TOKYO — Japanese boxing sensation Naoya Inoue is setting his sights on the United States following yet another formidable knockout victory. His promoter aims to elevate Inoue’s status among American fans to be on par with celebrated athletes like Shohei Ohtani.

Inoue, who remains undefeated and is affectionately known as “The Monster,” delivered a powerful performance against South Korean fighter Ye Joon Kim, securing a knockout in the fourth round during their bout in Tokyo. This victory marked Inoue’s third successful title defense in the super bantamweight division, enhancing his impressive record to 29 wins, with 26 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Bob Arum, Inoue’s promoter from Top Rank, announced that the fighter’s next appearance will take place in Las Vegas. This marks a return to the U.S. for Inoue, who last fought outside Japan in Las Vegas, where he triumphed over Michael Dasmarinas in June 2021. Nearly four years later, Inoue is recognized as a pound-for-pound champion with accolades spanning four weight classes: light flyweight, super flyweight, bantamweight, and currently, super bantamweight.

To generate excitement for the upcoming fight, Arum drew parallels to Ohtani, the Japanese baseball sensation currently captivating fans with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the reigning World Series champions. “Japan has given Ohtani to Los Angeles,” Arum remarked. “And for one event, Japan will present the remarkable Inoue to Las Vegas this spring.”

Ye Joon Kim stepped in as a substitute for Australian fighter Sam Goodman, who had to withdraw due to a recurring eye injury that led to the postponement of their original December 24 match. Kim made a bold decision to challenge Inoue at the start of the fourth round, but Inoue swiftly countered with a powerful right hook that knocked Kim to the canvas, earning him the victory as Kim was unable to rise before the count.

Expressing his gratitude, Inoue stated, “I feel a lot of love from everyone. I appreciate it. Overall, I think it was a good match. I didn’t have enough time to study my opponent, so I just took time to see what was coming from him.”