Naoya Inoue’s return to Las Vegas will feature two of the three judges who worked his previous fight.

Tim Cheatham (Nevada) and Patricia Morse Jarman (Nevada) are once again assigned to a bantamweight title fight featuring Yokohama, Japan’s Inoue (20-0, 17KOs) who faces IBF mandatory challenger Michael Dasmarinas (30-2-1, 20KOs) this Saturday on ESPN from The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The locally based official are joined by Don Trella (Connecticut) to score the evening’s main event, while Russell Mora (Nevada) will serve as referee for the scheduled 12-round contest.

Mora and Trella are assigned to their first fight each involving either side of the main event.

Cheatham and Morse Jarman have never previously served as judge for any of Inoue’s bouts prior to his seventh-round stoppage of Australia’s Jason Moloney last Halloween at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

The bout was stopped at 2:59 of round seven, with Inoue—who scored knockdowns in rounds six and seven—leading on all three scorecards. Judge Cheatham scored the contest 60-53 to that point, awarding every round to Inoue as well as a 10-8 round in the sixth. Judge Morse Jarman had Inoue ahead 59-54, as did judge Max DeLuca (California).

None of the four assigned officials have been assigned to a fight involving Bangar, Philippines’ Dasmarinas, who fights for the United States for the first time as a pro. The 28-year-old southpaw has fought primarily in Asia, including a 12-round unanimous decision win over Kenny Demecillo in March 2019 to become the mandatory challenger to the IBF bantamweight title.

Inoue, also 28, won the title less than two months later, scoring a second-round knockout of unbeaten and exiting champ Emmanuel Rodriguez in their May 2019 World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament semifinal. He then added the WBA “Super” title to his arsenal following a twelve-round unanimous decision win over Nonito Donaire in their November 20189 unification bout and WBSS finale.

Mora has frequently worked with judges Cheatham and Morse Jarman, as all three are regularly assigned to Las Vegas boxing events. The veteran referee—who has worked as a ring official since 1997—worked two undercard bouts for the June 12 ESPN card airing from this very venue. His previous title fight assignment came May 29, when he oversaw Devin Haney’s twelve-round unanimous decision win over Jorge Linares to defend his WBC lightweight title.

Judge Trella worked two undercard bouts on the Haney-Linares card and has been brought in on a semi-regular basis for big fight events in Las Vegas. Among the two bouts on that show was Chantelle Cameron’s fifth-round stoppage of Melissa Hernandez to defend her WBC junior welterweight title. Trella and Cheatham were both among the three judges whose scorecards were not required in the end.

Inoue-Dasmarinas tops an ESPN-televised tripleheader beginning 10:00 p.m. Eastern time/7:00 p.m. local and Pacific time.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox