Main Event: Gennadiy Golovkin (GGG) vs. Ryota Murata
When: Saturday, April 9, 2022
Where: Saitama Super Arena
Main Event Time: 8 a.m. EDT
TV: N/A
On Saturday, one of the top middleweights in the world returns to Japan. Gennadiy Golovkin returns to unify his IBF and WBA titles at 160 pounds in the main event against Japan’s Ryota Murata. GGG is anticipated to get his long-awaited trilogy fight with undisputed super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez if he wins against Murata (so long as Alvarez is successful in his move up to light heavyweight against Dmitry Bivol on May 7).
Murata is no pushover and should not be dismissed as a minor stumbling block on the way to Golovkin vs. Alvarez 3. Murata also has a home-ring advantage, since the bout will be held at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan (5:10 a.m. ET, DAZN).
Murata has only lost two of his 18 professional fights, but he has avenged both of them. In May 2017, Murata was defeated by Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam for the WBA regular championship, the sanctioning body’s secondary belt. Murata avenged the split decision by forcing N’Jikam’s corner to call it a day after seven rounds in October.
Murata’s second loss followed a same pattern, with Rob Brant winning by decision in October 2018, only for Murata to respond with a relentless barrage of power punches in their rematch the following July, forcing a second-round stoppage.
GENNADIY GOLOVKIN RECORD AND BIO
- Nationality: Kazakhstan
- Date of birth: April 8, 1982
- Height: 5′ 10.5″
- Reach: 70″
- Total fights: 43
- Record: 41-1-1 (36 KOs)
RYOTA MURATA RECORD AND BIO
- Nationality: Japan
- Date of birth: January 12, 1986
- Height: 6′ 0.5″
- Reach: 75″
- Total fights: 18
- Record: 16-2 (13 KOs)
GOLOVKIN VS. MURATA FIGHT CARD
- Gennadiy Golovkin vs. Ryota Murata; IBF and WBA world middleweight titles
- Shuichiro Yoshino vs. Masayuki Ito; for the WBO Asia Pacific lightweight title
- Junto Nakatani vs. Ryota Yaauchi; for the WBO flyweight ttle
