Cinco de Mayo weekend is officially now the most stacked weekend of 2025. While the bright lights of Times Square will be buzzing with a tripleheader featuring Ryan Garcia vs. Rolando Romero, Devin Haney vs. Jose Ramirez, and Teofimo Lopez Jr. vs. Arnold Barboza Jr., and Canelo Alvarez goes for undisputed against William Scull in Saudi Arabia on May 3, another massive name is making his return to American soil. The Monster is back.
Japan’s pound-for-pound superstar, Naoya Inoue, is set to defend his undisputed junior featherweight crown against San Antonio’s Ramon Cardenas on Sunday, May 4, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The defense marks Inoue’s first U.S. fight since 2021.
Let’s be blunt: this is a stay-busy fight for Inoue. No disrespect to Cardenas, who’s on a 14-fight win streak and has called for this opportunity, but Inoue has been on another level. With a perfect 29-0 record and 26 knockouts, he has dominated every division he’s touched, knocking out unified champions (Stephen Fulton), future Hall of Famers (Nonito Donaire) and tough contenders (Luis Nery, Marlon Tapales).
In Vegas, the Monster is 2-0 with two knockouts over Jason Moloney and Michael Dasmarinas.
“I am thankful to the fans in America who have followed my career. Fighting at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is another career highlight, and I look forward to putting on a great show for everyone in attendance,” Inoue said.
For Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs), this is the opportunity of a lifetime. He’s worked his way up the rankings, overcoming tough fights, breaking jaws, and knocking out top contenders. His recent unanimous decision over Bryan Acosta solidified his case for a title shot, and when Inoue’s team came calling, he didn’t hesitate.
“This means the world to me. I’ve always aspired to fight for a world title, but to get a chance to fight for all the belts is a dream come true,” Cardenas said.
Will he shock the world? Or will Inoue add another highlight-reel knockout to his ever-growing legacy? Either way, it’s the perfect way to cap off the most loaded boxing weekend of the year.
Pre-sale tickets go live on Thursday, March 13, at 10 a.m. PT, with the public sale opening on Friday, March 14, at 10 a.m. PT via AXS.com. Stay tuned for broadcast details and the undercard lineup.
Cinco de Mayo weekend just became a must-watch for fight fans.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 