Argentinian WBA super flyweight champion Fernando Martinez has willingly relinquished his IBF title in order to secure a rematch with Japanese contender Kazuto Ioka. The two previously fought in a unification bout that saw Martinez unify his IBF title with Ioka’s WBA. However, rather than fulfilling his duties as the IBF champion and face his mandatory, Martinez has decided to rematch Ioka. The Argentinian is now left with only one title; the WBA belt which he won from Ioka.

Fernando Martinez (17-0, 9 KO’s) last fought on July 7th where he defeated three-division world champion Kazuto Ioka (31-3-1, 16 KO’s) by unanimous decision (UD) in a competitive bout to become the WBA and IBF unified super flyweight (115 lbs) champion.

Martinez first obtained the IBF belt in 2022 after defeating then-IBF Filipino champion Jerwin Ancajas (35-4-2, 23 KO’s) to claim the first world title of his career. The Argentinian would go on to make two defenses of his IBF title―one against Ancajas who he defeated in a rematch―before unifying with Kazuto Ioka this year.

According to boxing writer Dan Rafael, however, Martinez is no longer in possession of the IBF 115 lbs belt after choosing to relinquish it when a mandate by the IBF for him to face a mandatory challenger conflicted with his wishes to rematch Ioka:

“News: WBA [junior] bantamweight titlist Fernando Martinez has vacated the IBF belt to have his [$$] rematch vs. Ioka Dec. 31 rather than make mandatory vs. Willibaldo Garcia Perez, who will face Rene Calixto Bibiano for vacant title in Japan,” Rafael announced yesterday on Twitter/X. “Date TBA [to-be-announced] in [December].“

Rafael’s post alluded to the rematch being lucrative, suggesting the decision by Fernando Martinez to vacate his title was driven by the more lucrative option of facing Ioka. Ioka, 35, is one of Japan’s most well-known and accomplished stars of the modern era, having won five world titles throughout a longstanding professional career that started since 2009.

With Ioka having a considerable fanbase in his home country of Japan, a rematch with Martinez would likely garner in a lot more than if Martinez were to face his mandatory challenger; Mexican contender Willibaldo Garcia Perez (22-5-1. 13 KO’s).

Perez is currently ranked at #3 on the IBF’s 115 lbs ranking boards, with the #1 and #2 positions left vacant―thus making him the highest-ranked available contender.

As Dan Rafael reported, a rematch between Martinez and Ioka has already been arranged, and the Argentinian’s relinquishment of his IBF title has spurred the IBF to arrange a title bout behind-the-scenes for the vacant title between Perez and #4 IBF super flyweight contender Rene Calixto Bibiano (23-0, 9 KO’s)―who like Perez hails from Mexico.

Martinez’ situation appears similar to when unified super middleweight (168 lbs) champion Canelo Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KO’s) was stripped of his IBF title earlier this year after refusing to face a mandatory challenger in Cuban fighter William Scull (23-0, 9 KO’s). This was presumably due to Alvarez preferring to face Puerto Rican-American 168 lbs contender Edgar Berlanga (22-1, 17 KO’s), who would bring in much higher earnings than the lesser-known Scull. Alvarez would go on to face and defeat Berlanga by unanimous decision on September 14.

December has been pinpointed as the month where Fernando Martinez and Kazuto Ioka will stage their rematch, with a date set to be announced in the upcoming weeks.