Kazuto Ioka was named Boxer of the Month by the World Boxing Association (WBA) Rankings Committee after becoming the super flyweight champion on June 24 at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo. 

Ioka captured the vacant belt after defeating Joshua Franco by unanimous decision in a fight in which his opponent missed weight and lost the title on the scales. The Japanese fighter delivered in the ring and made an exceptional performance to take the crown. 

In December of last year both had drawn in a good fight that left the public wanting to see more. Then the rematch was agreed and Ioka was able to make all the adjustments to secure the victory and become WBA champion again, a sash he had not held since 2017. 

With the monthly awards, the rankings of the pioneering body were also published,  which are available to the press and fans and the corresponding section of the WBA web portal.