| |
|
Nietes eyes 4th division belt vs Ioka on New Year's eve
By Eddie Alinea PhilBoxing.com Thu, 29 Nov 2018

Filipino three weight division champions Donnie Nietes and Japanese Kazuto Ioka will dispute the vacant WBO world junior bantamweight title on New Year?s eve at the Wynn Place resort in Macau.
Both Nietes and Ioka have to sign the fight contract, but ESPN?s Dan Rafael reported that Tom Loeffler of 360 Promotions told him on Tuesday him that a deal has been reached by promoters of both fighters ? TLAROCK for the Japanese and Miguel Aldeguer of ALA Promotions for the Filipino.
Rafael, ESPN senior writer wrote that handlers agreed to match their wards after several weeks of negotiations.
The fight is slated to take place on Dec. 31 at the Wynn Palace Resort in Macau, China. The New Year's holiday is a traditional time for world title bouts in Asia.
Nietes (41-1-5, 23 KOs), 36, who had previously held the WBO mini-flyweight title from 2007 to 2011; the WBO and The Ring magazine junior-flyweight titles between 2011 and 2016; and the IBF flyweight title from 2017 to 2018, will be eyeing his fourth weight division belt.
And so will Ioka (23-1, 13 KOs), 29, who wishes to follow up his grip of the WBA and WBC minimumweight titles between 2011 and 2012, the WBA light flyweight title between 2012 and 2014, and the WBA flyweight title between 2015 and 2017 with another crown.
Nietes had recently fought to a draw countryman Aston Palicte on Loeffler's "Superfly 3" HBO-televised card on September 8 at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
Ioka, in his last fight, ended a 17-month retirement and made his debut in the junior bantamweight division with a 10-round decision win over McWilliams Arroyo on the Nietes-Palicte undercard.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Leading World Cruiserweight Contender Ryan ‘The Bruiser’ Rozicki returns from 15-month layoff with another overpowering KO , Mon, 09 Mar 2026Roca, Bernardino share top honors in Tea Block rapid chess tournament By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 08 Mar 2026Fastpitch Softball on March 20-22 in Calinan By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 08 Mar 2026Opetaia vs Glanton: Dana White Crowns First Boxing Champion. Is Fight Worthy? By Chris Carlson, , Sun, 08 Mar 2026In Thrilling Showdown, Pagara Falls Short Against Polkinghorn by Points. , Sun, 08 Mar 2026Unofficial Unification Tournament Brewing For Welterweights By Ralph Rimpell, , Sat, 07 Mar 2026Fight Results from Montreal: Steven Butler Obliterates Ramadan Hiseni; Wins by Lenar Perez, Jhon Orobio and Steve Claggett By Eric Armit, , Sat, 07 Mar 2026Former Champ Junior Makabu visits WBC offices in Mexico City By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 07 Mar 2026WEIGHTS FROM SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA , Sat, 07 Mar 2026Weights from Atlantic City , Sat, 07 Mar 2026PFL Releases Francis Ngannou By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 07 Mar 2026Polkinghorn, Pagara at the Scales in Perth, Australia By Carlos Costa, , Sat, 07 Mar 2026Young Briton Rising Star: Callum Dan's Quest for Boxing Glory By Carlos Costa, , Sat, 07 Mar 2026Chua rules Pattaya Open; pockets $22,500 By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 07 Mar 2026All Star Boxing live on ESPN DEPORTES Weights from Nicaragua , Fri, 06 Mar 2026Ryan Rozicki’s Return: Presser Quotes from Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada , Fri, 06 Mar 2026Undefeated Heavyweight Gustavo “The Cuban Assassin” Trujillo Returns to Headline “Havoc at the Hilton 3” March 7 in Florida , Fri, 06 Mar 2026AQ Prime Chess bet Marius Zabanal Constante of Pasig City rules Elementary Division of NCR Palarong Pambansa Standard chess elims By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 06 Mar 2026World-Ranked Light Heavyweight Najee Lopez Battles Mexican Strongman Manuel Gallegos , Fri, 06 Mar 2026USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Travels to Thailand for 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup , Fri, 06 Mar 2026Eddie Hearn Signs UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall for New Matchroom Talent Agency , Fri, 06 Mar 2026Wise Owl Boxing Signs Undefeated Super Welterweight Prospect Ebenezer “The Stuntman” Griffith , Fri, 06 Mar 2026International Boxing Association Strengthens Strategic Presence in Cape Verde Following High-Level Official Visit , Thu, 05 Mar 2026Asia's First GM Eugene Torre 2nd in Russia chess By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 05 Mar 2026Unified WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine Minimumweight World Champion Oscar "El Pupilo" Collazo Hosts Media Workout Ahead of March 14 Fight , Thu, 05 Mar 2026 |

|
|
|
|
|