On February 28th Japan’s unbeaten superstar Kazuto Ioka handed back his WBA light Flyweight title and requested a WBA flyweight ranking stating his intention was to become a 3-weight world champion.
Kazuto announced himself on the world stage back in 2011 when he was just 21. He did that by stopping long time WBC minimumweight champion Oleydong Sithsamerchai by knockout in just his 7th bout. Since then Kazuto has unified WBC and WBA minimumweight titles and moved up to light flyweight where he won the WBA belt.
With a record of 14-0 (9KOs) Kazuto is still a boxing baby but has already achieved more than many fighters and already has big wins over Oleydong and Akira Yaegashi. If he can win a world title at flyweight then Kazuto will strengthen his claim to be involved in the pound-for-pound debate, something that he has been missing from sadly.
Although no bout has been announced for Kazuto’s next bout it will probably be an easy one to let him get accustomed to the 112lb division. Sadly for Kazuto there isn’t many easy fighters in the flyweight division, one of the sports most packed. It already has former Ioka rival Yaegashi as well as Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada, Juan Carlos Reveco, Giovani Segura, Edgar Sosa, Amnat Ruenroeng, Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep and China’s hero Zou Shiming. Very tough division but Kazuto believes he has the skills to become the top man in the new weight class.
Kazuto, 24 years old, is the nephew of former 2-weight world champion Hiroki Ioka who is also the trainer of Kazuto. He will need all the training of Hiroki to become 3 weight champion.
