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Kazuto Ioka. Picture credit score: Naoki Fukuda
Kazuto Ioka continues to reign supreme on December 31 fight dates.
Ioka successfully defended his WBA world junior bantamweight title, dropping Josber Perez three times en route to a knockout win in round seven Sunday night at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Ioka’s hometown of Tokyo, Japan.
The 34-year-old Ioka, who is ranked No. 1 by The Ring at 115 pounds, improved to 31-2-1, 16 knockouts.
Perez was game from the opening bells, working behind one or multiple jabs, and scoring with left hooks to Ioka’s head. As the bout progressed, Ioka’s pedigree and more accurate punching became more evident as he was able to connect with an array of punches to the head and body of Perez.
Kazuto Ioka makes his first WBA super flyweight title defense with a 7th round knockout over Josber Perez. Ioka improved his record to 31-2-1 (16 KOs).
pic.twitter.com/j34RtSe7EH— 𝒟𝒾𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑜𝓈 (@DiariosJournals) December 31, 2023
Late in spherical 4, Perez was in a position to join with a two-punch mixture to Ioka’s head, however a proper cross to the top dropped Perez to the canvas with about 30 seconds left in spherical 5. Moments later, after Perez beat the standing eight-count, a sweeping proper cross dropped Perez once more to the canvas. Perez once more beat the rely, and the bell sounded to finish the spherical.
Ioka ended issues in spherical seven, touchdown a proper cross to the top, dropping Perez to the canvas. Perez was counted out by referee Janny Guzman at 2:44.
Each Ioka and Perez made weight at Saturday’s weigh-in, coming in at 114.75 kilos.
Ioka was making the primary protection of the WBA title in opposition to Perez. Ioka gained the world title belt in his final bout on June 24, defeating Joshua Franco by unanimous determination. Franco weighed greater than six kilos above the junior bantamweight restrict and was stripped of the title by the WBA.
The win over Franco was a rematch of their December 31, 2022 conflict, which resulted in a majority determination draw.
Together with the win over Perez, since making his professional debut in 2009, Ioka has fought 12 instances on December 31, accumulating a file of 10-1-1.
Perez, who resides in Los Teques, Venezuela, falls to 20-4, 18 KOs. The 28-year-old had gained his earlier three fights since shedding by unanimous determination to WBA world flyweight titleholder Artem Dalakian in February 2020.
Within the co-feature, bantamweight contender Daigo Higa, who additionally resides in Tokyo, knocked out Navapon Khaikanha of Thailand within the fourth spherical.
Each fighters stood and traded within the pocket till Higa unleashed a vicious punch to the physique, dropping Khaikanha to the canvas, the place he was counted out at 2:29.
Higa is presently ranked No. 10 by The Ring at 118 kilos. The 28-year-old has gained his final 4 bouts since shedding by unanimous determination to Ryosuke Nishida in April 2021.
In a conflict of unbeaten featherweights, Hayato Tsutsumi of Tokyo improved to 4-0, 1 KO, stopping Luis Moncion Ventura (11-1-1, 9 KOs) of the Dominican Republic at 2:14 of the third spherical.
The cardboard streamed stay on Abema TV.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has lined boxing in Southern California and overseas since 2000. Francisco additionally covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He might be reached at [email protected]
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