RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Pound-for-pound star Junto Nakatani is a three-weight world champion and one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. On Saturday, the hard-hitting Japanese southpaw will look to impress once again when he makes his junior featherweight debut against Sebastian Hernandez at Mohammed Abdo Arena in the co-main event of Ring V.

In June, Nakatani (31-0, 24 KOs) unified a division for the first time when he stopped countryman and WBA bantamweight titleholder Ryosuke Nishida in six rounds. In a brutal display of accurate power punching, “Big Bang” defended his WBC title and also added the vacant Ring championship to his growing collection.

“[Nishida] was aggressive and came to fight,” Nakatani told The Ring via a translator. “I expected that from him; it was predictable, so I was more aggressive in that fight, too.

“Winning The Ring Magazine championship was a big honor. That was a huge motivation for me because it proved that I was the best bantamweight in the world. I won that belt and now it’s on to the next step at 122.”

This move north brings Nakatani one step closer to a mouthwatering undisputed title clash against compatriot and fellow pound-for-pound sensation Naoya Inoue. Except for an appearance on the Mr. Verzace podcast, both men have been largely kept at a distance here in Riyadh.

Whenever Inoue and Nakatani are in the same room, there is no communication, no acknowledging each other’s presence and you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. With both fighters’ crosshairs locked on alternate targets this weekend, neither man will discuss the potential superfight in depth.

Even the mere mention of Inoue’s sixth defense of the undisputed crown against Mexico’s Alan Picasso was met with a steely response.

“Right now, I’m only focused on Sebastian Hernandez,” said Nakatani after shaking his head. “I don’t care about that fight.”

Nakatani, 27, spent less than two years in the bantamweight division and stopped all five of his opponents inside the distance. At 5-foot-8, he is extremely tall for the lower weight classes, so this recent step up has felt like a natural progression.

“Everything is good in terms of weight, speed … everything has been great for me at 122,” Nakatani said before acknowledging that the weight cut is still significant.

“[It’s] not really [possible for me to do additional strength and conditioning work] because you gain weight naturally. “In training camp, we’ve been doing the same things — hitting the bag, shadow boxing and sparring.”

And what about Nakatani’s next assignment? Hernandez, who hails from Tijuana, has scored 18 knockouts in 20 straight wins but remains largely undistinguished. The 25-year-old brawler’s best win on paper was a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan in July.

“[Hernandez] has a lot of power and a lot of knockouts,” said Nakatani. “I’m just focused on the game plan and will follow that game plan from the opening bell.

“We’re the same height and the same weight, [so I won’t have to box and move the whole fight]. What he does is predictable, so I’ll be ready for whatever he brings.”

Nakatani is already one of the most accomplished fighters in boxing, and 2026 could bring a legacy-defining moment against Inoue. However, this amiable Japanese warrior has long-term goals beyond punch-swapping with “The Monster."

“I will continue my journey, step by step,” said Nakatani before putting the higher divisions on notice. “Right now, it’s [junior featherweight], then it will be 126 and 130. I am motivated to become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”