Josber Perez gets another chance at gold when he faces Kazuto Ioka for the WBA super flyweight title on December 31. The fight is in Ota-City General Gymnasium in Japan, Ioka's backyard.
Perez competes in Japan for the first time in his career. The Venezuelan is on a three-fight win streak after coming up short in 2020 against Artem Dalakian for the WBA flyweight title. Now in a new division, "Avalancha" looks to prove he belongs with the best at super flyweight.
Ioka is on an eight-fight unbeaten streak. The former WBO super flyweight champion relinquished the belt to face Joshua Franco in a rematch from their draw in 2022. In June, he beat him to win the WBA title. Now, Ioka looks to regain the WBO belt and compete in unification fights. First, he must get past Perez.
BET: Latest odds for Iowa vs. Perez on FanDuel
Who will enter 2024 as the WBA super flyweight champion? The Sporting News provides insight on how to bet on this matchup.
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Betting odds for Kazuto Ioka vs. Josber Perez
Per the FanDuel Sportsbook, Kazuto Ioka is the -2400 favorite, while Josber Perez is the +1220 underdog.
Kazuto Ioka vs. Josber Perez betting trends
Here's a look into the latest prop bets for method of victory, courtesy of the FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Ioka via KO/TKO: -330
- Ioka via decision: +370
- Perez via KO/TKO: +1280
- Perez via decision: +2500
- Draw: +2000
Kazuto Ioka vs. Josber Perez predictions, best bets
Ioka has become a worthy champion, stopping everyone in his way. Perez looks to play spoiler. Are there any stats in the latter’s favor, or will Ioka be too much for him?
When Ioka fought Joshua Franco to a draw in 2022, he landed 214 of 897 shots (26.7%) compared to 202 of 1,412 shots from Franco (14.3%). Ioka had the edge in jabs (12.9% compared to 6%) and power punches (38.6% compared to 22.2%) landed. Both landed for volume, with Ioka landing double-digit shots from beginning to end. In the rematch, Ioka landed cleaner shots, including uppercuts and several body blows to get a unanimous decision win.
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The last time Perez fought for gold, he lost in 2020 against Artem Dalakian for the WBA flyweight title. Perez rushed into things, and Dalakian started the fight with several jabs and a righthand that pushed Perez back. Dalakian had to work hard to win, with the judges seeing the fight in his favor. Through a loss, Perez proved he can pressure a champion through the middle rounds.
However, Ioka can easily escape whatever his opponent throws at him.
Ioka has a +13.8 +/- stat line, the eighth-best in all of boxing. His opponents connect the lowest amount against him, ranking third-worst in all of boxing at 17.8%. Perez will have a one-inch height advantage over Ioka, who has a 64.5-inch reach.
The champion is ready to compete in unification fights. Perez can present a challenge, but it does not appear he can get the job done against the Japanese star. The fight will go the distance, and it will be Ioka who gets his hands raised by the end of the night.
Sporting News prediction: Ioka via unanimous decision
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