His two bouts with Martinez live rent-free in my head. So glad he left the second fight with a knockdown on Pumita's record.
My favorite Japanese fighter ever, and I have loved several. His record is fantastic, only names you can say he "missed" are Chocolatito and Inoue and it would be a stretch either way. If you flip the Ruenroeng, Nietes 1, and Franco 1 decisions his way (very reasonable to do) his W column becomes ATG even with the Pumita losses.
19/20 HOF Fighter no doubt his career is superior than Kosei Tanaka, Ryoichi Taguchi, Carlos Cuadras, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Omar Narvaez, Lorenzo Parra, Wanheng Meenayothin, Kenshiro Teraji, Hiroto Kyoguchi, Artem Dalakian, Daigo Higa... One of the best counter puncher in Minimumweight, Light Flyweight, Flyweight and Super Flyweight in history. Even at the end of his career he is almost on a similar level of Fernando Daniel Martinez. (I need to rewatch the fight but I think he win the rematch 115-113 for me against Puma Martinez). He was robbed against Amnat Ruenroeng. He had solid wins he beat great worlds champions like Oleydong Sithsamerchai, Juan Hernandez Navarrete, Akira Yaegashi, Felix Alvarado, Juan Carlos Reveco 2x Times, McWilliams Arroyo, Kosei Tanaka, Donnie Nietes, Joshua Franco. He break the record of Oleydong Sithsamerchai 30-0 and he beat two 4 weight classes world champions like him with his victories Kosei Tanaka & Donnie Nietes. In my opinion he is probably in the top 5 of Minimumweight (105 lbs),Light Flyweight (108 lbs) in all history and probably a solid top 10 in Flyweight 112 lbs / Super Flyweight 115 lbs in all history. Strange fact that if he lost against Kosei Tanaka he will not be in the hall of fame for me but this victory was his most solid and the big fight that he didn't missed up. And paradoxically this victory is the most negative point for me that Kosei Tanaka will not be a HOF fighter.
Terrific technician and a severely underrated elite fighter who never had the chance to face Chocolatito, Gallo, Cuadras, or SSR. At his best I think he had a good shot in beating at least 2 of them from that group. Was arguably the 2nd best Japanese fighter behind Inoue before he was dethroned by Martinez twice. Ioka's resume is very good and he's most definitely a future HOFer.
Ioka fought in world title fights almost exclusively for over a decade. I had him in my p4p list untill the Puma loses. Slick as hell. Great career. A legend in my book
An exemplary fighter, one of the standouts of his generation and a true all-rounder. It's a shame he never quite got the fanfare he deserved either at home or abroad, but those who have paid any attention to the lower weight-classes for the last decade and a bit know how good he is.
