Naoki Inoue is set to defend his RIZIN bantamweight title against DEEP champion Ryuya Fukuda during Super RIZIN 4, scheduled for Sunday morning in Saitama, Japan. This fight not only offers Inoue a chance to solidify his hold on the bantamweight crown but also provides an opportunity to showcase his skills to a global audience, potentially opening doors for meetings with international contenders.
Inoue’s Ambition to Face UFC Bantamweight Champion
Inoue revealed that his ultimate aspiration is to fight the UFC bantamweight champion, although he expressed hesitation to directly challenge Merab Dvalishvili, the current titleholder and his former training partner. This cautious approach stems from respect and familiarity developed during their time training together.
My dream fight would be fighting the current UFC bantamweight champion,
Inoue told MMA Fighting through a translator.
However, right now the current bantamweight champion is Merab [Dvalishvili] and I used to train him with him, so I don’t really want to call him out because we know each other, we trained together. But my dream is to fight the toughest guy out there, which would be the UFC bantamweight champion. That’s one thing that I would definitely want to try. Or anybody out there in title contention.
—Naoki Inoue, RIZIN Bantamweight Champion
Past UFC Experience and Interest in Other Notable Fighters
Inoue previously competed in the UFC as a flyweight in 2018, achieving one win and one loss. Reflecting on his career, he expressed interest in facing other respected fighters outside of Japan to continue challenging himself at a high level.
There are a lot of tough guys in the PFL,
Inoue said.
I’ve also liked to face Sergio Pettis. He also fought in RIZIN once, I think that would be a fun matchup. There’s a lot of tough guys out there that I’d want to fight.
—Naoki Inoue
A Desire to Face International Challenges Beyond National Representation
Unlike some of his fellow RIZIN fighters, such as Kleber Koike and Roberto Satoshi, who feel a strong responsibility to represent Japan and the RIZIN organization, Inoue’s motivation comes from a personal desire to face the toughest opponents to improve his own skills.
I’ve always wanted to fight international tough competition to continue to challenge myself,
Inoue explained.
Obviously, it seems like Kleber and Satoshi both have a strong feeling where they want to protect and defend Japan or, you know, defend RIZIN and fight for RIZIN in a way. But, for me, if I could be extremely selfish, I want to fight tough fighters for myself. I want to face tougher competition, tougher international competition, to raise my abilities. And if that leads to proving RIZIN is number one, that’s great, it works out. But for me, I have more of a selfish mentality. I do this for myself and I want tough competition to raise my abilities.
—Naoki Inoue
I believe RIZIN is the No. 1 organization in Japan, and the RIZIN champion should be the best in Japan. That’s a no-brainer. That’s my mentality. In recent times, there has been some tougher international competition, international fighters coming into the RIZIN bantamweight division. With all that said, my plan is to continue to be the champion and continue to prove that RIZIN has the best fighters not only in Japan, but they can go against the international world competition as well.
—Naoki Inoue
Upcoming Challenge Against Ryuya Fukuda and Tactical Preparation
At 28 years old, Inoue is focused on securing a tenth win inside the RIZIN ring and defending his title for the second time after defeating Soo Chul Kim and Yuki Motoya previously. His upcoming opponent, Ryuya Fukuda, holds a strong record of 25-8-1 overall, with a dominant 9-2 record in his home promotion DEEP and an undefeated 3-0 streak in RIZIN, including three stoppage wins.
Inoue commented on Fukuda’s resilience and his own preparations for the bout, outlining a comprehensive game plan designed to secure a finish or win by decision if necessary.
He has been finished very few times,
Inoue said of Fukuda.
Obviously I’ve been training to finish him. I’ve been working on some situations where I can finish him, submit him. I have game plans where I can edge him out by a decision. I’ve been working on various situations against Fukuda. But as you have mentioned, he’s a very tough fighter and he’s been finished very few times. I’ve been analyzing the fight where he actually got finished, trying to look for his weak spots. I’ve been studying him a lot. I can fight him wherever the fight takes it and I’m gonna try to finish him.
—Naoki Inoue
The Significance of Inoue’s Title Defense and Future Prospects
Winning against Fukuda would significantly boost not only Inoue’s standing but also affirm RIZIN’s position as a leading Japanese MMA organization. Should Inoue continue his success, it could raise his profile internationally and put him in a stronger position to pursue his ambition of competing against top bantamweights worldwide, including in the UFC.
Inoue’s commitment to facing the toughest competition reflects his drive to elevate himself beyond national boundaries while reinforcing the quality of RIZIN’s fighters on the global stage. The bout at Super RIZIN 4 will be a critical step toward fulfilling those aspirations.