Kazuto Ioka vs. Joshua Franco: Preview, Where to watch and Betting odds

Kazuto Ioka is scheduled to make his sixth WBO super flyweight title defense in a title unification bout with the WBA champion Joshua Franco on December 31, 2022, at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. Ioka is arguably one of Japan’s best boxing products, recently ranked as the world’s fourth-best active super-flyweight by BoxRec, and third by The Ring magazine. He is also ranked as the world's ninth-best boxer, pound for pound, by The Ring. His American opponent has held the WBA super flyweight title since 2020. In June 2020, he was ranked as the world's eighth-best active super-flyweight by BoxRec. The winner of the bout will unify the super-flyweight division.

Boxing: Super-flyweight championship

Location: Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo

Date: 1.01.2023, 1:00

Where to watch: PPV

Kazuto Ioka is the first Japanese to become a four-weight champion. Before securing the super-flyweight title, he bagged the WBA and WBC mini-flyweight titles, the WBA (Regular) light-flyweight title, and the WBA flyweight title. The 33-year-old secured the super flyweight title at the second time of asking when he scored a TKO victory over Aston Paclite in 2019. The Japanese boxer has only lost twice in thirty-one professional fights. His last fight this past July was against Donnie Nietes, whom he had previously lost to in 2018. His unanimous win to exact revenge was the fifth title defense of his WBO super-flyweight title. Ioka has fifteen career knockouts.

• Age: 33
• Height: 5’ 5”
• Weight: 115 Ibs
• Reach: 66.5”
• Record: 29-2-0

“El Profesor” Joshua Franco turned professional in 2015 and has fought twenty-two times since then. Two trilogy fights have underscored his career against Oscar Negrete and Andrew Moloney have underscored his career. The latter was for the WBA (Regular) super flyweight title and Franco won two of the fights with one NC in the second fight. After securing the (Regular) Super flyweight title, he became the full WBA champ when Juan Francisco Estrada vacated the title in February 2022. The 27-year-old from San Antonio last fought in August 2021 when he defended his title against Moloney, a period of about sixteen months. He has won eight of his fights by knockout.

• Age: 27
• Height: 5’ 5”
• Weight: 115 Ibs
• Reach: 67”
• Record: 18-1-3

Kazuto Ioka is the favorite to win at 1.685 odds on 1xbet. A bet for the underdog to win is priced at 2.372 odds on the same 1xbet. Betting that the fight will not go the distance is offered at 3.60 odds on Betway. Under 10.5 rounds is listed at 4.00 odds also on Betway. Ioka’s win by decision or technical decision is available at 2.00 odds on Bet 365. The same ticket on Betway for Franco comes for 2.87 odds.