Naoya Inoue is arguably the finest pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and he’s also one of its most exciting. The Japanese sensation is back in action for the maiden defense of his undisputed super bantamweight championship against Mexico’s Luis Nery at the Tokyo Dome on May 6.

The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast by ESPN+ in the U.S.

Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) wiped out two unified champions at 122 pounds. In July, “The Monster” scored a crushing eighth-round TKO over Stephen Fulton to claim WBC and WBO titles. Five months later, Marlon Tapales surrendered his IBF and WBA titles to Inoue, who won that bout via 10th-round knockout.

WATCH: Naoya Inoue vs. Luis Nery, exclusively on ESPN+

At elite level, Nery (35-1, 27 KOs) is essentially the last man standing at 122 pounds. The Mexican-born southpaw has proven his class by posting stoppage wins over the likes of Shinsuke Yamanaka, Juan Carlos Payano, McJoe Arroyo and Azat Hovhannisyan. However, despite Nery’s vaunted punching power and experience, he’ll need something very special to derail the champion.

The Sporting News will provide live coverage from the full card in Japan and round-by-round scoring for the main event.

6:04 p.m. JST/ 5:04 a.m. ET: As we enter the last round, Akui would appear to have the edge on points. Kuwahara has been competitive in every round, but his assaults have come in cameos in the second half. Akui has been the more consistent fighter of the two.

5:49 p.m. JST/ 4:49 a.m. ET: The bell ends round seven. While Kuwahara is still releasing some beautiful combinations, there’s evidence that Akui’s pressure-packed attack is slowing him down. The champion appears to be edging ahead on points.

5:34 p.m. JST/ 4:34 a.m. ET: We’re four rounds in and this two-way action is superb. Akui is on the front foot and boxing well behind a sharp jab. Kuwahara backing up, but scoring very well on the counter, particularly with the left hook. Neither fighter has a decided edge.

5:10 p.m. JST/ 4:10 a.m. ET: Our first world title fight is about to get underway. Seigo Yuri Akui defends his WBA flyweight championship against Taku Kuwahara.

3:00 p.m. JST/ 2:00 a.m. ET: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue’s defence of his undisputed super bantamweight title against hard-punching Mexican southpaw Luis Nery.

The main card starts at 5 p.m. local time (4 a.m. ET). The main event should start around 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET), depending on how long the undercard fights last. 

Japan Standard Time is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Time.

MORE: Naoya Inoue or Terence Crawford? P4P rankings could shift in 2024

The Naoya Inoue vs. Luis Nery main card will air on ESPN+ in the U.S. The undercard will air exclusively on ESPN+. 

If Inoue vs. Nery is not available to watch live in your location or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs provide a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favorite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.

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WATCH: Naoya Inoue vs. Luis Nery, exclusively on ESPN+