Fight fans who know – as in, they know how great Fernando Martinez and Kazuto Ioka are, and how capable they are of delivering great action and drama – got what they expected today in Tokyo, Japan. This as the two junior-bantamweights fought their anticipated return fight. Argentine warrior Martinez again got the decision over Japanese star Ioka, as was the case when the two first tangoed, this last July. But this time, “Puma” had to get off the deck to win.

It was 12 rounds of thoroughly absorbing action today, just as things were in the first fight. In the end, Martinez, who was sent to the mat in the 10th round, this from a pair of left hooks, won by scores that read 117-110 (far too wide, but not as bad as the card one judge somehow handed in at the conclusion of the first battle between these two, that read a crazy 120-108 for Martinez), and 115-112, and 114-113.

Martinez is now 18-0(9), and the 33 year old showed again today that he is one of the most exciting fighters out there in terms of aggression and of punches thrown. 36 year old Ioka, a future Hall of Famer to be sure, falls to 31-4-1(16) and we may have seen his very last fight today.

It was action pretty much all the way, with Martinez again setting a hot pace, while Ioka did some fine work to the body. Round four was special, with both men trading in crowd-pleasing style. It seemed at this point that the rematch would not go all the way. But it did. Both men dug deep, they fought through some serious pain and fatigue, and they warred to the final bell.

Martinez looked like he might have been close to getting the stoppage in round six, this as he seemed to hurt Ioka, with him then unleashing a flurry as the older man was on the ropes. But Ioka, fighting with sheer pride, managed to get home with a counter, and on the battle raged. Both men were clearly tired in the later rounds, but it was unclear which warrior was feeling it more. Then, in a shock, Ioka dropped Martinez in the 10th. Round 11 saw yet more superb action, while the 12th and final round was epic. The two men seemed to make a pact to go for it, and go for it they did. It was pure action in the final round.

And even though Martinez is now 2-0 over Ioka, we fans would for sure tune in if these two met for a third time. Fans who saw today’s brilliant fight got a FOTY candidate. As some of us expected would be the case going in.