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WBA flyweight titleholder Kazuto Ioka has been ordered to make a mandatory title defense against Artem Dalakian, with August 31 the deadline for the camps to agree before a purse bid is set.
Ioka (22-1, 13 KO) won the belt from Juan Carlos Reveco in April 2015, and has made successful defenses against Keyvin Lara, Stamp Kiatniwat, and Noknoi CP Freshmart. The 28-year-old titleholder has won eight straight fights overall, going back to a split decision loss to Amnat Ruenroeng in 2014.
Dalakian (15-0, 11 KO) is a 30-year-old fighter born in Azerbaijan, now fighting out of Ukraine, which he represented as an amateur. He hasn’t faced serious opposition yet as a professional. He’d be a serious underdog against Ioka, who is arguably the top flyweight in the sport today.
Ioka is due for a mandatory title defense by September 30, which doesn’t mean that the fight will happen by then, but that an agreement will need to be made.