IBF Orders Nishida vs Goodman for Interim Super Bantamweight Title

The IBF has ordered former bantamweight champion Ryosuke Nishida to face Sam Goodman for the interim super bantamweight title, giving the two 30 days to finalize terms.

Nishida compiled a strong run at bantamweight before moving up in February. The Japanese fighter knocked off Shohei Omori, Daigo Higa, and Christian Medina en route to winning the IBF strap against Emmanuel Rodriguez in 2024, per Bad Left Hook. He defended once before losing a unification bout to Junto Nakatani, then cruised past Bryan Mercado in his 122-pound debut earlier this year. He carries an 11-1 record with two knockouts.

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Goodman Bounced Back From Ball Loss

Goodman twice had a crack at undisputed champion Naoya Inoue pulled from under him in 2024 after suffering training camp cuts. He then moved up to featherweight and dropped a competitive decision to Nick Ball before returning to bantamweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super bantamweight. The Australian beat Rodrigo Ruiz in an eliminator this past April and holds a 22-1 mark with eight stoppages.

The winner is expected to land a mandatory shot at Inoue if the four-belt champion remains at 122 pounds. Negotiating rights will determine which network carries the interim title clash.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — IBF orders Ryosuke Nishida vs Sam Goodman for interim super bantamweight title