Inoue vs. Fulton results and highlights: Check out the round-by-round scorecards and best moments from Naoya Inoue's victory

Naoya Inoue is the unified super bantamweight champion after defeating Stephen Fulton on July 25, 2023. With the win, the Japanese star has become a four-division champion. It’s always an intriguing affair when two boxers put their undefeated records on the line. This time, it was Inoe that prevailed while Fulton had to lose the ‘0’ from his record.

The fight took place in the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. ‘Monster’ did not disappoint his domestic crowd and absolutely dominated Fulton from the get-go. After seven dominant rounds, a right cross and left hook combo from Naoya Inoue knocked down the American in the eighth stanza. Fulton managed to get back up to his feet but Inoue unleashed a barrage of punches that went unanswered.

The referee intervened to stop the unnecessary punishment, awarding Naoya Inoue a TKO win. Watch the finishing sequence below, courtesy of Top Rank Boxing’s official Twitter handle:

According to World Boxing News and Boxing Social scorecards, Naoya Inoue was winning every single round in the fight until the finishing sequence. Although official scorecards of the fight are not yet available, most scoring platforms awarded a majority of the rounds to ‘Monster’.

Inoue displayed better striking defense and elusive footwork, keeping Fulton at the end of his jab from early on. This helped him establish control in the ring and inch toward victory.

The lopsided nature of the fight is visible in the fight statistics. Naoya Inoue is credited for landing 114 out of 379 strikes attempted in the fight with an accuracy of 30%. On the other hand, Stephen Fulton managed to land with mere 21% accuracy, landing 47 of the 223 total strikes attempted.

The statistic for power punches was more concerning as Inoue landed a total of 70 power punches with 39% accuracy against Fulton’s 24 punches with 24% accuracy. You can watch the stats below, courtesy of ESPN Ringside’s official Twitter handle:

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What’s next for Naoya Inoue?

Naoya Inoue has created history at the Ariake Arena second time. Back in December 2022, the 30-year-old registered an 11th-round TKO win over Paul Butler to become the unified bantamweight champion. He vacated the titles a month later to extend his dominance in a fourth weight class.

The win over Stephen Fulton earned Inoue the WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles. There are the first two pieces in ‘Monster’s quest to become the unified super bantamweight champion.

Filipino professional boxer Marlon Tapales holds the IBF and WBA super bantamweight titles and he is naturally the next target on Inoue’s list. Tapales entered the ring following Inoue’s win, setting the wheels in motion for the eventual title unification bout.

You can watch the clip below, courtesy of Top Rank Boxing’s official Twitter handle: