On December 31 Ioka Kazuto retained his WBO super-flyweight title with an 8th round TKO over Tanaka Kosei in an event that took place inside the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo. However, the now 26-2 Ioka took the fight knowing he was almost certain to face some form of punishment for something that has nothing to do with his actions inside the ring.
BoxingScene reports that, during his fight with Tanaka, Ioka violated a Japanese Boxing Commission (JBC) rule on visible tattoos.
Between his last fight, a unanimous decision win over Jeyvier Cintron in 2019, and this most recent fight Ioka received a full sleeve of tattoos on his left arm.