Fernando Martinez Planning to Bring Hell to Kazuto Ioka!
Reigning IBF junior bantamweight champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez is days away from the biggest match of his career. Martinez will battle WBA title-holder Kazuto Ioka on July 7 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Pumita is hungry to win and plans to give hell on fight night.
DRIVEN TO SUCCEED
Pumita held a public workout session in Tokyo for the boxing press. Afterward, the 32-year-old spoke about being in good spirits and that everything was going to plan.
(Translated from Spanish) “Thanks to my hard training, my conditioning is perfect, and my weight is almost close to the (junior bantamweight) limit.”
The native of Argentina is motivated to provide for his family and prove that he’s the top dog in the division. That was clear when asked about his prediction for the upcoming unification clash.
“It will be like a war. I want to buy a house for my mother, and the upcoming fight will be the first step to realize my dream.”
Martinez is fighting a living lower-weight legend in four-divisional champion Ioka. The WBA champion is a smooth customer in the ring and one of the most experienced, all-around fighters in boxing. Fighting on home soil, Ioka hopes to win and use Martinez as a springboard to a potential showdown with rising star and WBC 115-pound champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.
LOOKING TO PLAY SPOILER
But Martinez has different plans in order. While many in the boxing community view him as the underdog, the man did not get to this point of his career by paying attention to the masses.
Self-belief carried him to a victory over Jerwin Ancajas to win the IBF title in February 2022 and successfully defend that title three times. He plans to use his relentless pressure, physical strength, and ability to throw punches in bunches to counter the boxing skills of Ioka. If there are signs that his 35-year-old foe shows his age, Martinez will be there to pounce.
Can Martinez go into enemy territory and dethrone a future Hall of Famer? He’s ready to show the boxing world that he’s the man to beat at junior bantamweight.
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