Oleydong Sithsamerchai Loses Undefeated Record and Title to Young Kazuta Ioka

In a move that may surprise some, Oleydong Sithsamerchai (35-1-1 13 KO) lost his WBC mininumweight title to relative pro newcomer Kozuta Ioka at the World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan.

With the win, Ioka became the fastest Japanese fighter to win a title, with just seven fights under his belt.

According to Fightnews.com, the 21-year-old Ioka (7-0, 5 KO) took control of the bout early and floored Sithsamerchai early in the second round.

The 25-year-old former champ retreated and turned to a countering style, but couldn't turn the tide and even had to watch as Ioka showboated in the third round.

WBC opening scoring revealed Ioka winning on two of the three scorecards after round four.

In the fifth, Ioka blocked an overhand left with his glove and ripped a vicious left uppercut to the midsection, dropping the champ in agony.

Referee Bruce McTavish then stopped the bout. This ends the four year title reign for Sithsamerchai. He defended the title six times, going 5-0-1.

This shouldn't be a surprise to many who follow the career of Sithsamerchai, as he struggled against two unheralded fighters in Juan Palacios and Yasutaka Kuroki before drawing with Pornsawan Porpramook two fights ago.

At 25, a move up in weight may be the best move for him at this point. It remains to be seen if Ioka keeps the title, as he has fought his whole career at light flyweight, but moved down after being denied a title shot.

This was written for www.kissingthecanvas.com.