WBA Super/IBF World Bantamweight Championships: Naoya Inoue (c) (19-0) vs. Jason Moloney (21-1)
Luke Irwin: Inoue, maybe the most fun fighter currently, in any weight, in any combat sport, makes his American main event debut, as him being a newly minted Top Rank fighter will open him up for a big swath of the viewing audience who hasn’t seen him live before. For his first eighteen fights, Inoue faced down a clearly intimidated fighter, and he proceeded to roll through them. Then he faced Nonito Donaire. Donaire, a legend, wasn’t buying in to the mystique and came after Inoue, surprising the Monster with huge shots and unrelenting pressure, leading to a cut along Inoue’s eye. Eventually, Inoue adjusted, and won on the scorecards. Moloney has been talking about not being intimidated, but every fighter says that. If he can prove it and walk the walk, he stands a chance, but the longer it goes on, the more chance Inoue has to adapt and wear his opponent down. Inoue via R9 KO.
WBO World Female Junior Lightweight Championship: Ewa Brodnicka (c) (19-0) vs. Mikaela Mayer (13-0)
Luke: Brodnicka has held this title for over three years, and is making his sixth defense, but Mayer is her toughest test to date. Brodnicka is a fine technical boxer, but good golly is she light-punching, and Mayer isn’t a ton better. However, Mayer fights with more urgency and pop which should score higher in the judges eyes, and could land a knockdown much easier than Brodnicka could. Mayer via UD.
Junior Welterweight Bout: Julian Rodriguez (20-0) vs. Jose Eduardo Lopez Rodriguez (29-7-2)
Luke: Julian Rodriguez via UD.
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