Pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue will look to cap another banner year in style when he takes on Alan Picasso in Riyadh.
Inoue will look to improve to 32-0 and chalk up an astonishing 28th career knockout when he tangles with unbeaten Mexican Picasso (32-0-1, 17 KOs).
The undisputed super bantamweight world champion began 2025 with the formality of a four-round stoppage of the overmatched Ye Joon Kim in January.
Four months later, Inoue returned to the United States for the first time in four years and was forced to climb off the canvas by Ramon Cardenas before winning a thriller in round eight.
In September, Inoue turned what was supposed to be his biggest remaining challenge at 122 pounds into a landslide point win, with Murodjon Akhmadaliev utterly dominated over 12 rounds in Nagoya.
That was one of Inoue's familiar nights as an adored superstar in his home country of Japan. For this Ring V: Night of the Samurai card, the cream of Japanese boxing is decamping to Saudi Arabia for hefty Riyadh Season paydays.
Injury ruled Hyato Tsutsumi out of his shot at WBA super featherweight champion Jazza Dickens, but there are two of his compatriots in world title action on the undercard, not to mention an Inoue megafight on the line.
MORE: Naoya Inoue Monster Moments: Undisputed boxing champion’s five greatest knockouts
Naoya Inoue vs. Alan Picasso undercard
Here's a breakdown of all the action on the Inoue vs. Picasso card.
Junto Nakatani vs. Sebastian Hernandez
- Division/Weight: Super-Bantamweight
- Nakatani record: 31-0
- Hernandez record: 20-0
- Belts at stake: N/A
Three-weight world champion Nakatani has vacated his WBC, IBF and Ring Magazine bantamweight crowns to step up into Inoue's current weight class. An all-Japanese superfight is pencilled in for the Tokyo Dome next May, a gargantuan event that would bring the country to a standstill.
That's not to suggest Nakatani has any sort of a light touch in the other corner. The undefeated Hernandez makes up one of the four Japan vs. Mexico showdowns, including the main event. He went 10 rounds with former world title challenger Azat Hovhannisyan last time out, but has 18 stoppages in his 20 wins.
Willibaldo Garcia vs. Kenshiro Teraji
- Division/Weight: Super Flyweight
- Garcia record: 23-6-2
- Teraji record: 25-2
- Belts at stake: IBF super flyweight title
Teraji will attempt to join the ranks of three-weight world champions from his country when he takes on IBF super flyweight ruler Garcia.
'The Amazing Boy', now 33, ran out of road at flyweight in 2025. He needed a sensational final-round stoppage to beat Seigo Yuri Akui to keep hold of his WBC crown and add the WBA in March, only to drop a split decision to Ricardo Sandoval four and a half months later.
Garcia is making his first defence of the world title, following a split-decision rematch win over Rene Calixto in May. Their initial December 2024 encounter ended in a split draw. The champion's record is a slightly deceptive one: four of his six losses came during the first six fights of his career in Mexico.
Taiga Imanaga vs. Eridson Garcia
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Imanaga record: 9-0
- Garcia record: 22-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Imanaga will look to continue his progress up the lightweight rankings by going 3-0 in 2025 against Garcia.
The experienced Dominican southpaw is on a five-fight winning streak, with three by way of knockout, following his shock first-round loss to Jordan White in August 2023.
Reito Tsutsumi vs. Leobardo Quintana
- Division/Weight: Super Bantamweight
- Tsutsumi record: 3-0
- Quintana record: 12-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Former amateur standout and Ring ambassador Tsutsumi continues his Riyadh Season-guided assault at the pros with a step up against Quintana.
This will be the Mexican's first bout outside his homeland, although a mere five KOs against moderate opposition means Tsutsumi should be confident to unfurl his quicksilver southpaw skills without fear of serious reprisals.
Naoya Inoue vs. Alan Picasso tune-in info
- Date: Saturday, December 27
- Start time: 4 a.m. ET | 1 a.m. PT | 9 a.m. GMT | 7 p.m. AEDT | 12 p.m. KSA | 6 p.m. JST
- Main event start time (approx.): 7:55 p.m. ET | 4:55 p.m. PT | 12:55 p.m. GMT | 10:55 p.m. AEDT | 3:55 p.m. KSA | 9:55 p.m. JST
- Location: ANB Arena - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Live Stream: DAZN
- PPV Price: $59.99 | £24.99 | $49.99 (AU)
Naoya Inoue vs. Alan Picasso will be available on DAZN worldwide.
The PPV price is $69.99 in the US and Canada and £19.99 in the UK. Alternatively, fans can sign up to the new DAZN Ultimate subscription tier, which costs £22.99 per month for the first 12 months for fans in the UK and $44.99 monthly in the US and includes a minimum of 12 pay-per-view events every year at no extra cost.
The standalone PPV for Ring V: Night of the Samurai comes with a free seven-day DAZN trial.
A DAZN monthly subscription is $19.99 on a 12-month contract or $29.99 month-to-month. The annual subscription is $224.99. In the UK, this subscription costs £9.99 on a 12-month contract or £19.99 month-to-month.