Both Japan and China have big cards to close the year.
Sunday, December 30th
Masayuki Ito (24-1-1, 12 KOs) v Evgeny Chuprakov (20-0, 10 KOs), WBO junior lightweight title & Takuma Inoue (12-0, 3 KOs) v Tasana Salapat (48-0, 33 KOs), bantamweights & Ken Shiro (14-0, 8 KOs) v Saul Juarez (24-8-2, 15 KOs), WBC light flyweight title – Tokyo, Japan – ESPN+, 5 AM Eastern
ESPN+ has swooped in and picked up the top two fights on this traditional year end Japanese bill for US audiences. It’ll air live at 5 AM, but unfortunately it doesn’t look like borderline consensus top light flyweight Ken Shiro is going to make the US broadcast. Takuma Inoue, younger brother of Monster Inoue, will get the co-main event slot instead in his secondary world title fight. If it is any consolation, Shiro is in pretty soft. The main event pits new titleholder Masayuki Ito defending against unbeaten but largely unchallenged Russian Evgeny Chuprakov. Ito looked great against Christopher Diaz in the states and now has home field advantage making him the obvious favorite, but I will admit to not having a good read on Chuprakov overall.
Monday, December 31st
Floyd Mayweather Jr v Tenshin Nasukawa, 3 round boxing exhibition – RIZIN 14 – Tokyo, Japan
This is a thing that is still happening, for now. It has gone back and forth a few times and I wouldn’t be surprised if it changed last minute again. Tenshin Nasukawa is a spectacular, young Japanese kickboxer that fights at 122 and 126 lbs. Floyd Mayweather Jr is, of course, Floyd Mayweather Jr. There isn’t much else to say here. Enjoy the three round boxing exhibition for what it is, or don’t. As of now RIZIN doesn’t have US broadcast outlet for the show as they are probably shopping it around on Mayweather’s name, but traditionally the FITE app has carried their shows. I’m sure it will again if they can’t find a bigger partner to pay up.
Donnie Nietes (41-1-5, 23 KOs) v Kazuto Ioka (23-1, 13 KOs), WBO super flyweight title & Hekkie Budler (32-3, 10 KOs) v Hiroto Kyoguchi (11-0, 8 KOs), WBA light flyweight title & Moruti Mthalane (36-2, 24 KOs) v Masahiro Sakamoto (13-1, 9 KOs), IBF flyweight title – Macao, China
This is by far the best card of the weekend. It is a real shame that there is no US outlet as of yet. Come on, DAZN or ESPN+. Step up to the plate. I’d go as far as to say that the Nietes-Ioka main event is one of the best matched fights in all of 2018. Donnie Nietes is a borderline all time great who hasn’t lost a fight since 2004. Kazuto Ioka was the flyweight king when he retired early in 2017. He came back early this year on HBO to defeat McWilliams Arroyo at super flyweight. Both men will be looking for a world title in their fourth weight class. This is just awesome stuff. Rising Japanese super prospect Hiroto Kyoguchi will get his first title shot against two division titleholder Hekkie Budler in the co-main event and Moruti Mthalane will defend his flyweight title as well.
