LOS ANGELES — Junto Nakatani took notice, just like the rest of the boxing world.

For the second time in a year, an overly aggressive Naoya Inoue got dropped by a counter left hook in the opening minutes of a fight.

Days after the undisputed junior featherweight champion Inoue survived a second-round knockdown and outlasted an incredibly brave and game Ramon Cardenas, the southpaw knockout artist Nakatani (30-0, 23 KOS) discussed the planned fight against his countryman in what is shaping up to be the biggest boxing match in Japanese history.

“It was a big surprise when he got knocked down. It was shocking,” Nakatani told The Ring through a translator after a training session at the L.A. Boxing Gym.

“He was fighting in the United States. It's a different environment. It could have contributed to him being knocked down. He has great experience, though. You can tell he was alert, listening to the eight-count and got up. After the knockdown, Inoue beat him up with his own knockdown and eventually knocked him out in the eighth round.

“We've seen him get hit with the left hook a couple of times. It was a good shot from Cardenas. I can't just depend on one punch. I have to throw more punches and in combinations. I am ready to go toe to toe and engage with him. I am prepared for any style that he wants to bring in the fight. We are going to have several game plans to prepare for Inoue. I am going to train for anything and everything.”

Nakatani, 27, agreed with head coach Rudy Hernandez that he needs to fight Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs) sooner rather than later, before the 32-year-old goes through more wars and shows signs of deterioration in looming fights against Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Nick Ball.

“We would rather fight Inoue now than tomorrow,” Hernandez told The Ring. “I want to get a better version of Inoue than an older version. If we wait until next year, the excuse will be that Inoue got older. There is more credit to it if we beat him now. Anytime a fighter gets a bit older, that's the first excuse. They'll say, ‘It would have been different if he were younger.’”

Nakatani and Hernandez also echoed the same sentiment, that if they get the chance to drop Inoue, they must staple him to the ground and stop him soon after.

Nakatani landed a similar crushing overhand counter left that Cardenas and Luis Nery did to Inoue when “Big Bang” scored a knockout of the year against Andrew Moloney in 2023.

“Every time Inoue gets dropped, he gets pissed and makes the opponent pay for it,” said Hernandez. “He can get dropped, but it’s not going to dictate who he is. We intend to drop him so he doesn't get up. If he gets up, we’re going to have to worry about him — all you have to do is piss him off. Getting dropped makes him meaner. When the bell rings, we’re all even until someone gets broken down.”

Nakatani, a three-division champion and WBC bantamweight title holder, is preparing to face IBF 118-pound titlist Ryosuke Nishida (10-0, 2 KOs) on June 8 at Ariake Colosseum in Japan. Since the matchup features The Ring’s top two-rated bantamweights, the vacant Ring title also will be on the line.

Nakatani said this could be his last fight at 118. He prefers to fight twice at 122 against right-handers before the Inoue fight happens, potentially in May.

Nakatani is The Ring’s No. 7-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, and Inoue is No. 2.

“Every boxing fan wants to see us fight,” said Nakatani.