Boxing

Kazuto Ioka Makes Weight on Second Attempt Ahead of Super Flyweight Unification Fight

December 30, 2022 8:30 pm
Kazuto Ioka Makes Weight on Second Attempt Ahead of Super Flyweight Unification Fight

This New Year’s Eve, two of the world’s best super flyweight boxers will step into the ring together, to determine who walks away with the other’s belt.

Kazuto Ioka currently holds the WBO World Super Flyweight belt, while Joshua Franco is the owner of the WBA World Super Flyweight belt. Of these two in-form boxers, one will be declared the unified super flyweight champion on the 31st of December in Tokyo, Japan.

Prediction 1

Kazuto Ioka to Win in Round 10-12

14/1 (15.00)

BET HERE >

Odds from

Ioka vs Franco Super Flyweight Unification Fight Locked After Weigh In Successful

Ioka and Franco have had their fight locked yesterday, after both fighters successfully made weight ahead of their upcoming bout.

America’s Joshua Franco made weight on his first attempt, coming in at 114 ¾ pounds when he first stepped on the scales in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Tokyo. The weigh in wasn’t quite so seamless for the Japanese champion Kazuto Ioka, however, who failed to hit the 115 pound mark on his first attempt. After stripping down to his birthday suit in private, however, the athletic looking Ioka was able to register under the weight limit.

With this successful weigh in, the fight between Kazuto Ioka vs Joshua Franco is officially locked, and will take place this Saturday 31st January at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

Plenty on the Line for Both Boxers in Ioka vs Franco

While it’s been a quiet month for boxing, the year should end with a bang on New Year’s Eve.

Both Kazuto Ioka and Joshua Franco head into this clash with plenty on the line, and in fine form. For Ioka, he is quietly one of the best boxers of his generation, having won titles in four different weight classes and held his current WBO World Super Flyweight belt since 2019. Franco, on the other hand, heads into this bout with only one loss to his name, but a handful of draws and no contests in his last half a dozen fights. With youth on his side, the American will be eager to put his frustrating string of anti-climatic fights behind him and come away with a big win here.

Odds Favour Ioka But Good Bets to Be Made on Ioka vs Franco

The bookies have this fight being quite close, with odds of 4/7 (1.57) in favour of Kazuto Ioka, against Joshua Franco’s 11/8 (2.37).

While this one could go either way, there are some lucrative bets to be made on the right odds in this clash. Based on both fighter’s track records and skill level, we say this one will end in a late knockout to Ioka. The Japanese boxer wins more than half of his fights by knockout, and in such a hotly contested match in front of a home crowd, there’s a good chance Ioka will have openings to use his power late in the fight.

Franco’s only loss came by way of a late knockout in 2018, and since then he’s been unconvincing. Pick Kazuto Ioka here to score a knockout in rounds 10-12, with a healthy return of 14/1 (15.00) for this method of victory.

Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!