Naoya Inoue takes home your Fighter of the Year
Inoue became the first undisputed bantamweight champion in 50 years when he took the WBO title off Britain’s Paul Butler with a commanding performance in Tokyo.
Butler, 34, was given a lesson by the 29-year-old from Japan, who dominated throughout until he ended the contest with a with a right hand to the body followed by a solid left hook and a barrage of unanswered punches that floored Butler.
It was Inoue’s 21st career knockout and it guaranteed a slice of history, with no bantamweight having held all of the titles in the four-belt era. “This is the greatest moment [of my career],” Inoue said after the fight.
"He is the best volume puncher in the game right now besides Bivol. His speed and power is insane. Mixes it up to body and head. Great footwork. Honestly, he is probably the best boxer pound for pound at the moment" - Shannan Smith