Barry Recks
At last, the junior featherweight title fight between Stephen Fulton and Naoya Inoue is finally going to happen. It was originally scheduled to take place last May but was postponed to July 25. Fulton is the unified junior featherweight king, while Inoue is the former three-time world champion who’s looking to score another belt in a different division.
Read on for more about this Stephen Fulton vs Naoya Inoue bout, including our predictions, picks, and the latest odds to win the fight, as brought to you by JefeBet. Also, don’t forget to check out the other MMA content here to help you make the best betting decisions.
Betting Preview for the Stephen Fulton vs Naoya Inoue WBC and WBO Junior Featherweight Title Fight on July 25, 2023
- Where: Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan
- When: Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 4:30 AM ET
- Odds: Stephen Fulton (+250) vs Naoya Inoue (-340)
All odds are provided by DraftKings.
Betting on Stephen Fulton (+250 on DraftKings)
- Odds: +250
- Fights: 21
- Victories: 21
- Victories by KO: 8
- Defeats: 0
- Draws: 0
First of all, Fulton is the champion here. As much recognition and headlines Inoue has gotten through the years, it’s Fulton who has what the Japanese fighter wants. Fulton should feel more comfortable than Inoute fighting at the junior featherweight division, considering he’s the champion in this bout, though, it must also be said that it’s been 13 months since he last stepped inside the ring.
In his most recent fight, Fulton scored a unanimous decision victory over Daniel Roman in Minneapolis back in June 2022. Against Roman, Fulton put on a masterclass on how to neutralize an aggressive opponent. He took full advantage of his reach and weaponized it to inflict damage on Roman. This can be the tactic Fulton will use against Inoue, whose reach (67) is three inches shorter than Roman’s (70.)
Betting on Naoya Inoue (-340 on DraftKings)
- Odds: -340
- Fights: 24
- Victories: 24
- Victories by KO: 21
- Defeats: 0
- Draws: 0
Inoue is no stranger to jumping up in weights. After all, this would be his fourth weight class. He started as a pro at 108 and 24 fights later, he’s still undefeated. Inoue’s punching power has also never left him even when moving up in class. In his last fight, he scored a technical knockout win in the 11th round over Paul Butler back in December.
When he moved up to the bantamweight division, Inoue still looked as devastating as ever, even scoring eight of his nine wins in the said weight class by way of knockouts. That being said, there’s more to Inoue than just his punching power. He can be a technical fighter who chooses the best spots and timing to attack and pepper his opponent with a flurry of efficient and powerful blows. Inoue has the tools and the smarts to beat someone like Fulton.
El Jefe’s Prediction on Stephen Fulton vs Naoya Inoue
Inoue is a gifted fighter, but Fulton’s physical advantages will show the way for him to victory. Fulton will use his reach advantage to keep Inoue at bay and score points with clean jabs. Fulton will also handle Inoue’s power just fine.
Prediction:
Stephen Fulton wins by TKO.
Bet with a JefeBet Partner Near You
U.S. Residents Claim this Offer:
[the_ad_placement id=”articles-draftkings”]
Residents of Chile Claim this Offer:
[the_ad_placement id=”articles-jefebet-chile”]
Not in the USA or Chile? Play Now!
[the_ad_placement id=”articles-jefe-predicciones”]
