“It Wasn’t the Power” – Cardenas on Inoue’s Greatest Strength

Mexican-American boxer Ramon Cardenas (26–2, 14 KOs) reflected on his loss to undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (30–0, 27 KOs), calling it a test of both his body and his mind — but also a moment he had dreamed of since childhood.

“It wasn’t really about the punch power.

I’ve been hit harder by other guys. What made it tough was the six, seven, eight-punch combinations. I just thought, ‘Oh, f***.’

In the hotel room, I told my trainer Joel Diaz, ‘If I go out, I’m going out on my shield.’ And I think I did exactly that.”

Cardenas praised Inoue’s elite timing, revealing his strategy was built around exploiting it.

“He has great timing. I tried to catch him as he was coming forward. I knew he dropped his hands when punching, so the plan was to clip him between the shots — and we got him.

I knew he’d get back up. He’s a warrior. He wasn’t just going to stay down.”

He also recalled the moment the fight was stopped:

“I told the referee I was fine when he stopped it.

He said, ‘I have to save you from yourself.’

I was disappointed but didn’t argue.

Maybe he saw something I didn’t.”

Despite the loss, Cardenas remained proud of his performance.

“I think I gained some new fans. Of course I’m upset — but not crushed.

That’s boxing. I was never afraid to lose. It should always be the best vs. the best. I’ve dreamed about this since I was a kid — fighting in a big Las Vegas arena in front of thousands.

I love fighting. I soaked it all in.”

And in trademark Cardenas fashion, he joked:

“Everyone called me a Lyft driver — well, I’m a tough f*ing Lyft driver**.

I’ll fight anybody. Doesn’t matter who.

I don’t know what’s next, but first, I’m taking a nice vacation in Japan.”

On May 5, Naoya Inoue stopped Ramon Cardenas in Round 8 via TKO. Cardenas dropped Inoue in Round 2 — only the second knockdown of Inoue’s career. After that moment, the Japanese champion dramatically increased both his output (from 43.5 to 62.5 punches per round) and accuracy (from 24.7% to 41.2%). Cardenas' stats stayed nearly the same across both halves of the fight.

Full statistical breakdown available via the link.