Junto Nakatani vs Ramon Cardenas verbally agreed for early 2027, says promoter Lewkowicz

Sampson Lewkowicz told The Ring that Junto Nakatani vs Ramon Cardenas has been verbally agreed and will likely happen in the first quarter of 2027.

Junto Nakatani vs Ramon Cardenas has been verbally agreed and will likely take place in the first quarter of 2027, according to Cardenas' promoter Sampson Lewkowicz. Lewkowicz revealed the deal to The Ring on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. No date, venue or broadcaster has been announced, and the fight has not yet been officially confirmed by either camp in a signed contract.

What the promoter said

Lewkowicz told The Ring that he has reached an understanding with Akihiko Honda, Nakatani's promoter.

"We have a verbal agreement with Mr. Honda," Lewkowicz said. "The fight will likely take place in the first quarter of 2027. It's a great fight. Both fighters are power punchers. It should be a good one with a lot of action."

The Ring described the two sides as working to finalize the deal.

Nakatani looks to rebound from Inoue loss

Nakatani (32-1, 24 KOs), 28, is coming off the first defeat of his professional career. On May 2 at the Tokyo Dome, the Japanese southpaw lost a unanimous decision to compatriot Naoya Inoue, The Ring's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, and suffered a fractured left orbital bone in the fight. Nakatani is still rated No. 7 on The Ring's pound-for-pound list and has said he wants to use the loss as fuel on the way to becoming a four-weight world champion.

Cardenas wants another Japanese star

Ramon Cardenas (28-2, 15 KOs), 31, is best known for his 2025 fight with Inoue. The American scored a knockdown against the pound-for-pound king before being stopped by eighth-round TKO. Since then he has won twice: he knocked out Erik Robles in December and outpointed Leonardo Carrillo in August.

What it means

A fight with Nakatani would give Cardenas a second shot at one of Japan's biggest names, while Nakatani gets a dangerous comeback test against a man who has already put Inoue on the canvas. The Ring noted that Nakatani would still enter as a sizable favourite.

For now, the bout remains a verbal agreement reported by Cardenas' promoter. Official confirmation, a date and a location are still to come.