Junto Nakatani vs Tasana Salapat: Odds and Fight Statistics
On October 14 in Tokyo, Japan, Junto Nakatani will step into the ring for another title fight against a Thai opponent. Below are the key stats for Nakatani’s second title defense, presented by Ready to Fight.
Junto Nakatani
Japan
26 years old
Weight class: Bantamweight (up to 53.5 kg)
Height: 173 cm
Reach: 174 cm
Stance: Southpaw
Record: 28 wins, 21 by stoppage, 0 losses
KO Percentage: 75%
Total career rounds: 137
Recent Fights:
- Win via knockout (KO) in Round 1 – Vincent Astrolabio
- Win via technical knockout (TKO) in Round 6 – Alexandro Santiago
- Unanimous decision win (UD 12) – Argi Cortes
- Win via knockout (KO) in Round 12 – Andrew Moloney
- Unanimous decision win (UD 10) – Francisco Rodriguez Jr.
Total rounds in recent fights: 41
Average rounds per fight: 8.2
Longest and shortest fights: Longest – 12 rounds / Shortest – 1 round (KO win)
Win percentage in recent fights: 100%
KO percentage in recent fights: 60%
Fight frequency: 1.66 fights per year
Combined opponent record: 133 wins, 40 losses, 8 draws
Best opponent record: Andrew Moloney (25 wins, 2 losses)
Worst opponent record: Alexandro Santiago (28 wins, 3 losses, 5 draws)
Tasana Salapat
Thailand
30 years old
Weight class: Bantamweight (up to 53.5 kg)
Height: 169 cm
Reach: 174 cm
Stance: Southpaw
Record: 76 wins, 53 by stoppage, 1 loss
KO Percentage: 69.74%
Total career rounds: 407
Recent Fights:
- Unanimous decision win (UD 10) – GuiMing Li
- Win via technical knockout (TKO) in Round 3 – Jirawat Thammachot
- Unanimous decision win (UD 6) – Kittipong Jaroenroy
- Win via technical knockout (TKO) in Round 4 – Phi Vinh To
- Win via technical knockout (TKO) in Round 3 – Thanachai Khamoon
Total rounds in recent fights: 26
Average rounds per fight: 5.2
Longest and shortest fights: Longest – 10 rounds (UD win) / Shortest – 3 rounds
Win percentage in recent fights: 100%
KO percentage in recent fights: 60%
Fight frequency: 2.5 fights per year
Combined opponent record: 21 wins, 29 losses, 3 draws
Best opponent record: GuiMing Li (6 wins, 5 losses)
Worst opponent record: Thanachai Khamoon (0 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw)
Everything You Need to Know About the Fight
- Junto Nakatani is using this fight to stay sharp as he awaits bigger matchups. He will participate in a two-day tournament in Tokyo, held on October 13 and 14. On the first day, Takuma Inoue (Naoya's brother) will headline the event. On the second day, it will be Junto's turn.
- Nakatani has set his sights on the Inoue family. After knocking out Astrolabio in his previous fight, he announced that he plans to first defeat Takuma Inoue, the current champion in his division. After that, he wants to move up in weight to challenge Naoya Inoue.
- A mega-fight between Junto and Naoya Inoue is already being discussed by Bob Arum, who has suggested they could meet in 2025 if they both continue to win.
- This fight will be Nakatani’s third in 2024. He first defeated Alexandro Santiago by stoppage to become champion. He then defended his title by quickly knocking out Astrolabio. Now, he faces Thai fighter Salapat.
- Despite having over 70 wins as a professional, Salapat has not faced any serious competition. These numbers, along with his 400+ rounds, should not surprise anyone as Thai fighters traditionally compete often, mixing boxing with Muay Thai bouts.
- That being said, Nakatani should not take this fight lightly. First, he needs to maintain his level of performance to ensure that his future mega-fights against the Inoue brothers sell well. Second, Thai fighters can be full of surprises, and with Salapat’s vast experience and southpaw stance, he could cause problems if not taken seriously.
Fight Prediction
According to estimates, Junto Nakatani is given an 85% chance of winning, while Tasana Salapat’s chances stand at 15%.
- Nakatani is having the best year of his career, with two dominant wins over high-level opponents. He is being tipped for big fights next year and is one of the brightest stars in the lighter weight divisions.
- Salapat has plenty of fights and rounds under his belt, but the overall level of his opposition has been relatively low. Additionally, he is smaller than the champion, so his best chances lie in capitalizing on any lapses in concentration by Nakatani or landing a lucky punch.