Where Junto Nakatani Ranks In 122-Pound Division After Debut Win

Ring Magazine has Nakatani ranked the lowest of any sanctioning body. The Japanese southpaw is the No. 1 contender in the WBC, WBA, and WBO. He is the No. 3-ranked contender by the IBF, which does not have a No. 1 or No. 2-ranked 122-pound contender.

Nakatani enters 2026 without a belt for the first time since 2023, when he claimed the WBO super flyweight title with a 12-round knockout of Andrew Moloney. He was granted an immediate 115-pound title shot against Alexandro Santiago less than a year later.

Nakatani did not dismantle Hernandez as easily as some predicted, but he got the job done across the board. Many fans were critical about how much he struggled against Hernandez, whose highest ranking is No. 11 in the WBO poll.

Nakatani's new ranking allows him to challenge undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue in 2026, which is all but a done deal. The two Japanese stars both fought and won atop 'The Ring V' fight card, which was almost entirely promoted as a part of their eventual fight build.

Naoya Inoue, Junto Nakatani set to square off in 2026

While some fans are now skeptical of Nakatani's chances against Inoue after his fight with Hernandez, the bout will proceed as anticipated.

With Inoue and Nakatani both tentatively under the Riyadh Season banner, the matchup is virtually guaranteed to happen in 2026. The timing could get murky, however, with Inoue expressing interest in taking some time off after fighting four times in 2025.

Nakatani fought three times himself, but no champion competed in 2025 more than Inoue. The 32-year-old's last two fights both went to the scorecards, marking the first time in his 32-fight career that has happened in consecutive outings.

Inoue remains committed to the matchup with Nakatani, which he has teased as his last. 'The Monster' has openly discussed his impending retirement over the last year, believing he has little left to prove before hanging up his gloves as one of the greatest boxers of all time.