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David Benavidez sums up Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez’s chances of beating Naoya Inoue at 122lbs

has made his prediction for a mooted matchup between fellow pound-for-pound stars and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. Inoue has not fought since a career-best win over Junto Nakatani back in May, with the Japanese sensation being content having some much-needed time…

By Tom Eaton · Boxing News Online

Published: Friday, 30 October 2026 at 8:00 PM

Key Things to Know

David Benavidez is predicting Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez will defeat Naoya Inoue in a potential 122lb matchup.
Benavidez told ESNews that he supports Rodriguez and expects him to hand Inoue his first career loss.
Naoya Inoue has reportedly set a deadline of March 2027 for Rodriguez before potentially moving to featherweight.

The Story in 60 Seconds

David Benavidez has backed Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez to defeat undisputed super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue in a potential 122-pound showdown. Speaking to ESNews, Benavidez stated he is picking Rodriguez to cause an upset and hand the undefeated Japanese star the first loss of his professional career.

Inoue has been inactive since defeating Junto Nakatani in May, while Rodriguez recently captured the WBA bantamweight title in June. Inoue has set a reported deadline of March 2027 for Rodriguez to face him before he considers moving up to featherweight.

Read the full article on Boxing News Online

David Benavidez sums up Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez’s chances of beating Naoya Inoue at 122lbs

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