Martinez, who will be facing Ioka in a rematch, said, "I've been careful about my health. I'm happy to be able to make the announcement." Last year's New Year's Eve showdown was canceled the day before due to his own influenza infection.
Former WBA World Super Flyweight Champion and four-time world champion Kazuto Ioka (36) of Shisei held a press conference in Tokyo on the 26th and announced that he will have a rematch against WBA World Super Flyweight Champion Fernando Martinez (Argentina) on May 11th at Ota Ward General Gymnasium.
Martinez, who attended the online press conference, began by saying, "During this period, I was filled with a strong desire to fight. It was a very long period. I was careful about managing my body. So I'm very happy to have reached this day. I'm very happy to be able to announce the date of the fight."
This match was originally scheduled for New Year's Eve on December 31st last year, but Martinez, who had arrived in Japan, contracted influenza. The match was canceled on the 30th, the day before the match. All New Year's Eve events were held except for this match.
Last July, Martinez, who was the IBF champion, fought a unification match with Ioka, who was the WBA champion, and won by a 3-0 decision. After unifying the titles, Martinez gave up his IBF title to fight Ioka again.
