Japan's WBC and WBO super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue celebrates his victory over Philippines' WBA and IBF super bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales after their four-belt world super bantamweight title unification match at Tokyo's Ariake Arena on December 26, 2023.

Report: Inoue will defend junior featherweight title vs. Doheny

KAZUHIRO NOGI / AFP / Getty

Naoya Inoue will defend his undisputed junior featherweight title in September against TJ Doheny in Tokyo, Japan, sources told ESPN's Mike Coppinger.

The fight will mark Inoue's second defense of all four of his 122-pound belts. Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) retained his titles with a sixth-round knockout of Luis Nery at the Tokyo Dome in May.

Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs) will enter the bout on a three-fight winning streak. The 37-year-old most recently earned a TKO victory in the fourth round against Bryl Bayogos in May.

It will be the seventh straight bout in his native Japan for Inoue, who has developed into one of boxing's best pound-for-pound fighters. The 31-year-old hasn't fought in the United States since defeating Michael Dasmarinas in June 2021.

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