Kazuto Ioka Vs. Fernando Martinez canceled due to illness

Fans have been anxiously counting down the days until Kazuto Yoka’s match against Fernando Martinez on New Year’s Eve in Tokyo. However, the Shisei Gym in Yoka announced on Monday that the Argentinian super flyweight champion had come down with the flu, forcing them to cancel the much-anticipated bout at the last minute.

Martinez already showed signs of illness when he canceled a public workout last Thursday. He also missed Sunday’s signing ceremony, which raised the alarm that something was seriously wrong. It’s a gut punch for Yoka, who was hungry for a comeback after Martinez beat him by unanimous decision in July’s WBA-IBF unification bout.

Martinez reportedly relinquished his IBF belt, skipping a mandatory title defense to make this rematch happen.