Kazuto Ioka vs. Fernando Martínez, suspended due to illness

Fans were eagerly counting the days until Kazuto Ioka faced Fernando Martinez on New Year’s Eve in Tokyo. However, Ioka’s Shisei Gym reported Monday that the Argentine WBA super flyweight champion contracted the flu, forcing them to cancel this highly anticipated showdown at the last minute.

Martínez had already shown signs of illness when he canceled a public workout last Thursday. He also missed Sunday’s signing ceremony, raising alarm bells that something was seriously wrong. It’s a punch in the gut for Ioka, who was hungry to return after Martinez defeated him by unanimous decision in July’s WBA-IBF unification fight.

Martinez reportedly gave up his IBF belt, skipping a mandatory title defense to make this rematch a reality.