Japan's former WBO champion Kazuto Ioka will face the current WBA champion Joshua Franco of the United States in a rematch of their recent world super flyweight boxing title unification bout, Ioka's gym announced Monday.
The June 24 fight at Tokyo's Ota City General Gymnasium will be a quick reunion for the pair after they battled to a 12-round draw at the same venue on New Year's Eve.
After the draw, the WBO ordered the 34-year-old Ioka to arrange a mandatory title defense against top-ranked countryman Junto Nakatani, but the veteran chose to vacate his belt in order to face Franco again.
"Fighting a title defense was not an option for us at all," Ioka told a press conference. "The point is to carry on the fight from last year in the next bout and settle the matter with (Franco)."
Attending the news conference online, the 27-year-old Franco said his motivation is higher than in December and he is expecting a heated encounter.
Ioka is 29-2-1 including 15 wins by knockout, while Franco is 18-1-3 with eight KOs.