The featherweight division can breathe a sigh of relief.

While there exists the desire to one day win at least a fifth divisional title, Naoya Inoue has no plans to leave the 122-pound division through at least the end of 2024. The unified WBC/WBO titlist is already within four pound of the divisional limit, one week out from his December 26 undisputed championship versus WBA/IBF title claimant Marlon Tapales at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

“I still have more I want to accomplish at super bantamweight after this,” Inoue told BoxingScene.com. “My time here doesn’t end with the undisputed fight. I am focused on [Tapales] but there are still more challenges here I want to take on before I think about fighting at featherweight.”

The declaration comes in contrast to the vision of Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, whose Top Rank company is Inoue’s U.S. promoter while he fights for Ohashi Promotions in Japan. The U.S. side of the equation previously teased the possibility of Inoue facing Robeisy Ramirez at the time the double Olympics Gold medalist held the WBO featherweight title. It became a moot point when Ramirez lost to Mexico’s Rafael Espinoza earlier this month, though never a realistic option as far as Inoue was concerned as he is fine at his current weight.

The move up from bantamweight was a necessity for Yokohama’s Inoue (25-0, 22KOs), the four-division champ who last summer began to feel the effects of making 118 pounds. The rematch versus Nonito Donaire was the first time that Inoue realized he was on borrowed time at the weight. It didn’t at all affect his performance, as he scored a second-round knockout to unify the WBC, WBA and IBF bantamweight titles last June 9 in Saitama, Japan.

An eleventh-round knockout of England’s Paul Butler earned Inoue the WBO title and become Japan’s first undisputed champion in the four-belt era last December 13 at Ariake Arena. His full unification status lasted exactly one month, before Inoue vacated all the belts on January 13 to pursue a fourth-divisional crown.

Inoue entered at a comfortable yet shredded 121.7 pounds for his brutally one-sided, eighth-round knockout of unbeaten WBC/WBO 122-pound champ Stephen Fulton on July 25 also at Ariake Arena. He will play the venue for a third straight time in an effort to make further history for Japan and for all Asian boxers in general.

The Philippines’ Tapales (37-3, 19KOs) is a longshot underdog to spoil those plans. Inoue is focused on the current task but further envisions at least two title defenses in the year ahead with a win on Tuesday. Former two division titlist Luis Nery is the WBC mandatory and a stated option by the longtime pound-for-pound entrant.

“If you and I are having this conversation a year from now, I see myself still at super bantamweight,” Inoue confirmed.

Inoue-Tapales tops a four-fight ESPN+ telecast, beginning at 3:00 a.m. ET. The show will also air on Lemino in Japan beginning at 5:00 p.m. JST.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox