NAGOYA, Japan — In a long-awaited matchup, pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue scored a masterful 12-round unanimous decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev at IG Arena on Sunday to retain his undisputed junior featherweight championship.

Two judges scored the bout 118-110, while the third had it 117-111. The Ring scored 119-109 in favor of the Japanese star.

Inoue, The Ring champion at 122 pounds, turned in a beautiful boxing display. He was extended the full distance for the first time since his 2019 Fight of the Year with Nonito Donaire, but his home fans were delighted and roared approvingly throughout.

“I used a great strategy, using my speed and technique,” said Inoue during his post-fight interview. “I stuck to my game plan and was happy to go the distance. I proved that I could fight smart tonight.”

Both were tight in a tense opening three minutes. Inoue got the jab going and utilized a sharp right to the body, but it was reconnaissance early with “MJ,” the natural counterpuncher, his usual patient self.

“The Monster” took his first serious bite in Round 3 when he crashed a right hand off the challenger’s jaw. Akhmadaliev smiled in response, but the shot sent a message of intent. Inoue was beginning to go through the gears and was in red-hot form.

Other than an idiosyncratic shaking of his left glove, the challenger wasn’t doing much until the fourth, when he found Inoue with a pair of sharp back hands. However, Akhmadaliev (14-2, 11 KOs) was paid back in full and struggled to find rhythm. There was nothing for him to counter because Inoue was so quick.

Rightfully lauded as an explosive knockout artist, Inoue is often forgotten for being a beautiful boxer. As the middle rounds approached, he was toying with an Olympic bronze medalist, scoring with brilliant single shots and controlling every second of action.

When Akhmadaliev finally trapped Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) against the ropes and released a multi-punch burst in the sixth, the home crowd gasped. However, that reaction soon turned to cheers when the champion responded with several two-and-three-punch bursts to the body that drove the Uzbekistan fighter backward.

Entering the final third of the fight, Akhmadaliev needed a knockout. He was miles behind on points and looked dispirited. He wasn’t quick enough. He wasn’t powerful enough. He wasn’t clever enough. He simply wasn’t good enough to topple a pound-for-pound great operating on a different level.

The ninth was Inoue’s best round. He continually nailed him with savage three-punch bursts and there was one beautifully timed right uppercut off the ropes on the counter. Akhmadaliev did well to cope with the heat, but he was hurting.

He changed direction constantly or darted in and out, but Akhmadaliev did manage to land some scoring shots and did enough to win the 10th.

But it was normal service resumed in the championship rounds. The quick-moving Inoue swatted away at Akhmadaliev, who landed nothing of consequence. In the end, it was a brilliant display of boxing skills and ring IQ by the defending champion.

Inoue, 32, has all but cleaned house at junior featherweight. The only serious threat — and it is serious — is compatriot and fellow pound-for-pound star Junto Nakatani, who was stationed at ringside.

A three-weight world champion, Nakatani recently vacated two bantamweight world titles and has set his sights on 122 pounds. A matchup against Inoue isn’t only the biggest fight in Japan; it’s one of the most attractive showdowns in world boxing.

That one is likely to become a reality in 2026.