“I absolutely cannot afford to lose.”

Father Time is undefeated.

“There’s no way I can afford to lose,” Inoue said on DAZN’s “On The Ground” series.

“My motivation comes from the position I have in the division. I have achieved results that I am happy with. But now that I am 32, things are starting to become clearer. The topic of retirement, the fact that I will retire one day, is something that is becoming visible at this point.

“Being booked on the same show as Junto Nakatani, fans will be looking toward next year with high hopes. So I have to show them that I’m still in the mix. Getting both of them to win is the top priority.”

Nakatani, 27, is considered Inoue’s successor to the throne.

Inoue has held titles in four weight classes after beginning his career at 108 pounds; he has been fighting at 122 for over two years. He is 7-0 in the weight class and has defended his undisputed title five times, most recently in September against Murodjon Akhmadaliev.

The victory over Akhmadaliev marked only the fourth time in Inoue’s illustrious 13-year career that he has heard the final bell. Before the meeting with Akhmadaliev, there were two knockdowns during a four-fight streak. The shocking footage started conversations questioning Inoue’s chin and durability as he continued his crusade into higher weight classes.

As the chatter gets louder amid dangerous challenges, Inoue’s father and trainer, Shingo, also talks about the “r” word more and more as they prepare for Picasso (32-0-1, 17 KOs).

“Considering his age, I don’t think he has much time left,” Shingo said. “I don’t know how many more fights there will be, but it would be nice if he could just perform in these remaining fights with real intensity and conviction, without any regrets. I believe that if he does that, the results will inevitably follow.”

Inoue will fight for the fourth time this year after stepping into the ring twice each from 2021 to 2024. But Inoue has already said he will likely only fight twice in 2026 and that the long-discussed move to 126 pounds was an afterthought now that that dangerous Nakatani is waiting in the wings.

“As far as featherweight goes, my weight is not high enough yet and physically there are still areas of concern,” Inoue said. “It is precisely because I feel both anxiety and enthusiasm that I also want to challenge myself in these areas.

“As long as I’m playing at the highest level, I have my pride. If that feeling of satisfaction, that feeling starts to fade, that’s probably when you start to weaken as a fighter.

“Once you stop challenging yourself, it’s over.”

Manouk Akopyan is the main screenwriter of The Ring. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan