Fernando Martinez now holds the IBF and WBA titles at 115.
Fernando Martinez unified a pair of super flyweight titles today in Japan, beating Kazuto Ioka by decision over 12 rounds.
Scores for the fight were 116-112, 117-111, and 120-108 for Argentina’s Martinez, with the shutout card from Eddie Hernandez receiving heavy criticism.
Martinez picked up the IBF title from Ioka, adding to the WBA belt he already held.
Martinez (17-0, 9 KO) started very well, hurting Ioka (31-3-1, 16 KO) in the opening round and controlling the early stages of the fight, but Ioka didn’t go away easily, battling his way back into the fight.
Martinez did enough to hang on and earn the win, closing the fight well in the final two rounds, but the scoring — especially the awful shutout card — will potentially leave Ioka hungering for a rematch, though at 35 the Japanese star could also retire with absolutely nothing left to prove as a four-division world champion.
Martinez, 32, could now look for unification with either Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, who took the WBC title last weekend, or Kosei Tanaka, who holds the WBO title and has a defense set for July 20, meaning all of the titleholders in the division will be on about the same schedule.
