LAS VEGAS – Ramon Cardenas came close to a huge upset when he landed a big punch on Naoya Inoue on Sunday night at T-Mobile Arena.
But the second round ended before he could do more damage.
After that, things changed fast. Inoue, the undisputed junior featherweight champion, recovered quickly from the surprise knockdown, which happened in the last seconds of the round with a strong counter left hand. Right after the referee finished the eight count, the bell rang, and Inoue returned to his corner without taking another hit.
Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs), a champion in four weight classes, made a big comeback after being knocked down. He knocked Cardenas (26-2, 14 KOs) down in round seven and won by stoppage in round eight.
“It wasn’t really his power,” Cardenas said after the fight. “I’ve been hit harder before. It was the non-stop punches—six, seven, eight at a time—that got me. I told my coach, Joel Diaz, I’d give it my all, and I think I did.”
Cardenas added, “Inoue had great timing. I tried to hit him as he came forward. We dropped him once, but I knew he’d get up because he’s tough.”
Inoue landed 39 punches in the first three rounds, then threw 137 more over the next few minutes. Cardenas fought bravely and had some good moments but couldn’t hold off Inoue’s attacks.
The fight ended in the eighth round when the referee stopped it while Cardenas was taking hard shots in the corner. “I told the ref I was fine, but he said he had to protect me,” Cardenas said. “I was disappointed, but I understand.”
Coach Diaz said Cardenas fought like a true warrior and followed the plan but needed to focus more on body shots. “Even with the loss, he gained a lot of respect,” Diaz said.
Cardenas almost caused a huge upset against Inoue, who was a big favorite to win. Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz said Cardenas’s strong performance will bring more chances in the future.
“I think I got some new fans,” Cardenas said. “I’m not too sad. I always wanted to fight on a big stage in Las Vegas. I love boxing and enjoyed the moment.”
Cardenas, who used to drive for Lyft before becoming a top contender, said, “Everyone calls me a Lyft driver, but I’m a tough one! I’ll fight anyone. For now, I’m planning a nice vacation to Japan.”
