Inoue vs Kim: Fight time, ring walks, undercard, prediction and latest odds today

‘The Monster’ is preparing to support his undisputed super-bantamweight satellite titles for the 3rd clip against a precocious replacement opponent.

Inoue was primitively expected to conflict Sam Goodman connected Christmas Eve, lone for the combat to beryllium postponed aft the challenger suffered a chopped supra his oculus during sparring.

The bout was subsequently pushed backmost to January 24, lone for a recurrence of that aforesaid wounded to past pb to Goodman withdrawing again astatine 2 weeks’ notice.

Stepping up for 1 of the toughest tasks successful boxing against an undefeated pound-for-pound large and 1 of the sport’s astir devastating knockout artists is Kim, the South Korean combatant nicknamed ‘Troublemaker’ who has a 21-2-2 nonrecreational record.

The likelihood are firmly stacked (to accidental the least) against Kim, who has won his past 2 fights against Rakesh Lohchab and John Basan aft losing a determination against Rob Diezel successful America successful April 2023 - his archetypal decision for much than a decade.

Naoya Inoue vs Ye Joon Kim takes spot contiguous connected Friday January 24, 2025 astatine the Ariake Arena successful Tokyo, Japan.

Friday’s undercard is expected to statesman astatine astir 8am GMT, which is 5pm section time. Main lawsuit ringing walks are scheduled for astir 10:45am GMT (7:45pm JST). As ever, those timings are approximate and taxable to change.

Japan’s WBO bantamweight champion Yoshiki Takei was owed to header the undercard against Yuttapong Tongdee of Thailand, lone to endure a enarthrosis wounded successful December that has ruled him out.

Jin Sasaki vs Shoki Sakai

Goki Kobayashi vs Yuni Takada

Toshiki Shimomachi vs Misaki Hirano

Tsubasa Narai vs Kai Watanabe

TV channel: In the UK, Inoue vs Kim is being shown unrecorded connected Sky Sports+ from 7:30am GMT.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers tin besides drawback the contention unrecorded online via the Sky Go app.

Live coverage: Follow each the enactment connected Friday with Standard Sport’s live combat blog.

You surely don’t envy Kim, who volition surely beryllium among the precise biggest underdogs of the twelvemonth - oregon so immoderate twelvemonth - connected Friday.

Facing a fearsome champion similar Inoue is hard capable erstwhile you’ve had a agelong clip to prepare, fto unsocial having lone got the telephone a mates of weeks earlier.

After the combat with Doheny ended successful low-key manner arsenic the Irishman retired owed to injury, ‘The Monster’ volition nary uncertainty beryllium hunting 1 of his signature ferocious knockouts arsenic helium bids to connection different reminder of his awesome power.

Kim won’t beryllium overawed and says Inoue has ne'er faced idiosyncratic similar him before, but it would beryllium among the biggest shocks successful the sport’s past if helium were to dethrone him here.

Rather, we expect the location favourite to nutrient a typically vicious demolition occupation wrong the archetypal mates of rounds.

Inoue to triumph by emphatic aboriginal knockout.

The fighters took to the scales successful Tokyo connected Thursday and weighed astir precisely the same. Inoue was 121.8lbs, with Kim coming successful a fraction lighter astatine 121.7lbs.

Inoue to triumph connected points oregon by decision: 9/1

Inoue to triumph by knockout oregon method knockout: 1/18

Kim to triumph connected points oregon by decision: 70/1

Kim to triumph by knockout oregon method knockout: 33/1

Odds via Betfair (subject to change).