Naoya Inoue is reportedly finalizing a deal to defend his undisputed super bantamweight championship against Sam Goodman, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Coppinger.
Inoue will face Goodman in Tokyo on Tuesday, Dec. 24, so Christmas Eve morning for those of you in the United States.
Inoue (28-0, 25 KO) is coming off of a successful defense against a game TJ Doheny on Sept. 3, and also came off the canvas to knock out Luis Nery on May 6, so he’ll wind up having a three-fight year in 2024, his first since 2017.
The 31-year-old Japanese star will be heavily favored against Australia’s Goodman (19-0, 8 KO), a 25-year-old who has a pair of lower-level wins this year in March and July, and was at one point expected to be Inoue’s late summer opponent.
Goodman’s best wins came in 2023, when he beat the aforementioned Doheny and Ra’eese Aleem. Goodman, Inoue’s IBF mandatory challenger, has never fought outside of Australia.