The Fulton-Inoue 122-pound championship fight is set for May 7 at Yokohama Arena.

The best boxing matchup to appear on the 2023 schedule has a date and venue set.

The highly anticipated Stephen Fulton-Naoya Inoue championship battle will take place on May 7 at Yokohama Arena in Inoue's native Yokohama, Japan, according to BoxingScene.com. Inoue, who recently relinquished his uncontested bantamweight title in order to compete for a championship in a fourth weight class, will face Fulton as he defends his undisputed WBC/WBO junior featherweight crown.

Inoue will compete in the outstanding match for the second time in his hometown arena, which has a capacity of 17,000 and is anticipated to be packed to the gills, and for the fourth consecutive time in his home nation. In his eight-plus year pro career, Fulton will compete for the first time outside of the United States.

Since entering the championship picture, Philadelphia's Fulton (21-0, 8KOs) has repeatedly called for huge fights, particularly clashes with Inoue and fellow 122-pound undisputed champion Murodjon "MJ" Akhmadaliev (11-0, 8KOs), who is in possession of the WBA and IBF straps. Both fighters have stayed on his radar for some time now, even after his most recent performance on June 4 in Minneapolis, where he dominated former WBA/IBF champion Danny Roman over twelve lopsided rounds.

Inoue will compete in the spectacular event for the second time in his hometown arena, which has a capacity of 17,000 and is anticipated to be packed to the gills, and for the fourth consecutive time in his home nation. In his eight-plus year pro career, Fulton will compete for the first time outside of the United States.

Since entering the championship picture, Philadelphia's Fulton (21-0, 8KOs) has repeatedly called for huge fights, particularly clashes with Inoue and fellow 122-pound undisputed champion Murodjon "MJ" Akhmadaliev (11-0, 8KOs), who is in possession of the WBA and IBF straps. Both fighters have stayed on his radar for some time now, even after his most recent performance on June 4 in Minneapolis, where he dominated former WBA/IBF champion Danny Roman over twelve lopsided rounds.

Inoue’s previous appearance at Yokohama Arena produced perhaps the most iconic knockout of his storied career.

A 70-second blitzing of former bantamweight titlist Juan Carlos Payano was held in front of his adoring hometown faithful, which launched the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament.

He won the bracket outright, dethroning unbeaten IBF tltlist Emmanuel Rodriguez in the May 2019 semifinal before claiming the WBA belt from Nonito Donaire in the first of their two fights at the famed Saitama (Japan) Super Arena in November 2019.

Since then, Inoue has competed twice in the United States before making three straight appearances in Japan. The WBC title was added to his collection after his second-round knockout of Donaire in their rematch on June 7 at Saitama Super Arena. Butler's brief WBO reign was ended by him in their historic match on December 13 in Tokyo.