The first fight between Kazuto Ioka and Fernando Martinez was a Fight of the Year contender, so fans will be hoping for more of the same when the pair collide in a rematch at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo on December 31.
Martinez (17-0, 9 KOs) won the first fight by unanimous decision to unify the IBF and WBA super flyweight titles. The Argentinian pressure fighter has since relinquished the IBF championship and will only defend the WBA version in the sequel.
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Ioka (31-3-1, 16 KOs) was the first male Japanese national to win world titles in four weight divisions. However, the 35-year-old boxing legend enters this rematch as an underdog and will require one of the best performances of his career to gain revenge.
But despite the quality of both participants, the winner of this fight will not necessarily be recognized as the best fighter in the 115-pound division.
The Sporting News assesses the rest of the super flyweight landscape.
Who is the best super flyweight in the world?
Outside of Martinez, there are two other world titleholders in this division.
In October, Phumelela Cafu dropped and outpointed Japanese star Kosei Tanaka to lift the WBO championship in a stunning upset. The South African lefty, known as “The Truth”, has kicked open the door to some huge fights, but one man ranks above all at 115 pounds.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is a two-time super flyweight titleholder and the reigning WBC and Ring Magazine champion. A brilliant boxer-puncher, the American star handed the legendary Juan Francisco Estrada his first stoppage loss in June, and he is rated comfortably inside the pound-for-pound top 10.
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Will the Martinez-Ioka 2 winner fight Bam Rodriguez?
Before his successful world title defense against Pedro Guevara in November, Bam Rodriguez outlined his plans for 2025. The good news for fight fans is they would appear to include a matchup against the Martinez vs. Ioka 2 winner.
“I watched the first fight and it went back and forth,” Bam told The Sporting News. “I feel that Ioka fought the wrong fight, and he might box a bit better in the rematch. But you can’t take anything away from Martinez; he went into Ioka’s backyard and took it from him. That says a lot. I’m excited to watch that rematch and see where things go from there.
“I feel good making weight. I have another year at 115 and in that year, I feel like I can take care of business and become undisputed.”
