When Naoya Inoue fights David Picasso Saturday, he’ll be facing an opponent seven years younger, three inches taller and unbeaten at 32-0-1.
But there’s a reason Inoue is known as ‘The Monster’ and why the Japanese sensation is an overwhelming favorite to defend his undisputed super bantamweight title
At 5-foot-5, Inoue packs a wicked punch. The power has served him well while winning world titles as a light flyweight, junior bantamweight, bantamweight and super bantamweight while amassing a record of 31-0 with 27 knockouts.
By contrast, the 5-foot-8 Picasso, a rangy 25-year-old from Mexico, relies more on volume. And he’ll also be making his first appearance in a title fight.
USA TODAY Sports will have results for the Naoya Inoue vs David Picasso fight, so check back here for updates.
Naoya Inoue vs David Picasso: Time, PPV, streaming for fight
Naoya Inoue will face David Picasso on Saturday, Dec. 27, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Date: Saturday, Dec. 27
Time: 4 a.m. ET
Inoue vs Picasso main event ringwalks: 7:57 a.m. ET (estimate)
Stream: DAZN PPV
Watch Inoue vs Picasso on DAZN PPV
What time is Naoya Inoue vs David Picasso fight card?
Inoue vs Picasso starts at 4 a.m. ET with the main card estimated to begin at 7:57 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 27.
When is the Naoya Inoue vs David Picasso main event ring walk?
The main card between Inoue and Picasso has an estimated start time of 7:57 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 27.
Inoue vs Picasso price: How much to watch fight
The fight available on DAZN will cost $39.99.
Naoya Inoue stats
Naoya Inoue is 31-0 with 27 KOs. He has won by knockout in 11 of his past 12 fights.
How much does Naoya Inoue weigh
Naoya Inoue weighed in at 121.1 pounds, under the maximum weight limit of 122 pounds for super bantamweights.
Naoya Inoue net worth
Naoya Inoue’s estimated net worth is between $7 million and $10 million, according to various reports.
Super fight on the line
There’s extra incentive for Naoya Inoue entering the bout against David Picasso. Inoue likely needs to keep his perfect record intact to secure a super fight with Junto Nakatani, a feared three-division world champion from Japan. Nakatani relinquished his bantamweight title to move up to the super bantamweight division and stalk Inoue.
Nakatani (31-0, 24 KOs) will be fighting Sebastian Hernandez (20-0, 18 KOs) on the main card Saturday.
Naoya Inoue among pound-for-pound best
ESPN and The Ring both rank Naoya Inoue No. 3 in their pound-for-pound rankings, behind only top-ranked Terence Crawford and No. 2-ranked Oleksandr Usyk. BoxRec, the official record keeper for boxing, ranks Inoue No. 1.
Why Naoya Inoue is nicknamed ‘The Monster’
Naoya Inoue earned the nickname ‘The Monster’ thanks to his punching power. You can watch some of his most brutal KOs here.
Is Naoya Inoue vulnerable?
Naoya Inoue has been knocked down twice in his last five fights.
In 2024, Luis Nery knocked down Inoue in the first round, and Inoue won the fight by TKO in Round 6.
In May, Ramon Cardenas knocked down Inoue in Round 2, and Inoue won the fight by TKO in Round 8.
Naoya Inoue vs David Picasso fight card, odds:
Naoya Inoue (-5000) vs David Picasso (+1000) – Undisputed super bantamweight titles
Junto Nakatani vs. Sebastian Hernandez – super bantamweight bout
Reito Tsutsumi vs. Leobardo Quintana – super featherweight bout
Taiga Imanaga vs. Eridson Garcia – lightweight bout
Willibaldo Garcia Perez (+275) vs. Kenshiro Teraji (-400) – super flyweight