2 weeks Ago By Tim Rickson
The Cinco De Mayo weekend card topped by Naoya Inoue vs Ramon Cardenas is taking shape, with five fights now confirmed on the bill. The main event is an undisputed junior featherweight championship clash, supported by a WBO featherweight match, and now there's two top prospects, a KO artist , and a former Interim champion all added to the exciting event on Sunday, May 4, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Naoya Inoue vs Ramon Cardenas Rafael Espinoza vs Edward Vazquez Rohan Polanco vs Fabian Maidana Fabian Maidana vs TBC Mikito Nakano vs Pedro Marquez Raeese Aleem vs TBC In the ESPN-televised main event, Japanese pound-for-pound icon Naoya Inoue defends his undisputed junior featherweight championship against San Antonio’s Ramon Cardenas.
In the co-feature, WBO featherweight world champion Rafael Espinoza will defend his crown against former world title challenger Edward Vazquez in the co-feature. Two of boxing’s brightest young prospects, Rohan Polanco and Emiliano Fernando Vargas, are set to showcase their skills on the undercard. Polanco will lock horns with Argentine puncher Fabian Maidana in a 10-round welterweight contest, while Vargas will face an opponent to be named in an eight-round junior welterweight battle, both on the ESPN+-streamed undercard.
Inoue-Cardenas and Espinoza-Vazquez will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10pm ET / 7pm PT. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Ohashi Promotion, Teiken Promotions, and Sampson Boxing, tickets are on sale now via AXS.com .
“Rohan and Emiliano are emerging superstars and welcome additions to this incredible card at T-Mobile Arena,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “Before Inoue and Espinoza defend their titles, fight fans will have the opportunity to watch two future world champions in action.” Rohan Polanco vs Fabian Maidana 26-year-old undefeated Dominican, Rohan Polanco (15-0, 10 KOs), signed with Top Rank in December 2022 , alongside Brian Norman Jr.
, who is now a world champion. Ranked WBO #10, welterweight Polanco kicked off 2025 by blasting through once-beaten Jean Carlos Torres in just two rounds in February. In 2024, 'El Rayo' won all three fights, against opponents with a combined record of 73-8-2, 51 KOs, the last two finishing early in rounds two and six.
Fabian Andres Maidana (24-3, 18 KOs), the 32-year-old younger brother of former two-weight world champion Marcos Maidana, is a 10-year seasoned pro who challenged Mario Barrios for the WBC interim welterweight title in May 2024. All three scorecards were unanimous at 116-111, but the man nicknamed 'TNT' bounced back with a brace of stoppages in Argentina in October and December last year, picking up the WBO Latino welterweight title in his last fight. Tokyo 2020 Olympian Polanco said, "This fight is a major challenge for me, but it’s also a great platform to showcase my skills in front of a massive audience.
This is a great step forward for my career and will give me a chance to earn new fans while proudly raising the Dominican flag." Emiliano Fernando Vargas Undefeated rising super-lightweight star, Emiliano Fernando Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs), the youngest son of former junior middleweight world champion Fernando Vargas, compiled a 110-10 amateur record before turning pro in May 2022 with a first-round knockout against Mark Salgado. He signed with Top Rank later that year and made his promotional debut the following month by blitzing then-unbeaten Julio Martinez in two rounds.
Now 20-years-old, 'El General' moved to junior welterweight last year and went 4-0 with three knockouts, including stoppages over Angel Varela, Jose Zaragoza, and Larry Fryers. Fresh off a highlight-reel second-round TKO over Giovannie Gonzalez last month, on March 29th, he’s looking to keep the momentum rolling. Vargas said, “To fight at T-Mobile Arena on Cinco De Mayo Weekend, alongside incredible champions like Naoya Inoue and Rafael Espinoza, is a great opportunity.
I kicked off my 2025 campaign in style last week and will continue that momentum with another standout performance on May 4.” Other Undercard Fights Japanese KO artist Mikito Nakano (12-0, 11 KOs) will take on Puerto Rico’s Pedro Marquez (16-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight fight. Nakano is ranked in the top 10 in the world with all four governing bodies.
Former interim junior featherweight champion Raeese Aleem (21-1, 12 KOs) will face an opponent to be named in a 10-rounder at featherweight. The Inoue-Cardenas undisputed junior featherweight showdown and the Rafael Espinoza-Edward Vazquez featherweight world title battle will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10pm ET / 7pm PT..
