Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue (L) reacts after knocking down Australian boxer Jason Moloney during their bantamweight title bout at MGM Grand Conference Center on October 31, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mikey Williams, Getty Images North America/AFP
Top Rank's Bob Arum is setting up Naoya Inoue's mandatory IBF bantamweight title defense against Filipino prospect Michael Dasmariñas on June 19.
But the veteran boxing promoter wants to hold it outside of Japan, preferably in Las Vegas, due to the country's stringent health protocols against COVID-19.
“The problem in Japan is that if you’re a foreigner and you go in you got to do 14 days quarantine,” Arum said in RingTV.
“So, no fighter can go in and do 14 days quarantine and get ready for a fight.”
Inoue, The Ring Magazine bantamweight champion and unified titleholder, is Japan's biggest boxing superstar today.
Japan's health protocols caused many issues for its fighters, who are unable to fight opponents from other countries.
“(Teiken Promotions’ Akihiko) Honda is always complaining that the Japanese boys can’t fight outside fighters because of this rule. They have the same thing in Australia,” Arum said.
Arum plans to stage the fight with a limited number of spectators now that Nevada is allowing some fans to attend events.
“We are working on it,” he said.
“We won’t announce (the Inoue fight) until everything is cleared for spectators.”
It will be the biggest break in Dasmariñas' career.
The Filipino southpaw, who is unbeaten in his last 13 fights, won the right to challenge Inoue when he outpointed countryman Kenny Demecillo in March 2019.
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