Kazuto Ioka vs. José Francisco Rodríguez Tamayo & Yuichiro Kasuya vs. Aso Ishiwaki RBR

Round 2

Rodríguez is reaching in with a jab, only for Ioka to counter with his own quick jab or straight combos trickling into the face before settling back on his heels. Rodríguez missing a lot but just insistently diving in spraying shots, and manages to smack Ioka up in the clinch with several almost open-handed strikes.

10-9 Rodríguez

20-18 Rodríguez

 

He seems almost surprised that somebody - regardless of whether they've looked mostly like warmed over crap for seven years - actually got up for a world championship opportunity.

 

Round 3

Rodríguez is ripping uppercuts into the body of Ioka, who is backing up jabbing and then holding until the ref orders him to let go, at which point he gives Rodríguez a distancing shove to reset. Looping blows with both hands from Rodríguez, attacking relentlessly, as Ioka tucks his chin and holds, then lobs up some behind-the-head whacks in the clinch.

10-9 Rodríguez

30-27 Rodríguez

 

Round 4

Rodríguez fakes a right hand lead, then when Ioka raises his goalposts to block it leaps in and leads with a left hook instead, circumventing Ioka's forearms to slash him on the cheek. Ioka falling for feints from a much lesser caliber craftsman, not good. Ioka manages to spin out to reverse position halway into the round and gets off a couple of shoehines on the body of Rodríguez while coming forward. Rodríguez might have run low on gas as he's now waiting on Ioka. Sloppy combinations by Rodríguez, being easily countered by Ioka, who is finding his groove. Rodríguez drills down into the right temple of Ioka with a plunging right hand, but Ioka is tearing up his body with hooks. Nice crisp 1-2s on the face by Ioka to close out the round winning a fiery exchange.

10-9 Ioka, close

39-37 Rodríguez