Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim: Main card, start time, main event walkouts, and more

The Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim matchup is one that marks the legendary Inoue's return against a short-notice replacement opponent. Be that as it may, fan-favorite knockout artist, Inoue, is being viewed as a mammoth favorite to emerge victorious. 'The Monster' is expected to keep his undefeated professional boxing record and titles intact.

Presently, Inoue is the undisputed super bantamweight (aka junior featherweight) champion, as he possesses the big four belts (WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF). Also, the Japanese superstar holds the Ring Magazine super bantamweight belt. He's been a world champion in four separate weight divisions and is beheld as one of the greatest fighters in the world.

Initially, Inoue was booked to defend his super bantamweight titles against unbeaten Australian pugilist Sam Goodman on Dec. 24, 2024. Nevertheless, earlier that month, ESPN reported that Goodman was out of the fight after he suffered a cut over his left eye.

The matchup was postponed and rescheduled for Jan. 24, 2025. However, earlier this month, Goodman withdrew again. Per ESPN, the Australian fighter's first withdrawal was caused by the cut over his eye sustained in sparring. The second withdrawal was because the cut re-opened during another sparring session.

South Korea's Ye Joon Kim (21-2, 2 draws), with 13 KO/TKO wins to his name, was subsequently roped in to fight Japan's Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs). Their fight will have Inoue's undisputed super bantamweight title and his Ring Magazine belt at stake. The fight card features several other exciting matchups too. The event transpires at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

---

Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim main card

The main card for the highly-anticipated Top Rank-promoted boxing event, featuring the return of boxing icon Naoya Inoue, has been listed below (*the fight card is subject to change):

• Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim (WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine super bantamweight titles)
• Goki Kobayashi vs. Yuni Takada (minimumweight)
• Jin Sasaki vs. Shoki Sakai (welterweight)
• Tsubasa Narai vs. Kai Watanabe (lightweight)
• Toshiki Shimomachi vs. Misaki Hirano (super bantamweight)

---

Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim fight card start time

Per DAZN, for fans in the United States of America, the boxing event starts at 4:15 am ET / 1:15 am PT on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. The consensus is that some of the undercard matches could take place beforehand. For fans in the United Kingdom, the event would commence at 10:15 am BST on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.

---

What time does Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim start?

For viewers in the U.S., the Inoue vs. Kim main event fighter walkouts can be expected around 6 am ET / 3 am PT. Meanwhile, for fans in the U.K., the main event fighter entrances are likely to come at approximately 12 pm BST. The main event walkout timings could vary based on the preceding fights' duration.

Check out the Naoya Inoue vs. Kim fight card's start and main event walkout timings below:

Country	Fight card start time	Main event start time
U.S.A.	4:15 am ET / 1:15 am PT (Jan. 24)	6 am ET / 3 am PT (Jan. 24)
U.K.	10:15 am BST (Jan. 24)	12 pm BST (Jan. 24)
U.A.E.	1:15 pm GST (Jan. 24)	3 pm GST (Jan. 24)
India	2:45 pm IST (Jan. 24)	4:30 pm IST (Jan. 24)
Brazil	6:15 am BRT (Jan. 24)	8 am BRT (Jan. 24)
Australia	7:15 pm AEST (Jan. 24)	9 pm AEST (Jan. 24)