Inoue is going to change weight category

Naoya Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs) announced that he would move up to bantamweight next year. But first, the 29-year-old Japanese will want to win the four most important championship belts in the weight category up to 53 kg.

On December 13, a unification bout between Inoue and Paul Butler will take place in Japan. The Briton holds the WBO championship belt, while the Japanese holds the IBF, WBA and WBC titles.

In the second bantamweight division, the championship belts belong to Stephen Fulton, who works with well-known manager Al Haymon, and Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who competes under the banner of Matchroom Boxing.