Night of the Samurai: Junto Nakatani Maintains ‘Monster’ Pursuit
Three-weight World Champion Junto Nakatani will begin his charge towards a fourth division title, as he faces Sebastian Hernandez Reyes in his super-bantamweight debut on The Ring’s ‘Night of the Samurai’ card.
‘Big Bang’ is closing in on the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history against fellow pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue, with their monumental showdown being lined up for May 2026.
Both men will first aim to secure respective wins when they feature on the same December card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to set up their clash in Tokyo next year.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of a huge night of Japanese boxing, with BOXRAW’s full The Ring V: Night of the Samurai preview.
When is The Ring V: Night of the Samurai?
This stacked Ring V: Night of the Samurai card will take place on Saturday, December 27th.
Where is The Ring V: Night of the Samurai taking place?
The Ring V: Night of the Samurai will be held at Mohammed Abdo Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
What time does The Ring V: Night of the Samurai start?
The undercard is expected to begin from 3:00 am ET / 12:00 am PT / 8:00 am GMT / 5:00 pm JST, with the main event scheduled for approximately 7:55 am ET / 4:55 am PT / 12:55 pm GMT / 9:55 pm JST.
The Ring V: Night of the Samurai live stream
The event will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN.
The Ring V: Night of the Samurai PPV Price
Fans can watch The Ring V: Night of the Samurai through a DAZN subscription.
The Ring V: Night of the Samurai Undercard
Here’s the full The Ring V: Night of the Samurai undercard line-up below.
Naoya Inoue vs Alan Picasso
Junto Nakatani vs Sebastian Hernandez
Kenshiro Teraji vs Willibaldo Garcia
Hayato Tsutsumi vs James Dickens
Taiga Imanaga vs Armando Martinez Jr
Reito Tsutsumi vs Leobardo Quintana
The Ring V: Night of the Samurai Preview
It was confirmed earlier this year that a historic match-up between Nakatani and Inoue was already in the works for May 2026 at The Tokyo Dome.
Both men are undefeated pound-for-pound fighters with multiple world titles across divisions, and a clash between them would become one of the most prominent fights in modern history.
Nakatani will aim to overcome the threat that Reyes poses first on December 27th, as he tests the waters at super-bantamweight after another jump up weight classes.
The 27-year-old has been on a dominant run of form throughout 2025, with knockout victories over David Cuellar Contreras and Ryosuke Nishida to unify the titles at 118 pounds.
Meanwhile, Inoue will defend his Undisputed belts against David Picasso in the main event of this talent-laden Night of the Samurai event.
“My life has been all about becoming a world champion and a great fighter and being able to prove I am worthy of being on the pound-for-pound list,” Nakatani stated, as he continues his climb up the pound-for-pound rankings.
“It makes all of my training and sacrifices I’ve made over the years, throughout my life, pay off. I hope to become stronger in the future and climb up that list further.”
Both Nakatani and Inoue look poised to earn their latest statement successes and cap off strong respective calendar years, with their blockbuster all-Japanese showdown on the horizon in the Land of the Rising Sun.
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