Kazuto Ioka vs Fernando Martinez Preview July 7th 2024
WBA Super Flyweight Champion Kazuto Ioka of Japan will be taking on unbeaten IBF Super Flyweight Champion Fernando Daniel Martinez of Argentina in Tokyo this Sunday, July 7th. Ioka last fought on New Year’s Eve when he stopped Josber Perez in the seventh round while Martinez last saw action in June of last year when he halted Jade Bornea in the 11th round. The fight can be seen live on Abema in Japan. Ioka beat Joshua Franco by unanimous decision in their rematch last June after battling to a controversial draw to retain his WBO in December, 2022. Ioka took Franco’s WBA title in the rematch as he was the only one eligible to win it as Franco came in overweight and the belt was vacant. Ioka gave up the WBO Title shortly after the first Franco fight as he felt a rematch was in order while the WBO wanted him to move on and fight fellow countryman Junto Nakatani. In total, Ioka defended the belt six times before vacating it. .
Ioka vs Martinez Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Fernando Martinez +110
- Kazuto Ioka -140
My Pick
The 35-year-old Ioka of Osaka carries a record of 31-2-1 with 16 Ko’s. He dropped a split decision to Donnie Nietes on New Year’s Eve in 2018 in his first shot at the vacant WBO Super Flyweight Title and also lost a split decision to Amnat Ruenroeng for the IBF Flyweight Title in 2014 for his two career losses. He won the vacant Japanese Light Flyweight Crown in his sixth pro fight and then won the WBC Minimumweight Belt in his next outing when he stopped Kittipong Jaigrajang in the fifth round.
Ioka defended the Japanese Flyweight Belt three times and added the WBA Minimumweight Title in his third defense with a unanimous decision over Akira Yaegashi. He then took the WBA Light Flyweight Crown on New Year’s Eve 2012 by stopping Jose Rodriguez in the sixth round. He defended it nine times including wins over Juan Carlos Reveco (twice), Roberto Domingo Sosa, Keyvin Lara and Nare Yianleang. Ioka moved up to super flyweight in September, 2018 and captured the WBC Silver Title with a 10-round unanimous decision over McWilliams Arroyo.
Ioka won the vacant WBO Super Flyweight Title with a 10th-round stoppage of Aston Palicte of the Philippines in June, 2019. This gave him a world title in four different weight classes at minimumweight, light flyweight, flyweight and super flyweight and he was the first Japanese boxer to achieve the feat. He defended the Super Flyweight Title against Jeyvier Cintron by unanimous decision on New Year’s Eve 2019 and stopped fellow countryman Kosei Tanaka in the eighth round on New Year’s Eve 2020 before beating Francisco Rodriguez, Ryoji Fukunaga and Nietes by unanimous decisions and then drawing and wining against Franco.
Ioka stands just over 5-feet-4-inches tall with a 64.5-inch reach and is one of Japan’s top boxers. However, he’s not as well known outside of Asia as fellow countrymen such as Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatini. He’s boxed 319 rounds since turning pro in 2009 and isn’t really a power puncher as 51.6 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage and he has gone the distance in six of his last eight outings. Ioka also owns a solid chin and is a world class boxer on all levels. He won six national high school amateur titles and reportedly went 95-10 before turning pro.
Martinez is an energetic 32-year-old with a perfect record of 16-0 with 9 Ko’s. He made his pro debut in 2017 and has boxed 103 rounds since. He has decent power in his fists with a current knockout ratio of 56.3 per cent but has gone the distance in three of his last five fights. Most of his opponents were basically relative unknowns until he met Jerwin Ancajas in February, 2022 when he pulled off an upset in his first fight in America. He then repeated the feat in their rematch, also in the USA.
Martinez had a good amateur career where he beat Andrew Moloney and fought in the World Series of Boxing. Since turning pro, He has also captured the vacant Argentina FAB Super Flyweight Title and the WBC Silver Super Flyweight Title. He’s listed as just 5-feet-2-inches tall with a 64-inch reach but packs a lot of energy into his small frame. Still, he’ll be giving up 2.5-inches in height to Ioka. Martinez has also beaten the likes of Angel Aquino, Abel Silva, Athenkosi Dumezweni, Carlos Ruiz and Nicolas Botelli.
Prediction…
Boxing runs through the family of Ioka as his uncle Hiroki Ioka, was a two-weight world champion in the 1980s and 90s and was the first boxer to capture the WBC Minimumweight World Title after it was created in 1987. He’s a solid boxer with decent power and likes to fight at close range and apply pressure with precise, accurate combinations to the head and body. Martinez is quite unorthodox as he throws punches from all angles and he’s unbeaten until now. The disciplined Ioka is boxing at home again but will have his hands full with Martinez due to his style. If Ioka can figure him out then he should be able to unify the titles, but I think this fight could go either way really. I’ll give Ioka a slight edge as the fight’s in Japan.
A close call between two contrasting styles.
Play: Ioka -140 @ BetOnline.ag
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Fernando Daniel Martinez betting • Kazuto Ioka betting