it is not being treated as the leading option at this stage.
Rodriguez stated that while a bout with Espinoza, known as “Divino,” remains on the table, it is not a priority for Figueroa’s team. The indication is that attention is shifting elsewhere, depending on how events play out in Japan this weekend.
The Inoue vs. Nakatani fight carries implications across multiple weight classes, especially if either fighter looks to move up or reposition after the result. Figueroa’s interest suggests he could be weighing a future opponent tied to that outcome rather than finalizing a unification at featherweight.
As a result, Espinoza may need to explore alternate opponents for his next title defense if Figueroa moves in a different direction.
While Rafael Espinoza is the natural unification target at 126, Brandon Figueroa’s team is clearly fishing for a bigger game. The focus on this Saturday’s Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani superfight at the Tokyo Dome suggests Figueroa is positioning himself as the welcome wagon for Inoue’s eventual jump to featherweight.
Inoue has been cleaning out the 122-pound division (most recently beating Alan Picasso in Saudi Arabia). If he beats Nakatani, the move to 126 is the only logical progression. Figueroa, with his relentless volume and WBA belt, is arguably the most fan-friendly style for Inoue’s featherweight debut.
No official announcement has been made regarding Figueroa’s next fight, and no timeline has been confirmed. The immediate focus remains on Saturday’s result in Japan and how it could reshape the options at 126 pounds.