Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue is set to return to the ring next month, facing Ireland’s TJ Doheny at the Ariake Arena in Koto-Ku, Japan. The ‘Monster’ will be defending his undisputed title for the third time since claiming it against Marlon Tapales in December last year. In the lead-up to his highly anticipated comeback, Inoue has once again left fans in awe. How?

Mere days before his bout on September 3rd, the undefeated boxer took to X to share updates from his training camp, posting several pictures of his shredded physique. The photos quickly caught the attention of Boxing Kingdom, who compared the Japanese ‘Monster’ to the Marvel Superhero—‘Hulk’, sparking a lively conversation among fans.

Naoya Inoue with his zero percent body fat

While sharing one of Inoue’s pictures, Boxing Kingdom wrote, “Naoya Inoue looking like the hulk today. Zero body fat.‼️” While achieving zero percent body fat and staying alive is literally impossible for a person, the statement here must have been used to emphasize how ripped Inoue has gotten for his upcoming fight. 

In fact, the lowest, in terms, of body fat a person could go is 3% in males and 10% in females, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). This is because the organs in the body need the essential fats surrounding them to function properly. This means that despite Inoue’s shredded physique, he is more likely in the 5%-10% body fat range. 

Regardless, Inoue himself never made such claims. In his original post in Japanese, he stated, “Training one week before the match has finished! The body of a super bantamweight is starting to take shape…”. However, seeing Inoue’s crazy physique, fans quickly took to the comments to express their thoughts. Most of whom took the captions quite literally.

The notion of zero percent body fat challenged

Despite mostly fighting on his home turf, Japan’s Inoue has gained massive popularity abroad, with fans from across the globe. Meaning it didn’t take long for his fans to start talking. One user seemed in disbelief at what Inoue has achieved. The user wrote, “How do you actually achieve this? Cause he be looking like this even when he not in camp, is he just always on a calorie deficit?” Notably, Inoue’s natural weight hovers just above 122 pounds, making it easier for him to stay in peak shape even outside the ring.

Another user seemed confused about Boxing Kingdom calling Inoue ‘Hulk.’ “What hulk we referring to?” the user questioned. The reason behind the confusion could be that Marvel’s Hulk is way bigger than Inoue. 

Meanwhile, this user disagreed with the notion that Inoue had zero percent body fat. The user went even further, remarking, “0%? Looks more like negative 3% to me!!! 🧐,” further dramatizing Inoue’s new physique. 

The next user had a similar argument but with a slightly different point. “Stop the cap, that’s not 0 body fat,” the user wrote. It’s worth mentioning that having very little body fat can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies, electrolyte imbalances, and malfunctioning of the heart, kidneys, and other vital organs.

One user refused to believe Inoue was on zero percent body fat. “You realize that if you had  0% fat you’d be dead? He’s probably around 5% 😂😂,” wrote the user. However, it is possible to get body fat levels so low that it becomes impossible to measure by traditional methods, which are sometimes seen in endurance athletes and bodybuilders, especially on the day of a competition.

With barely any time left in his next fight, Naoya Inoue has shared a glimpse into what his physique would look like on fight night. However, the bigger question is, would he move up in weight after this fight or stay at 122? Let us know in the comments.