The match on 27 December will see Naoya Inoue take on Alan David Picasso.
Saudi Arabia’s rise as a global stage for elite boxing continues with Ring V: Night of the Samurai in Riyadh. The year-end showcase takes place at Mohammed Abdo Arena on 27 December, bringing Japan’s finest to the Kingdom for a high-stakes night of championship action. Undisputed junior featherweight king Naoya Inoue tops the bill against Mexico’s Alan David Picasso in a main event that anchors one of Riyadh Season 2025′s most anticipated sports nights.
Inoue arrives in Riyadh in imperious form. The pound-for-pound great is unbeaten and fresh from a wide decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Across the ring stands Picasso, an unbeaten contender with a 32-0-1 record who is eager to turn a breakthrough year into a world-title coronation. As a meeting of precision, power, and momentum, it is the kind of matchup that defines a season.
The co-main event keeps the intensity high. Junto Nakatani defends his WBC and IBF bantamweight titles against Sebastian Hernandez, a 20-0 puncher with a reputation for ending fights early. For Nakatani, it is a statement assignment that also keeps the door open to a seismic all-Japanese clash with Inoue in 2026.
A stacked undercard adds further intrigue. Former unified flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji moves up to challenge IBF super flyweight ruler Willibaldo Garcia. Rising lightweight southpaw Taiga Imanaga meets the dangerous Armando Martinez. The Tsutsumi brothers also feature, with Hayato challenging Jazza Dickens for the WBA interim super featherweight title and Reito stepping up against Leobardo Quintana.
Beyond the titles, Night of the Samurai is a strategic chapter in Riyadh Season’s sporting calendar, offering a finale that sets up storylines for the year ahead. Should the headliners prevail, talk of an Inoue versus Nakatani superfight will only get louder, underlining why this date belongs on every boxing fan’s radar.
Tickets for Night of the Samurai in Riyadh are expected to go on sale soon, so stay tuned to find out.
GO: Visit https://riyadhseason.com for more information.