Fernando Martinez defends WBA title against Kazuto Ioka – Dramatic rematch in Tokyo with knockdown and tears.
In a thrilling rematch at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Argentina’s Fernando Martinez successfully defended his WBA super flyweight world title against Japanese challenger Kazuto Ioka.
Martinez (18-0, 9 knockouts) showed stamina and fighting spirit, surviving an explosive knockdown in the tenth round and ultimately winning unanimously on points. Despite being knocked down by a precise right-left combination from Ioka (31-4-1, 16 knockouts), the unbeaten Argentinian managed to recover and secure the victory. The official scores were 115-112, 117-110 and 114-113 in favor of Martinez.
The fight was a rematch of their first meeting in July last year, in which Martinez also emerged victorious, unifying the IBF and WBA titles. In October, however, the Argentinian laid down his IBF belt and focused exclusively on the WBA crown.
Martinez’s relentless barrage of punches proved decisive, especially in the first nine rounds, where he put constant pressure on the more deliberate Ioka. But the tide turned dramatically in the tenth round when Ioka landed a pinpoint right-left combination that sent Martinez to the floor. Ioka pushed for the knockout but was unable to follow up.
Martinez returned to his aggressive style in the eleventh and twelfth rounds and finished the fight with the same intensity that characterized his unbeaten run. Ioka, visibly emotional after the decision, suffered the first losing streak of his career. The result cements the Argentine’s position as a force to be reckoned with in the super flyweight division and raises questions about Ioka’s future at the highest level.