Takuma Inoue and Tenshin Nasukawa settle unfinished business in Tokyo, while Raul Rosas Jr. gets his first UFC main event and Liam Davies defends his European title in Birmingham.
The final full weekend of September gives fight fans a little bit of everything.
Boxing delivers one of Japan’s biggest rematches of the year, an important European featherweight showdown in England and a potential world-title eliminator between two proven junior featherweights.
Meanwhile, the UFC returns to Las Vegas with one of its youngest stars taking another major step up in competition.
Here are Fight Week’s 5 Fights to Watch This Week.
1. Takuma Inoue vs. Tenshin Nasukawa II
Boxing — WBC Bantamweight World Championship
Sunday, September 27 — Toyota Arena Tokyo, Japan
Prime Video
Sometimes a rematch needs very little explanation.
Takuma Inoue and Tenshin Nasukawa fought for the vacant WBC bantamweight championship last November, with Inoue earning a unanimous decision after 12 rounds.
Now they do it again — except this time Inoue enters as the defending world champion.
Inoue has not simply been waiting for the rematch. He successfully defended the championship earlier this year and enters Sunday with a 22-2 record.
Nasukawa has also responded to the first professional defeat of his career. The former kickboxing superstar defeated former world champion Juan Francisco Estrada to earn another opportunity at Inoue and the WBC title.
That makes this second meeting much more interesting than simply running back the first fight.
Nasukawa has now experienced 12 rounds with Inoue and knows exactly where the champion gave him problems. Inoue, meanwhile, has already proven he can solve Nasukawa’s speed and unusual rhythm.
Now we find out who made the better adjustments.
Why watch: A legitimate championship rematch between two of Japan’s biggest combat-sports names, with Nasukawa seeking revenge and his first boxing world title.
2. Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos
MMA — UFC Bantamweight Main Event
Saturday, September 26 — Meta APEX, Las Vegas
Paramount+
Raul Rosas Jr. is still only 21 years old.
On Saturday, he becomes the youngest fighter ever to headline a UFC event.
Rosas Jr., ranked No. 12 at bantamweight, faces No. 13-ranked Raoni Barcelos in his first five-round main event.
Both men arrive with five-fight winning streaks.
Rosas Jr. most recently defeated Rob Font by unanimous decision and continues to develop from an intriguing teenage prospect into a legitimate ranked contender. His grappling and ability to control opponents remain the foundation of his game.
Barcelos represents a significant test.
The 39-year-old Brazilian is enjoying perhaps the best run of his UFC career, with recent victories over Montel Jackson, Ricky Simon, Cody Garbrandt and Payton Talbott.
There is also a fascinating contrast here.
Rosas is one of the youngest ranked fighters in the UFC. Barcelos is a veteran with years of experience against elite competition.
Youth versus experience.
Both riding five-fight winning streaks.
And five rounds to decide who moves closer to the top 10.
Why watch: Rosas Jr. gets the biggest test of his young career against a veteran who has suddenly become one of the hottest fighters in the division.
3. Liam Davies vs. Nathaniel Collins
Boxing — European Featherweight Championship
Saturday, September 26 — bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham, England
DAZN
England versus Scotland with a European championship on the line.
Liam Davies defends his European featherweight title against former British and Commonwealth champion Nathaniel Collins in Birmingham.
Davies has successfully reinvented himself after moving up from super bantamweight. He captured the European and WBO Intercontinental featherweight titles and now looks to continue building toward an eventual world-title opportunity.
Collins enters needing a significant victory after suffering the first loss of his professional career against Cristobal Lorente earlier this year.
That makes this an important fight for both men.
Davies wants to prove that his success at featherweight is only the beginning.
Collins needs to show that one defeat has not removed him from the championship picture.
The styles should also work.
Davies brings technique, movement and experience from championship fights, while Collins has traditionally been willing to apply pressure and force opponents to work.
Why watch: A European title fight with legitimate world-ranking implications and plenty at stake for both fighters.
4. Ryosuke Nishida vs. Sam Goodman
Boxing — Vacant Interim IBF Super Bantamweight Championship
Sunday, September 27 — Toyota Arena Tokyo, Japan
The Inoue-Nasukawa undercard has its own potential show-stealer.
Former IBF bantamweight champion Ryosuke Nishida (11-1, 2 KOs) moves into a major junior featherweight fight against Australia’s Sam Goodman (22-1, 8 KOs).
The vacant interim IBF championship is at stake.
And that could eventually lead to something much bigger.
The winner could move into position for a future opportunity against undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue.
Goodman has spent years hovering around the world-title picture and owns victories over several quality opponents. Nishida has already experienced life as a world champion and now attempts to establish himself in another division.
Both men enter with only one professional defeat.
Neither can afford another one if the goal is a future fight with the biggest name at 122 pounds.
Why watch: A competitive matchup with an interim world title at stake — and potentially a much larger opportunity waiting for the winner.
5. Norma Dumont vs. Ailin Perez
MMA — UFC Women’s Bantamweight Bout
Saturday, September 26 — Meta APEX, Las Vegas
Paramount+
This fight may be sitting on the prelims, but the rankings say it belongs on the watch list.
Norma Dumont, ranked No. 4 at women’s bantamweight, meets No. 5-ranked Ailin Perez.
That alone makes this one significant.
The UFC women’s bantamweight division continues to search for challengers near the top, and a matchup between No. 4 and No. 5 gives both fighters an opportunity to separate themselves from the pack. UFC lists Dumont at 13-3, and she enters after defeating Joselyne Edwards in April.
Perez brings a physical grappling style that can turn fights into exhausting battles along the fence and on the ground.
Dumont has the experience and has quietly worked her way into the upper tier of the division.
The winner should leave Las Vegas with a much stronger argument for a major fight next.
Why watch: No. 4 versus No. 5 in a division where one convincing victory can dramatically change the championship picture.
Fight Week’s Must-Watch Fight
This week belongs to Takuma Inoue vs. Tenshin Nasukawa II.
The first fight gave Inoue the championship.
The rematch gives Nasukawa the opportunity to prove how much he has developed since experiencing his first professional boxing defeat.
That is what makes this one so interesting.
Nasukawa entered professional boxing with enormous expectations because of what he accomplished in kickboxing. Against Inoue, he finally encountered an opponent capable of neutralizing many of the physical and stylistic advantages that had made his transition look relatively smooth.
Now he gets another chance.
And Inoue gets the opportunity to prove the first result was no accident.
For MMA fans, Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos deserves plenty of attention. Rosas is no longer simply the teenager who became the youngest fighter in UFC history. He is now a ranked contender preparing for his first five-round main event.
And don’t overlook Nishida vs. Goodman early Sunday morning. That matchup could have major implications for the future of the loaded super bantamweight division.
From Birmingham and Las Vegas on Saturday to Tokyo on Sunday, there is plenty to keep fight fans busy.
Fight Week will be following the biggest boxing and MMA stories throughout the week.
