The world’s top three junior bantamweights will be in the house on Sunday.
Kazuto Ioka and Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez both made weight for their anticipated WBA/IBF unification clash. Ioka (31-2-1, 16 knockouts) weighed 114.6 pounds, while Argentina’s Martinez (16-0, 9 KOs) was 114.9 pounds.
The meeting of The Ring’s No. 1 and No. 2-rated junior bantamweights will take place Sunday at the famed Kokukigan Arena in Tokyo.
Bearing witness to the event will be The Ring/WBC 115-pound champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs). The unbeaten 24-year-old dethroned long-reigning champ Juan Francisco Estrada (44-4, 28 KOs) seventh-round knockout on June 29 in Phoenix, Arizona. The goal now for Rodriguez is to face the winner of Sunday’s affair.
Ioka has won major titles at strawweight, junior flyweight, flyweight and junior bantamweight. He won the WBO 115-pound title in June 2019 and made six successful defenses.
Kazuto Ioka weighs 114.6 pounds (52 kg.) ahead of his July 7 WBA/IBF unification bout versus Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez. Ioka is a four-division titlist but potentially in the final year of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. Photo credit: Naoki Fukuda
The last came in a majority draw with Joshua Franco in their Dec. 2022 WBA/WBO unification bout. Ioka subsequently vacated to accept an immediate rematch with Franco in lieu of a mandatory title defense versus Junto Nakatani. The move resulted in his current title reign, as he dethroned Franco via decision last June 24.
Martinez won the IBF belt in a February 2022 points win over long-reigning Jerwin Ancajas. Their October 2022 rematch saw Martinez repeat the feat. He then turned away unbeaten Jade Bornea via eleventh-round stoppage last June 24 in Minneapolis, hours after Ioka dethroned Franco.
Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez (16-0, 9 knockouts) makes weight for his IBF/WBA 115-pound unification bout versus Kazuto Ioka (31-2-1, 16 KOs) on July 7 in Tokyo. Photo credit: Naoki Fukuda
Ioka most recently stopped Josber Perez in their seventh round last New Year’s Eve at Ota-City General Gymnasium.
Martinez will fight on the road for the fifth straight time and in six of his last seven fights. He last fought in his native Argentina in December 2020. His last three bouts have all taken place in the U.S. and with the IBF title at stake.
Sunday’s bout will air live on ABEMA-TV in Japan. The show is free to air on the streaming platform, but requires a VPN connection for those outside the region.
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