Takuma Inoue and Tenshin Nasukawa both made weight in Tokyo on Friday, clearing the final hurdle before their WBC World Bantamweight Championship rematch on September 27 at Toyota Arena in Tokyo.
The weigh-in matters because this is not just another fight on the calendar. Inoue is scheduled to defend his WBC World Bantamweight title against Nasukawa in the 118-pound division, and the bout now moves forward as planned after both fighters came in on weight on their first attempt. Inoue, the reigning champion, had already beaten Nasukawa by 12-round unanimous decision on November 24, 2025.
Why this rematch is different
The backstory gives the Tokyo matchup some extra weight. Inoue’s earlier win over Nasukawa established the champion’s edge in their first meeting, but Nasukawa has also added another notable result to his record since then with a TKO of Juan Francisco Estrada. That makes the rematch a more interesting title defense than a standard stay-busy fight.
Inoue enters the bout with a 17-2 record and 12 KOs, while Nasukawa’s profile has only grown since their first meeting. The championship setting, along with the rematch storyline, gives the fight real significance for the bantamweight division.
Tokyo doubleheader stays on track
The card is part of the WBC Green and Gold World Championship doubleheader, and all four fighters on the Friday weigh-in slate made weight in Tokyo. That includes Kazuto Ioka and Tomoya Tsuboi, who are also set for title action on the same night.
One of the supporting bouts now has its own layers after Tsuboi fought Pedro Guevara in April 2026 in a bout that ended in a no contest because of an accidental clash of heads. Combined with the Inoue-Nasukawa rematch, the Tokyo card is set up as a strong championship night with two WBC title fights at Toyota Arena.
For Inoue, the weigh-in was the last official checkpoint before he attempts to keep his title. For Nasukawa, it was the chance to confirm that the rematch is officially on and that his second shot at the belt will come in the same city where he first fell short.
