Ahead of the Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida fight this week, fans want to know if there are any world title belts on the line.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about the main event contest from the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, including which world bantamweight title belts are on the line in the Nakatani vs Nishida fight.
What Belts Are On The Line In The Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida Fight?
The biggest fight outside of the United States in the world of boxing this weekend takes place in Tokyo, Japan as Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida takes center-stage at the Ariake Colosseum.
Given the fact the fight is happening on Sunday night in Japan, US boxing fans on the east coast will be able to catch the bantamweight unification clash at breakfast time on Sunday morning.
Junto Nakatani is in action, arguably the single best 118-pound fighter on the planet and one of the potential opponents for Naoya Inoue’s next fight, as he takes on fellow countryman and undefeated fighter Ryosuke Nishida.
The vast majority of boxing fans are predicting a stoppage win for Nakatani, but Nishida, who is 10-0 and a world champion in his own right, will be no pushover and is still very much a threat.
When it comes to world title belts at bantamweight, the four main governing bodies are of course the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF. The Ring Magazine belt is also one of the main recognised legitimate titles now in boxing, but is vacant at 118-pounds currently.
Both Nakatani and Nishida both hold a version of a world title. With that in mind, both the WBC & IBF World Bantamweight Title belts are on the line in this compelling Nakatani vs Nishida fight in Tokyo.
The 30-0 Nakatani currently holds the green and gold WBC strap, with Nishida the current holder of the red and gold IBF version.
For a detailed overview of Sunday’s fight and a prediction, check out our Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida preview and prediction article.
WBC & IBF World Bantamweight Title Belts On The Line For Nakatani vs Nishida Fight
Sunday’s fight marks the fifth successive fight that Junto Nakatani will be fighting for the WBC World Bantamweight Title. The Japanese powerhouse won the belt back in February 2024, having previously been world champion at both flyweight and super-flyweight as well.
For Ryosuke Nishida, he won the IBF World Bantamweight title two fights ago in victory over Emmanuel Rodriguez. Nishida in fact became world champion in just his nineth fight, with Nakatani not achieving that feat until his 21st bout.
The four world title belts at 118-pounds are currently held by four different champions. Ironically, each of the four world champions are Japanese.
Sunday’s Nakatani vs Nishida showdown will mean there will just be three world champions after this weekend, with either Junto or Ryosuke becoming the unified 118-pound champion of the world.
The two other belts at bantamweight are currently held by Antonio Vargas (WBA) and Yoshiki Takei (WBO). Sunday’s fight will solidify who the best bantamweight in the world is, before more potential unifications at the end of the year and in 2026.
Sunday’s fight is a non-PPV event for boxing fans, who will just have to stream the fight via ESPN+. This 118-pound world title unification fight comes as part of your regular ESPN+ subscription, with no added pay-per-view costs attached.
Huge ramifications for the bantamweight division from the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan as Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida takes center-stage.
Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida – Event Info
- 🥊 Fight: Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida
- 📊 Records: Nakatani (30-0, 23 KO’s) | Nishida (10-0, 2 KO’s)
- 📅 Date: Sunday, June 8, 2025
- 🕛 Main Event Time: Approx. 7.00am ET
- 🏆 Titles: WBC & IBF World Bantamweight Titles
- 📺 TV Channel: ESPN/ESPN+
- 🏟 Venue: Ariake Colosseum | Tokyo, Japan
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