Josua Franco has been stripped of his WBA super flyweight belt ahead of his fight with Kazuto Ioka on Saturday.
The Japanese saw his rival Franco miss weight at his first attempt on Friday, and he failed at the second try when he was 6.2lbs over his 115lbs limit.
That means that Franco will not be champion regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s fight in Tokyo, while Ioka will still have to defeat the former title holder if he wants to claim the championship.
Franco’s trainer Robert Garcia said to the press after the first weigh-in: "We were very close to cancelling everything. It's been a very tough training camp. We will go out over the next two hours and do our best but it won't be easy."
Ioka, for his part, hit his weight as required, and if he fails to win then the belt will remain vacant.
"I've gotten myself into the best shape. I'll just give my best, whatever my opponent's condition," Ioka said at a press conference.
The duo first fought in December 2022 on New Year’s Eve. but after 12 rounds the clash was scored a draw. Ioka vacated his WBO strap after being ordered to make a mandatory defence against Junto Nakatani, in pursuit of a rematch.
"I've faced boxing squarely and haven't lied to myself," Ioka added. "There are lots of emotions, but the first thing is to get this bout to take place. I need to prove justice always prevails."