A quiet assassin, Naoya Inoue lets his fists do the talking. The WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring bantamweight champion has been a dominant force in the ring. With Top Rank since 2020, a massive audience will get the chance to see him potentially unify the bantamweight division.
Inoue defends his titles against WBO champion Paul Butler in an undisputed unification fight on December 13. The bout takes place inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.
A three-division champion, Inoue gained worldwide recognition when he won the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament. Following a thrilling win against Nonito Donaire in 2019, he signed with Bob Arum and Top Rank, where he is 4-0 with four knockouts. "The Monster" has won 20 of his 23 wins via the power punch.
A former super-flyweight title contender, Butler won the IBF bantamweight title in 2014. After losing against Emmanuel Rodriguez in 2018 for the vacant belt, Butler has won eight in a row. He beat Jonas Sultan for the then-interim WBO bantamweight belt in April. After John Riel Casimero was stripped of the belt, Butler was promoted as the "regular" champion.
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Here is all the information you need to watch the fight, including the channel, time, and fight card.
How to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. Dec 13 | ESPN+ |
| Japan | Sat. Dec 13 | dTV, Hikari TV |
| United Kingdom | Sun. Dec 13 | TBA |
| Australia | Sun. Dec 13 | Kayo |
In the United States, Inoue vs. Butler is available on ESPN+. In Japan, it is available via dTV and Hikari TV.
In Australia, you can watch the fight via Kayo.
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Our own @Tom_Gray_Boxing sat down with @1PaulButler to chat about his upcoming bout with Naoya Inoue, the first time Butler has fought outside the UK as a pro 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wvQ8B2eNEj
— Sporting News Boxing (@sn_fights) December 7, 2022
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler price: How much will the fight cost?
You can pay $9.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $99.99.
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
When is Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler?
- Date: Tuesday, December 13
- Start time: 5:30 a.m. ET | 10:30 a.m. GMT | 9:30 p.m. AEDT | 7:30 p.m. JST
- Main event: 7:30 a.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. GMT | 11:30 p.m. AEDT | 9:30 p.m. JST (approx.)
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler takes place on December 13. The main card starts at 5:30 a.m. ET | 10:30 a.m. GMT | 9:30 p.m. AEDT | 7:30 p.m. JST. Inoue and Butler should make their way to the ring around 7:30 a.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. GMT | 11:30 p.m. AEDT | 9:30 p.m. JST, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
MORE: Sign up to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler, exclusively on ESPN+
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler fight card
- Naoya Inoue (c) vs. Paul Butler (c) for the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring bantamweight titles
- Yoshiki Takei (c) vs. Bruno Tarimo for the OBPF super-bantamweight title
- Andy Hiraoka (c) vs. Min Ho Jung for the WBO Asia Pacific super-lightweight title
- Satoshi Shimizu (c) vs. Landy Cris Leon for the OPBF featherweight title
- Takuma Inoue vs. Jake Bornea
- Hironori Miyake vs. Peter McGrail