Pound-for-pound favorite Naoya Inoue bids to become a two-division undisputed champion when he faces Marlon Tapales in a bantamweight unification fight on December 26. The fight and event in the Ariake Arena in Japan airs on ESPN+ in the U.S.
At 30, Inoue is a four-division world champion. He beat Paul Butler a year ago to become the undisputed bantamweight champion. In his last fight in July, Inoue decimated Stephen Fulton to win the WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles. If he wins, Inoue will join Terence Crawford as the only male fighters to be undisputed in two divisions.
"It's a super huge bout," Inoue said via The Mainichi. "It took me more than four years to collect the four bantamweight belts. It feels as if I'm making up for the lost time of the pandemic at a tremendous pace. I'll increase my concentration level further and get myself into perfect condition. I want to get to a place no future Japanese will think of reaching.”
Tapales turned pro in 2008. The Filipino southpaw bat Panya Uthok in 2016 for the WBO bantamweight belt. He wouldn't hold gold again until April 2023, beating Murodjon Akhmadaliev for the IBF and WBA titles. Despite being the underdog, “Nightmare” is more than ready for “The Monster.”
WATCH: Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales, exclusively on ESPN+
"I have no fear. That’s an advantage I think, because most of his opponents got intimidated easily,” Tapales said via Inquirer. “I don’t care about the odds. I have been an underdog all my life. I have fought on my opponent’s home soil, and I have handled them well.”
The Sporting News will provide all you need to know about this fight, from channel, time, and card.
How to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales: TV channel, live stream
| Region | TV channel | Live streaming |
| USA | ESPN | ESPN+ |
| Canada | — | TSN+ |
| UK and Ireland | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Arena | Sky GO |
| Australia | — | TBC |
The Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales main card will air on ESPN+ in the U.S. The undercard will air exclusively on ESPN+.
Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales price: How much does the fight cost?
You can pay $10.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $109.99.
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $10.99/mo |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $109.99/yr |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $14.99/mo |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $24.99/mo |
WATCH: Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales, exclusively on ESPN+
What time is Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales today?
| Region | Date | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Tuesday, December 26 | 3 a.m. ET | 6 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Tuesday, December 26 | 12 a.m. PT | 3 a.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Tuesday, December 26 | 8 a.m. GMT | 11 a.m. GMT |
| Australia | Tuesday, December 26 | 7 p.m. AEDT | 10 p.m. GMT |
Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales fight card
- Naoya Inoue (c) vs. Marlon Tapales (c) for the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF super bantamweight titles
- Seiya Tsutsumi vs. Kazuki Anaguchi; Bantamweights
- Kanamu Sakama vs. John Paul Gabunilas; Flyweights
- Yoshiki Takei vs. Mario Diaz Maldonado; Super Bantamweights
- Andy Hiraoka vs. Sebastian Diaz Maldonado; Super Lightweights
- Suguru Ishikawa vs. Fuga Uematsu; Featherweights
- Rikiya Sato vs. Keisuke Endo; Super Featherweights
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