Naoya Inoue will celebrate his latest alliance in style.

Literally.

The reigning RING/undisputed junior featherweight champion will sport Riyadh Season branding on his ring attire for Friday’s championship defense against Ye-Joon Kim. It will symbolize Inoue’s role as an ambassador for the movement headed by Turki Alalshikh, head of Riyadh Season and the newest owner of The Ring.

“I look at where I am in my career. We see what’s happening with Riyadh Season and how big it has been for boxing,” Inoue told The Ring. “It’s something that any boxer should want to consider.

“So, we made the decision to enter this partnership.”

Inoue’s championship defense against Kim will take place this Friday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The event will air live on Lemino Pay-Per-View in Japan and ESPN+ in the U.S. beginning at 4:15 a.m. ET and 6:15 p.m. local time.

Ring walks for the main event are expected around 5:45 a.m. ET. Inoue will attempt his third defense as The Ring and undisputed champ, and fourth overall defense at the weight.

As previously reported by The Ring, Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) entered a lucrative financial agreement with Riyadh Season on December 13. The pact includes sponsorship for Inoue’s fight and the four-division champ’s possible foray into the Middle East market.

The signing provided Riyadh Season with a direct link to The Ring’s entire pound-for-pound top five. Inoue joins The Ring/unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs), four-division champ Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), The Ring/undisputed light heavyweight king Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) and former WBA 175-pound titlist Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs).

Inoue was the last of that elite group to join forces with Alalshikh.

He’d long ago emerged as by far the leading draw in Japan, with demand at an all-time high after he was a unanimous choice for 2023 Fighter of the Year. His championship-defending knockout win over Luis Nery (35-2, 29 KOs) last May 6 was held in front of 55,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome, marking the famed venue’s first boxing event in more than 34 years.

Big plans are in store for Inoue’s 2025 campaign, including a return to the U.S. and—as previously mentioned—the possibility of appearing atop a show in Saudi Arabia. It all factored into what he considered to be a no-brainer of a decision to join forces with Alalshikh.

“He is really good for boxing,” insisted Inoue. “Someone that is going to continue to change how business is done in the sport, for the better.”

Jake Donovan is part of the U.S. team for The Ring. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.