The World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight title bout between Fernando Martinez and Kazuto Ioka, originally set for December 31, has been called off due to health issues affecting the Argentine champion, according to a Monday press conference held by his team in Tokyo, Japan.
On December 31st, WBA super flyweight champion Fernando Martinez (17-0, 9 KOs) and former four-division champ Kazuto Ioka (31-3-1, 16 KOs) meet again at Tokyo’s Ota-City Gymnasium. Last July, Martinez secured a competitive decision by jumping out to an early lead and resisting a late surge from Ioka. This time, only the WBA title is at stake, as Martinez vacated his IBF belt rather than face Willibaldo Garcia.
Martinez thrives on high-volume output, putting immense pressure on his opponents. Ioka, known for his skill and adaptability, needs to show he can still handle that intensity at this stage in his career. Ioka is the first Japanese male boxer to win world titles in four weight classes, and he’s pledged to “make amends” for his previous defeat.
Watch Martinez vs. Ancajas highlights: Watch
Also on the card, super featherweight prospect Hayato Tsutsumi (5-0, 2 KOs) will take on a seasoned veteran in Rene Alvarado (34-14, 22 KOs). Tsutsumi is considered a blue-chip prospect due to his amateur victories over Otabek Kholmatov and Lazaro Alvarez, and while he faced criticism for missing weight earlier this year, he aims to shine under the New Year’s Eve spotlight.
Fight Card
▪️Fernando Daniel Martinez vs. Kazuto Ioka, 12 rounds, super flyweight
▪️Hayato Tsutsumi vs. Rene Alvarado, 12 rounds, super featherweight
▪️Joe Shiraishi vs. Tsuyoshi Sato, 8 rounds, super flyweight
▪️Masato Shinoda vs. Kenshin Oshima, 8 rounds, featherweight
▪️Hanyun Wu vs. Yoshimitsu Kimura, 8 rounds, lightweight
▪️Areji Kato vs. Masahiro Suzuki, 8 rounds, lightweight
▪️Mao Tameda vs. Tsukuru Midorikawa, 6 rounds, middleweight
▪️Sora Takahashi vs. Hayato Aiko, 4 rounds, featherweight
▪️Masahiro Nakata vs. Yuki Yamashiro, 4 rounds, super bantamweight
