Junto Nakatani: Three-Division Boxing World Champion

Japanese southpaw Junto Nakatani became a three-division world champion before moving up to super-bantamweight. The WBC profile reviews his championship progression.

World titles in three divisions

Nakatani first won a world title at flyweight, then captured the WBO super-flyweight championship. In February 2024, he stopped Alexandro Santiago in the sixth round to win the WBC bantamweight title, becoming a world champion in three weight classes. The WBC report records the result and his 27–0 record at that point.

Bantamweight reign and move up

Nakatani defended the WBC bantamweight title repeatedly, including a third-round knockout of David Cuéllar in February 2025. He later moved to super-bantamweight and faced Naoya Inoue at the Tokyo Dome on May 2, 2026. The BBC fight report records Inoue’s unanimous decision victory, Nakatani’s first professional defeat, and the end of his unbeaten run.

What the record shows

Nakatani’s defining achievement is winning world championships across three divisions, followed by a move up to challenge the undisputed champion Inoue.

Nakatani’s move through flyweight, super flyweight and bantamweight brought titles in three divisions before the jump to 122 pounds. The Inoue fight tested that run against an established champion at the higher weight and ended Nakatani’s unbeaten record. His earlier divisional achievement remains distinct from that first professional loss.

Sources

Career records and reporting: wbcboxing.com.

Tags

Boxing, Boxing History