On Sunday, July 7, just days after Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez won WBC and Ring Magazine super flyweight titles, the WBA boss Kazuto Ioka and IBF counterpart Fernando Martinez square off in a high-stakes unification showdown in Tokyo.
Ioka (31-2-1, 16 KOs) is a true boxing legend and a future Hall of Famer. The first-ever four-weight world champion from Japan, Ioka will be taking part in his 26th world title bout in 13 years and he shows no signs of slowing down at the age of 35.
In his most recent bout, in December, the WBA king halted Josber Perez in seven rounds.
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Martinez (16-0, 9 KOs) doesn’t have his opponent’s experience, but he did impress in his title-winning effort against long-reigning champ Jerwin Ancajas, and doubled up by winning the rematch. The 32-year-old from Argentina is coming off an 11th-round stoppage over Jade Bornea, which took place in Minneapolis last June.
The Sporting News provides odds and a final prediction for this super flyweight unification clash.
Kazuto Ioka vs. Fernando Martinez betting odds
Per BetMGM, Ioka is the -140 favorite while Rodriguez is the +120 underdog. The draw is +1600.
Kazuto Ioka vs. Fernando Martinez prediction, best bets
Despite his advancing years, Ioka is still very fresh and looks after himself. Many believed that his career was over when he retired in 2017, but the champ returned to action 18 months later and has never looked back.
The beloved Japanese star has gone 9-1-1 since his comeback and has beaten every opponent he’s faced over the past six years. A points loss to Donnie Nietes was avenged and Ioka also got the upper hand against Joshua Franco following a majority decision draw.
Martinez is a slugger who likes to stand his ground and unload. Despite becoming world champion, the Argentinian fighter is hungry to forge the kind of legacy Ioka has already built for himself and he’s coming to Japan to do damage.
In terms of a prediction, one would have to favor the cerebral technician Ioka to defuse the bomb here. There's nothing Martinez brings to the table that the Japanese icon hasn't seen before, so we'd expect him to score a points verdict over the visitor in a statement performance.
Sporting News prediction: Ioka UD 12 (Per BetMGM: -140)
