RIZIN Fighting Federation bantamweight champion Naoki Inoue has his first title defense set.
During Tuesday’s RIZIN Decade/RIZIN 49 broadcast, promotion officials confirmed that Yuki Motoya would be the first man to challenge for Inoue’s belt.
Motoya (36-12, 1NC) earned his shot at gold care of a unanimous decision victory over Kyoma Akimoto as part of the night’s main card. The victory marked Motoya’s third straight win, including one under the DEEP banner, in 2024.
Naoki Inoue vs. Yuki Motoya will take place on March 31, 2025, per the promotion. No venue or location was announced for the fight. Both fighters were brought into the ring as part of the announcement.
Inoue (20-4) is a familiar name to Western fight fans, having competed for the UFC twice in 2017-18. After going 0-2 and being cut by the promotion, he returned to his native Japan, moving up to bantamweight after spending years at 125lbs. He’d win his first six fights in his new weight class, going to the final of the 2021 RIZIN bantamweight grand prix.
3-1 in his last four, Inoue defeated South Korean Kim Soo-chul at RIZIN 48 in September, finishing the fight via TKO in the opening round to claim his first major title. At 27, he’ll have youth on his side, with Motoya having turned 35 earlier this year.
