Junto Nakatani is reportedly set to undergo surgery this week to repair a fractured left orbital bone suffered during his May 2 loss to Naoya Inoue, a development that could delay any rematch between the two unbeaten stars until 2027.
InsideRingShow reported Monday that Nakatani’s trainer, Rudy Hernandez, confirmed the injury to The Ring reporter Mike Coppinger. The fracture reportedly happened late in the fight after an accidental clash of heads in the 10th round, with Inoue later attacking the damaged area during the final rounds.
Nakatani completed all 12 rounds despite the injury, losing a unanimous decision at Tokyo Dome in one of the year’s biggest fights.
The surgery complicates growing talk about a possible rematch. Hernandez has already publicly pushed for a second fight and made his confidence clear afterward.
“If we don’t beat him in the rematch, I will never train fighters again,” Hernandez said recently.
“I will quit.”
Inoue has also left the door open for another fight with Nakatani, although he has several other options in front of him, including a possible move up in weight and a heavily discussed showdown against Jesse Rodriguez.
The injury now changes the timeline. Orbital fractures often require several months of recovery before fighters can return to full sparring and contact training. Hernandez reportedly expects Nakatani to resume training in roughly three to four months, but a return fight against Inoue before the end of 2026 now appears far less certain.
The delay could create a difficult decision for Inoue. He can wait for Nakatani to recover fully, or continue moving through the division while the momentum from their first fight is still fresh.
Their first meeting generated major commercial success in Japan and produced one of the toughest fights of Inoue’s career. The demand for a rematch is there. The timing suddenly may not be.
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Last Updated on 2026/05/11 at 4:03 PM
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