Cardenas On Inoue Weaknesses Bam Can't Exploit

Ramon Cardenas doubts Jesse Rodriguez and Robert Garcia will exploit the defensive gaps that dropped Naoya Inoue twice in recent fights.

The four-division champion was floored by overhand lefts against both Cardenas and Luis Nery, but Cardenas told The Ring that Inoue has already corrected those mental and physical lapses ahead of a potential clash with Rodriguez in early 2027. "I think he learned from his mistakes," Cardenas said. "With fighters like that, he'll mess up one time. He messed up with me, messed up with Nery, but he's not gonna mess up the second time."

Inoue Adjusted During Cardenas Fight

Cardenas noted that Inoue dropped his hands before absorbing the knockdown punch in their May 2025 bout, but the opening vanished immediately after. Cardenas kept hunting for it through the remaining rounds before Inoue stopped him in the eighth, yet the target never reappeared. Garcia, who trains Rodriguez at No. 4 pound-for-pound, has publicly stated he wants to capitalize on those same vulnerabilities when his fighter faces Inoue, but Cardenas believes the Japanese star will shut that lane down before the opening bell.

Rodriguez stopped Antonio Vargas in June to claim the WBA bantamweight title and is expected to collect another 118-pound strap before moving up, per Ring Magazine. Cardenas, who beat Erik Robles in December, fights Leonardo Carrillo on Saturday at USC Galen Center in Los Angeles on the Martinez-Plantic undercard. The 30-year-old said he is chasing an interim title shot and would accept a rematch with Inoue if the path opens.

Cardenas returns to the ring with a 27-2 record and 15 knockouts. His next fight airs Saturday night from Los Angeles.

Source: ringmagazine.com