Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez-Kazuto Ioka Rematch In Play For Dec. 31 In Tokyo

Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez and Kazuto Ioka are ready to run it back.

A rematch to one of the year’s best fights is fully in play, as confirmed by Martinez’s team. The defending WBA/IBF junior bantamweight titlist is once again set to hit the road, as their bout will take place on Dec. 31 in Tokyo, Japan.

Argentina’s Martinez claimed a twelve-round, unanimous decision over Ioka in their terrific July 7 unification bout at Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo. The final scores—116-112, 117-111 and a horrific 120-108 card (Edward Hernandez Sr.)—did not at all reflect the non-stop action that took place.

Nevertheless, Martinez (17-0, 9 knockouts) retained the IBF 115-pound title and won the WBA belt. He also surged to the No. 1 slot in the Ring’s junior bantamweight rankings.

Ioka (31-3-1, 16 KOs) is currently No. 3 at 115, while Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) is The Ring and WBC champ.

News of the rematch was confirmed Martinez and Chino Promotions—headed and founded by Marcos Maidana—during Friday’s ESPN Knockout telecast in Buenos Aires.

The date continues a year-end tradition for Ioka, who regularly headlines a New Year’s Eve card. The four-division titlist first appeared on the date in 2011, when he was an unbeaten strawweight titlist.

Ioka will now enter his thirteenth bout on the festive holiday. All but one have taken place in Japan, with this bout marking his sixth straight year-end appearance in Tokyo. Ioka is 10-1-1 (7 KOs) in Dec. 31 fights. All have come with a major title at stake.

His loss to Martinez snapped a nine-fight unbeaten streak since his 2018 New Year’s Eve defeat to Donnie Nietes in Macau, China. That loss prevented his bid to become Japan’s first four-division titlist, which he accomplished one fight later. Ioka knocked out Aston Palicte in the tenth round of their June 2019 WBO 115-pound title fight. He later lifted the WBA title from Joshua Franco in their June 2023 rematch.

Ioka has won titles at 105, 108, 112 and 115. His father, Kazunori Ioka was a pro boxer, as well his uncle Hiroki, a former two-division titilist.

Of his fighting family, Kazuto is by far the most established. The 35-year-old Osaka-born, Tokyo-based boxer aims to add to his incredible legacy.

That said, Martinez still has plenty of goals of his own to accomplish.

The unbeaten Argentinean traveled to Japan for the first time in his win over Ioka. He’d previously fought at home, in Dubai and the U.S., the latter which housed his previous three bouts.

All came in title fights, including his pair of victories over Jerwin Ancajas to win and defend the IBF 115-pound belt. He added an eleventh-round knockout of unbeaten Jade Bornea last June prior to his career-best win over Ioka.

Martinez-Ioka I was months in the making. Martinez was in talks with both Ioka and then-Ring/lineal/WBC champ Juan Francisco Estrada (44-4, 28KOs).

Ioka came up short in his second bid to become a two-division unified titlist at the time. He was already Japan’s first ever boxer to win belts in four divisions but was denied further history in a Dec. 2022 twelve-round draw versus Joshua Franco. A win would’ve seen Ioka unify the WBA and WBO belts, ten years after his unified WBA/WBC strawweight title reign.

The stalemate carried additional repercussions. Ioka was ordered to face countryman Junto Nakatani, but opted to vacate his WBO belt to pursue a Franco rematch. He defeated the San Antonio native last June in Tokyo to win the WBA belt.

Franco is the older brother Rodriguez, The Ring’s No. 5 pound-for-pound fighter. There were talks of Rodriguez facing the Martinez-Ioka winner at the time, as he was ringside for the fight.

Rodriguez will instead enter a sequel of his own, as Mexico’s Estrada (44-4, 28 KOs), No. 2 at 115, exercised a rematch clause.

Fittingly, Rodriguez-Estrada and Martinez-Ioka took place just eight days apart. Their respective sequels later this year make for as solid a Final Four as you can ask for in the sport today.

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