The only 3 men to have gone the distance against Naoya Inoue

When most fighters step into the ring with Naoya Inoue, their night ends on the canvas while Inoue celebrates another knockout added to his record.

To date, there have only been three men who have been able to weather the 'Monster' storm and go the distance with the undefeated fighter. They are Ryoichi Taguchi, David Carmona, and Nonito Donaire.

First up is Ryoichi Taguchi. He faced Inoue in his fourth fight as a professional at Sky Arena in Zama, Japan for the Japanese light flyweight title. They met in the ring on August 25, 2013, and went the full distance of 10 round. Inaoue ultimately earned a unanimous decision win. It added a second loss to Taguchi's then record of 18-1-1.

David 'Severo' Carmona was the second man to take Inoue the distance. They had their bout on August 5, 2016, and fought for the WBO World Super Flyweight title. This time, it was a 12 round match in which 'Monster' dominated from bell to bell. He earned the second unanimous decision of his career and tallied a fourth loss to Carmon's record.

The final man to take Naoya Inoue the distance is Nonito Donaire. Nicknamed 'The Filipino Flash,' Donaire is known for his quick hands and feet. When the two met for the first time on November 8, 2019, they fought in the WBSS final in Japan.

During the second round, Donaire opened a cut above Inoue's eye, which was the first time he had ever been cut in his career. The fight was ruled a unanimous decision win for Naoya Inoue. It was later voted the Ring magazine Fight of the Year.

Inoue posted this fight week poster to his Instagram:

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Naoya Inoue v. Nonito Donaire 2

After their first meeting in 2019, Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire will run it back and rematch tomorrow, June 7, 2022. Donaire will be defending his WBC Bantamweight title in a 12-round match from 'Monster' at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

The match will be available to stream on ESPN+ and the card will start around 5:30 am Eastern Time.

DAZN revealed some keys to victory for both fighters. Keys to victory for Donaire include punching off of the clinch and head movement. He remained too stationary, which cost him the win in the end when they faced off last.

Meanwhile, keys to victory for Inoue include adding more body shots. Their last battle was that of a headhunting competition. Hence, added level changes and shots to the body can help Inoue break down Donaire's defense and open him up to more combinations.

DAZN posted this picture to their Instagram, stating that both fighters have made weight: