Kazuto Ioka
Kazuto Ioka is a Japanese professional boxer. He is a four-weight world champion, having held the WBO super-flyweight title since 2019. He previously the unified WBA and WBC minimumweight titles between 2011 and 2012, the WBA light-flyweight title between 2012 and 2014, and the WBA flyweight title between 2015 and 2017. As of October 2019, he is ranked as the world’s third best active super flyweight by BoxRec, and fourth by The Ring magazine and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
Amateur career
Kazuto Ioka is the nephew of flyweight champion Hiroki Ioka. Kazuto asked his father to teach him how to box as a teenager. His father, Kazunori Ioka, would continue training him through his amateur and professional career. Ioka amassed a record of 95-10 as an amateur, winning six national high school tournaments along the way. He reached the semifinals of the 2008 King's Cup, an amateur boxing tournament held in Thailand, before losing to Amnat Ruenroeng. Ioka joined Tokyo Agricultural University, hoping to represent his country in the 2008 Olympics but he would fall short on the qualifiers.Amateur highlights
- 16th All Japan Selected High School Boxing Championships, Light flyweight Tournament winner
- 17th All Japan Selected High School Boxing Championships, Light flyweight Tournament winner
- 59th Inter-highschool championships, Boxing, Light flyweight Tournament winner
- 60th Inter-highschool championships, Boxing, Light flyweight Tournament winner
- 60th National Sports Festival, Boxing, Boys, Light flyweight Tournament winner
- 61st National Sports Festival, Boxing, Boys, Light flyweight Tournament winner
- 62nd National Sports Festival, Boxing, Adult, Light flyweight Tournament winner
- 63rd National Sports Festival, Boxing, Adult, Light flyweight Tournament winner
Professional career
Early career
Upon failing to qualify for the Olympics, Ioka dropped out from college and turned professional in 2009. On April 12, 2009, he fought against Thongthailek Sor Tanapinyo, and won his debut via a third-round technical knockout. After this victory, he won six straight victories. After winning 5 fights, Ioka competed for the vacant Japanese light flyweight title. Ioka captured the national title by stopping Masayoshi Segawa in the final 10th round.Minimumweight
On his next fight, Ioka won the WBC minimumweight title from Thai Oleydong Sithsamerchai via a fifth-round technical knockout in the latter's seventh title defence at the World Memorial Hall, in February 2011. Sithsamerchai was knocked down twice over the course of his first professional loss. Ioka went on to defend his title against Juan Hernández, winning via unanimous decision.After one further defense, Ioka met WBA champion Akira Yaegashi in a match that marked the first time two Japanese fighters had met to unify world titles. The fight took place on 20 June 2012 at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. Ioka defeated the WBA champion Akira Yaegashi via a unanimous decision. The two fighters exchanged hard shots throughout a tense, tactical fight. The fight ended with Yaegashi and Ioka trading combinations while looking for a knockout. From early in the fight, Yaegashi's eye was nearly shut. The ringside doctor performed several checks on it but Yaegashi was allowed to finish the fight. When asked whether the result would have been different unless he got swollen eyes, Yaegashi said "We should not think about it. There is no if's in boxing". The day after the fight, Ioka decided to move up a weight division.
Light flyweight
Shortly after the fight, Ioka moved up to light flyweight as well. On December 31, 2012, Ioka beat undefeated José Alfredo Rodríguez for the vacant WBA light-flyweight title at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. Ioka knocked Rodríguez down once in round 1 and twice in round 6 before the referee stopped the fight. Ioka held the Regular version of the WBA's title, while Román Gonzalez was the WBA champion. Ioka went on to defend his title three times but he never faced González.Flyweight
On February 28, 2014, Ioka would vacate the WBA title to move up to the flyweight division in order to attempt becoming a three division world champion. On May 7, 2014, Ioka faced Thai IBF champion Amnat Ruenroeng at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. Ioka seemed to be the more active boxer but Ruenroeng landed heavier blows while countering Ioka. Ruenroeng lost a point for hitting after the break. Nevertheless, Ruenroeng retained his title with a split decision. The 119-108 card turned in by judge Pawel Kardyni was criticized as being far too wide.On April 22, 2015, Ioka realized his goal to be a triple champion, when he defeated WBA champion Juan Carlos Reveco by majority decision. The fight saw Reveco take the early rounds but Ioka came on strong in the middle rounds and got the nod in the end. Reveco appealed the decision to the World Boxing Association, who ordered an immediate rematch. Ioka was later granted a voluntary defense against Roberto Sosa, with the winner ordered to face Reveco. Ioka beat Sosa in a shutout unanimous decision. The Ioka-Reveco rematch was set for December 2015. Ioka outworked Reveco at the start of the match. However, Reveco started rallying in round 7. Ioka answered in kind, nearly knocking out Reveco. Reveco finally went down in round 11 following a series of hooks to the body.
Ioka was nearing a deal to fight WBA flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada, when the latter vacated to compete at super flyweight. Ioka was knocked down for the first time in his career against 18 year old challenger and WBA interim champion Stamp Kiatniwat. Ioka rallied, pummeling Kiatniwat to the body, until he finally dropped the challenger twice in round 9. The referee halted the fight with the second knockdown. The win was Ioka's fourth flyweight defense.
In November 2017, Ioka vacated his title after five successful defenses. He was planning to defend on December 31 but his father stated that he would not be ready to do so, as he hadn't kept up with his training after getting married earlier in the year to Nana Tanimura. Ioka went on to announce his retirement at age 28 after getting married and reportedly falling out with his father and promoter, Kazunori Ioka.
Super flyweight
On New Year's Eve in 2018, Ioka fought Donnie Nietes for the WBO junior bantamweight title in an attempt to win a world title in a fourth weight class. Ioka, however, lost by split decision.Professional boxing record
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 27 | Win | 25–2 |  Jeyvier Cintrón | UD | 12 | Dec 31, 2019 |  Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBO super-flyweight title |
| 26 | Win | 24–2 |  Aston Palicte | TKO | 10, 1:46 | Jun 19, 2019 | Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan | Won vacant WBO super-flyweight title |
| 25 | Loss | 23–2 | Donnie Nietes | SD | 12 | Dec 31, 2018 |  Wynn Palace, Macau, SAR | For vacant WBO super-flyweight title |
| 24 | Win | 23–1 | McWilliams Arroyo | UD | 10 | Sep 8, 2018 |  The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S. | Won WBC Silver super-flyweight title |
| 23 | Win | 22–1 |  Noknoi CP Freshmart | UD | 12 | Apr 23, 2017 | Edion Arena, Osaka, Japan | Retained WBA flyweight title |
| 22 | Win | 21–1 | Stamp Kiatniwat | TKO | 7, 2:51 | Dec 31, 2016 | Shimazu Arena, Kyoto, Japan | Retained WBA flyweight title |
| 21 | Win | 20–1 |  Keyvin Lara | KO | 11, 1:11 | Jul 20, 2016 | Edion Arena, Osaka, Japan | Retained WBA flyweight title |
| 20 | Win | 19–1 |  Juan Carlos Reveco | TKO | 11, 1:57 | Dec 31, 2015 | Edion Arena, Osaka, Japan | Retained WBA flyweight title |
| 19 | Win | 18–1 | Roberto Sosa | UD | 12 | Sep 27, 2015 | Edion Arena, Osaka, Japan | Retained WBA flyweight title |
| 18 | Win | 17–1 | Juan Carlos Reveco | 12 | Apr 22, 2015 | Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan | Won WBA flyweight title | |
| 17 | Win | 16–1 |  Jean Piero Pérez | KO | 5, 2:09 | Dec 31, 2014 | Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan | |
| 16 | Win | 15–1 |  Pablo Carrillo | UD | 10 | Sep 16, 2014 | Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan | |
| 15 | Loss | 14–1 | Amnat Ruenroeng | 12 | May 7, 2014 | Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan | For IBF flyweight title | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Felix Alvarado | UD | 12 | Dec 31, 2013 | Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan | Retained WBA light-flyweight title |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Kwanthai Sithmorseng | KO | 7, 2:18 | Sep 11, 2013 | Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan | Retained WBA light-flyweight title |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Wisanu Kokietgym | 9, 2:51 | May 8, 2013 | Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan | Retained WBA light-flyweight title | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 |  José Alfredo Rodríguez | TKO | 6, 2:50 | Dec 31, 2012 | Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan | Won vacant WBA light-flyweight title |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Akira Yaegashi | UD | 12 | Jun 20, 2012 | Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan | Retained WBC minimumweight title Won WBA minimumweight title |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Yodgoen Tor Chalermchai | TKO | 1, 1:38 | Dec 31, 2011 | Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan | Retained WBC minimumweight title |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Juan Hernández | UD | 12 | Aug 10, 2011 | Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBC minimumweight title |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Oleydong Sithsamerchai | TKO | 5, 1:07 | Feb 11, 2011 | World Memorial Hall, Kobe, Japan | Won WBC minimumweight title |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Masayoshi Segawa | TKO | 10, 1:57 | Oct 10, 2010 | Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan | Won vacant Japanese light-flyweight title |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Albert Alcoy | TKO | 9, 1:57 | Jul 25, 2010 | Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 |  Heri Amol | UD | 10 | Apr 18, 2010 | Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Takashi Kunishige | 10 | Dec 29, 2009 | Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan | ||
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Hiroshi Matsumoto | TKO | 2, 2:59 | Jul 26, 2009 | Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Thongthailek Sor Tanapinyo | 3, 0:26 | Apr 12, 2009 | Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan |