On New Year's Eve in 2022, Joshua Franco and Kazuto Ioka competed in an entertaining 12-round unification fight that ended in a draw. Ioka, desperate to defeat Franco, has since vacated the WBO super flyweight title to face him in a rematch, which takes place on June 24.
The pair will vie for Franco's WBA 115-pound title at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.
Franco, a 2014 National Championships silver medalist, turned pro in 2015. "El Profesor" had his 13-fight unbeaten streak snapped by Lucas Fernandez in 2018.
The following year, Franco, 27, beat Oscar Negrete for the NABF bantamweight title. He then competed in a trilogy against Andrew Moloney from 2020 to 2021. Franco beat Moloney in the first bout, and they fought to a no-contest in the second, which followed a 20-minute instant replay review of a reported headbutt -- a process that was ridiculed by the boxing community. Franco beat Moloney in the third bout via unanimous decision.
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Ioka, 34, turned pro in 2009 and went on to become Japan's first male four-weight world champion, from minimumweight to super flyweight.
However, despite all he's achieved, the Japanese star refused to go the easy route following last year's draw with Franco.
"Fighting a title defense was not an option for us at all," Ioka stated via Boxing Scene. "The point is to carry on the fight from last year in the next bout and settle the matter with [Franco].”
“I was the busier fighter, but my punches weren’t as clear as I wanted,” Franco said on the DAZN Boxing Show. "This time, I want to dominate in the same way but make it clearer for this fight.”
Here's all you need to know about the rematch, from time, channel, odds, and fight card.
When is Joshua Franco vs. Kazuto Ioka 2?
- Date: Saturday, June 24
- Start time: 7 a.m. ET | 4 a.m. PT | 12 p.m. BST | 9 p.m. AEST
- Main event: 9:30 a.m. ET | 6:30 a.m. PT | 2:30 p.m. BST | 11:30 p.m. AEST
Joshua Franco vs. Kazuto Ioka 2 is on June 24. The main card starts at 7 a.m. ET | 4 a.m. PT | 12 p.m. BST | 9 p.m. AEST. Both fighters should make their way to the ring around 9:30 a.m. ET | 6:30 a.m. PT | 2:30 p.m. BST | 11:30 p.m. AEST, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
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How to watch Joshua Franco vs. Kazuto Ioka 2
| Region | Date | TV Channel | Streaming |
|
United States |
Sat. June 24 |
TBA |
TBA |
|
United Kingdom |
Sat. June 24 |
TBA |
TBA |
| Australia | Sat. June 24 | TBA |
TBA |
Where is Joshua Franco vs. Kazuto Ioka 2?
Just like the last fight, the rematch takes place at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo. The gymnasium has a capacity of over 4,000 people.
Joshua Franco vs. Kazuto Ioka 2 betting odds
Per Bet MGM, Joshua Franco is the -110 favorite, while Kazuto Ioka is the +100 underdog.
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Joshua Franco record and bio
- Nationality: American
- Born: October 27, 1995
- Height: 5-5
- Reach: 67 inches
- Total fights: 22
- Record: 18-1-3 with eight wins via knockout
Kazuto Ioka record and bio
- Nationality: Japanese
- Born: March 24, 1989
- Height: 5-4 1/2
- Reach: 64.5 inches
- Total fights: 32
- Record: 29-2-1 with 15 wins via knockout
Joshua Franco vs. Kazuto Ioka 2 fight card
- Kazuto Ioka vs. Joshua Franco (c) 2 for Franco's WBA super flyweight title
- Musashi Mori vs. Takuya Watanabe; Super Featherweights
- Daigo Higa vs. Sirichai Thaiyen; Bantamweights
- Kantaro Juri vs. Wilbert Berondo; Super Flyweights
- Shinnosuke Kimoto vs. Prathip Chinram; Super Bantamweights
- Taiga Tamegai vs. Fumiaki Iwasaki; Super Bantamweights