Fernando Martinez vs. Kazuto Ioka Preview and Picks December 31

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Fernando Martinez vs. Kazuto Ioka takes place at Ota-City Gymnasium in Tokyo boxing in a WBA junior bantamweight title bout on Tuesday, December 31 as WagerTalk boxing handicapper Kevin Dolan gives his Fernando Martinez vs. Kazuto Ioka betting preview with the match set to start around 3:00am ET.

Fernando Martinez vs. Kazuto Ioka Betting Odds

Saturday, December 21	Boxing Betting Notes (Courtesy of DraftKings)
Moneyline:	Fernando Martinez vs. Kazuto Ioka
Rounds:	N/A
Start Time:	3:00am ET / 12:00am PT
Arena:	Ota-City Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
TV:	DAZN

Fernando Martinez vs. Kazuto Ioka Betting Analysis

Long-standing former super-flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka will look to wrestle back the belts he lost against Argentina’s Fernando Martinez this Tuesday as the pair battle for a second time on New Year’s Eve to close out 2024.

The younger Martinez won a clear, but competitive decision over in Japan earlier this year, with his aggressive, high-volume attack proving extremely problematic for Ioka who simply couldn’t keep up with Martinez’s overall output in that fight, owning a huge 114-63 power shots advantage across the first four rounds alone.

However, this isn’t Ioka’s first rodeo, and he showed against Joshua Franco last year that he’s more than capable of making the necessary adjustments in a rematch, something he’ll need to do once again if he’s going to come out victorious in this one.

Fernando Martinez comes into Tuesday’s bout as the significant -325 favorite at most books, with Kazuto Ioka coming back as a +250 underdog.

Late Start Proving No Hindrance To Martinez

With a late start in the professional ranks due to representing his native Argentina at the 2016 Olympic Games, it nonetheless hasn’t proved much of a hindrance to the current super-flyweight champion’s path to the top.

With 17 wins from his 17 fights so far, including two excellent performances against former champion Jerwin Ancajas back in 2022, Martinez has put himself firmly in the picture at 115lbs, and should he get past Ioka a second time on Tuesday, a potentially huge clash could await him sometime next year against pound-for-pound star Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez over in the U.S.

One Last Throw Of The Dice For Hero Ioka

With a long-standing boxing lineage in Japan, being the nephew of former world champion Hiroki Ioka, as well as building an extensive resume of his own across recent years, winning multiple world titles in multiple different weight classes, it’s fair to say that Kazuto Ioka is somewhat of an icon over in his native Japan.

His fight against the-then undefeated ‘Dream Boy’ Kosei Tanaka back on this date in 2020, a fight that was seen as a passing of the torch ceremony by many, proved hugely popular in Japan, with the old campaigner coming out on top via a sensational eighth round stoppage, something that cemented Ioka’s legendary appeal to both Japanese and worldwide boxing fans.

Fernando Martinez vs. Kazuto Ioka Expert Prediction

Kazuto Ioka will turn 36 years old in March, and at super-flyweight that may as well be 40+ as the lower weight classes are notorious for punishing fighters should they overstay their welcome in the lower divisions.

Kazuto Ioka has made a name for himself as being one of the most accurate power punchers in the entire sport, ranking inside the top-ten in plus minus rating, an extremely impressive stat, as well as top-five in opponent connect percentage also, ranking him as one of the most defensively responsible fighters in the whole of boxing.

The problem he faces in this one however is that Martinez’s high-volume output can often be kryptonite to that style, especially at 35 years of age, and just as we seen in Robeisy Ramirez’s recent defeat against Rafael Espinoza, technical brilliance can sometimes be overcome by sheer volume and aggression from the other side.

Unlike his rematch against Joshua Franco last year, I don’t believe there are many adjustments Ioka can make ahead of this one, and another clear decision win for the fresher Martinez looks to be on the cards once again this New Year’s Eve in Tokyo.

Fernando Martinez vs. Kazuto Ioka Prediction: Fernando Martinez by Decision/Technical Decision

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