The highly anticipated rematch between Kazuto Ioka and Fernando Martinez is set to take place on December 31 at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, following their intense first fight, which was considered a Fight of the Year contender. Martinez (17-0, 9 KOs) claimed victory in their initial bout by unanimous decision, unifying the IBF and WBA super flyweight titles. However, the Argentinian fighter has since vacated the IBF title and will only defend the WBA title in the rematch.
Ioka (31-3-1, 16 KOs), who made history as the first male Japanese boxer to win world titles in four different weight classes, enters this rematch as the underdog. At 35 years old, Ioka will need a standout performance to avenge his previous loss.
While the quality of both fighters is undeniable, the winner of this rematch may not automatically be regarded as the top super flyweight in the world. The division features other notable champions, including Phumelela Cafu, who stunned Kosei Tanaka to claim the WBO title in October. Cafu’s victory has opened the door for significant matchups, but one fighter stands above all in the 115-pound class: Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, a two-time super flyweight titleholder and the reigning WBC and Ring Magazine champion, is widely considered one of the best in the division. The American boxer-puncher made a statement by handing Juan Francisco Estrada his first-ever stoppage loss in June, and he is comfortably ranked within the pound-for-pound top 10.
As for the potential showdown between the Martinez-Ioka 2 winner and Rodriguez, Bam has expressed his excitement about facing either fighter in 2025. Rodriguez, who recently defended his title against Pedro Guevara, has been vocal about his plans to become undisputed in the super flyweight division. He acknowledged that while Martinez put on an impressive performance by beating Ioka in Japan, Ioka might come back with a better strategy in the rematch. Regardless, Rodriguez is eager to see how the rematch plays out and is ready to challenge the winner in the near future.