Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez | NETFLIX - September 13, 2025

[Ruthless-RKO]

CHRISTIAN MBILLI VS. LESTER MARTINEZ, CALLUM WALSH-FERNANDO VARGAS JR. ADDED TO CANELO-CRAWFORD UNDERCARD

The undisputed super middleweight title fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford will feature a terrific clash between surging and unbeaten knockout artists when Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez slug it out in a matchup that carries significant stakes in the division.

Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs) vs. Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs) was identified as a flagship fight earlier this summer, and now they will star on one of the most anticipated events of the year when they square off Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Netflix.

With a strong showing, the winner should emerge to be on the shortlist of opponents to face the winner of Canelo-Crawford in the future.

Mbilli is coming off a masterful first-round knockout victory against Maciej Sulecki in June to win the WBC 168-pound interim title. Before the fight, Turki Alalshikh expressed his desire and intent to feature Mbilli on the Canelo-Crawford card.

Martinez, meanwhile, must remain healthy. The 29-year-old from Guatemala has a recent history of health issues that have forced him to abruptly pull out of fights.

Last month, Martinez withdrew from his fight against Pierre Hubert Dibombe five days before the matchup because of migraines.

In September 2024, Martinez successfully weighed in for his fight against Joeshon James but pulled out soon afterward with an illness. The fight was rescheduled for February, but Martinez pulled out of the bout once again during fight week with an illness.

Martinez finally fought James in March and scored a fourth-round knockout. It was his most recent fight, and he has fought twice each of the past two years.

Martinez, who is coached by Crawford’s trainer Brian McIntyre, is not ranked by The Ring in the top 10 but is very much a threat to the Cameroonian French-Canadian. Martinez is rated No. 3 (WBA), No. 7 (WBC) and No. 15 (IBF).

Mbilli is The Ring’s No. 1 fighter at 168 pounds.

In the co-main event slot, unbeaten Callum Walsh will take on Fernando Vargas Jr. in a 10-round junior middleweight bout. The Irishman has impressed throughout his 13-fight career, scoring 11 knockouts since turning pro in 2021. He's promoted by Tom Loeffler's 360 Promotions and hopes to be a main fixture of TKO Group's Zuffa Boxing over the coming years.

Elsewhere on the card, Mohammed Alakel will face John Ornelas over six rounds at lightweight.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Christian Mbilli will defend his title against Lester Martinez on Alvarez-Crawford card

Christian Mbilli will defend his WBC interim super-middleweight title against Lester Martinez on September 13, it was announced today.

The fight will feature on the undercard of the mega fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, which takes place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, live on Netflix.

“I’m honored that His Excellency Turki Al-Sheikh specifically thought of me for the card of Canelo vs. Crawford,” said Mbilli. “I plan to seize this opportunity to show him that I’m the rightful challenger for the winner of their bout. And I intend to do it by staying true to my style, to myself, and by putting on a spectacular fight. This victory will elevate my status globally, my greatness, and most importantly, show the world who Christian ‘Solide’ Mbilli is.”

Mbilli, 29-0 (24 KOs), from Quebec, Canada, boasts victories over Ecuador’s Carlos Góngora, Australia’s Rohan Murdock, and Ukraine’s Sergiy Derevyanchenko. In June, he knocked out Poland’s Maciej Sulecki inside a round to capture his current belt, which he will defend for the first time against Martinez next month.

“Many consider Lester Martinez the most dangerous rising prospect climbing the world ranks right now,” said Marc Ramsay, Mbilli’s coach. “But Christian doesn’t say no to anyone. Not to Canelo, not to Martinez—no one."

Martinez, 19-0 (16 KOs), began his professional career back in 2019, when he stopped Nicaraguan brawler Ricardo Mayorga in the second round. More recently, in 2024 and 2025, the Guatemalan has dominated Carlos Góngora over 10 rounds and stopped previously undefeated American prospect Joeshon James in four. He is now ranked at three by the WBC, seven by the WBC, and 15 by the WBO. His next fight, on September 13, will be his biggest to date.

[Ruthless-RKO]

CHRISTIAN MBILLI: ‘I'M READY TO SHOW THE WORLD HOW GREAT I AM’ VS. LESTER MARTINEZ

Christian Mbilli is prepared to seize his breakthrough moment when he faces Lester Martinez on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford fight on Sept. 13.

The world will be watching the action unfold on Netflix from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and that’s exactly what Mbilli, a French-Cameroonian based in Canada, wants.

“I'm ready to put on a big show for this event and send a message that I am the next guy that will face the winner of Canelo-Crawford,” Mbilli told The Ring. “It's the fight of my life, but I'm ready to show the world how great I am.”

Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 1-rated fighter at 168 pounds and is coming in hot off a one-round demolition of Maciej Sulecki in June for the WBC interim title. A unanimous-decision win against Sergiy Derevyanchenko in August 2024 preceded that.

Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs) is rated No. 3 (WBA), No. 7 (WBC) and No. 15 (IBF) and is coached by Crawford’s trainer Brian McIntyre. The 29-year-old from Guatemala must overcome a history of health problems that have forced him to abruptly pull out of three fights on short notice over the last year.

“I hope he doesn't have any health issues before we fight,” said Mbilli. “Martinez looks like a very strong guy. He can box. He can fight. His power and physicality impress me. He looks complete. It's going to be a big challenge for me, but we are putting in the right strategies to beat him. I am not taking this fight lightly. It's not easy, and he could be my hardest fight yet. He's coming to fight and coming to win, but I will be ready.”

Martinez last fought in March when he stopped Joeshon James in four rounds. He was supposed to face Pierre Hubert Dibombe in July but pulled out of the matchup on fight week because of migraines.

Before beating James, Martinez scored a unanimous decision win against Carlos Gongora in June 2024. Mbilli also fought Gongora in March 2023 and notched a unanimous decision victory, but admitted that Martinez's win against the common opponent was more impressive.

“I think his performance against Gongora was better than mine,” said Mbilli. “Gongora touched me a little bit. But it doesn't matter once Martinez and I get in the ring. I'm going to make him pay once he makes mistakes. I have good power and good cardio and I'm going to win this fight.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

LESTER MARTINEZ PREPARES TO DELIVER WAR WITH CHRISTIAN MBILLI UNDER CANELO-CRAWFORD

Lester Martinez realizes he will enter the ring Sept. 13 as an unknown, unproven opponent for Christian Mbilli.

The ambitious Guatemalan super middleweight knows, too, that this is his long-awaited opportunity to show to the boxing world what Terence Crawford and his training team have known for three years. They consider Martinez one of boxing’s best-kept secrets, an elite-level 168-pound contender who just needs the type of exposure and competition he’ll get on the Canelo Alvarez-Crawford undercard to seize his spot at the top of his division.

Montreal’s Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs) has been avoided by highly rated super middleweights because the Cameroon native is a vicious volume puncher who never stops putting pressure on his opponents. The heavy-handed, highly skilled Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs) still didn’t hesitate to accept a 10-round fight for Mbilli’s WBC interim super middleweight title that will be streamed globally by Netflix.

“Mbilli is an excellent fighter,” Martinez told The Ring. “He’s shown it. We’ve all seen it. He’s very dangerous. You can’t lose focus when fighting a guy like him, but it’s gonna be a war, and I’m prepared to deliver a war.”

Sparring with Crawford since 2022 has helped Martinez make improvements, including developing more of a mean streak in the ring. They sparred countless rounds in Colorado Springs, Omaha, Nebraska, and Las Vegas over the past two months to prepare for their challenging assignments next weekend.

“I told Crawford and our trainers that he might be the main event,” Martinez said, “but I’m gonna steal the show that night.”

DraftKings lists Mbilli as a marginal favorite (minus-185/plus-145), in part due to Martinez’s anonymity.

Mbilli has developed a reputation as a dangerous fighter Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion, and undefeated contender Diego Pacheco don’t want to face. Martinez, meanwhile, has fought away from the spotlight, even after Brian McIntyre and the rest of Crawford’s training team began working with him.

“All the eyes of the [boxing] world are gonna be looking at [Mbilli],” Martinez said, “because a lot of people in the boxing world know him and it’s a big fight. So, if they’re gonna go and see his fight, with eyes on him, of course they’re gonna see his opponent, too. We know what Mbilli can do, but you’re gonna see my boxing in this fight.”

Mbilli, 30, is ranked No. 1 among The Ring’s super middleweight contenders for Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs), who will also defend his IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO belts against Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs).

Martinez, 29, withdrew from three fights within the past year due to various ailments, most recently early in July, and was consequently removed from The Ring’s top 10. He is ranked third (WBA), seventh (WBC) and 15th (WBO), but Martinez is motivated to swap places with Mbilli by beating the most formidable foe he’ll have faced in six years as a pro.

“Mbilli is a great fighter,” Martinez said. “He’s an interim champion and I think that alone makes him better than the other fighters that I’ve faced. What I wanna tell people is to not miss my fight and to not forget the name Lester Martinez.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight week!!

Winner of this will most likely fight Hamzah Sheeraz

[MPW]

Still can make up my mind on this one.

I've watched Mbilli fight a couple times and he does a lot of things well, but I'm just not 100% convinced because he has struggled at times with fighters he shouldn't struggle with. And a one-armed Derevyanchenko gave him all he could handle.

I haven't actually seen Martinez fight, but from what I have read he seems to be a legitimate threat to everyone in the top ten. He has also performed better against their common opponents - for what ever that's worth.

We'll find out come Saturday night.

[keithmoonhangover]

This should be an absolute barnburner.

[Evander]

Quietly anticipated, this should be interesting

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Lester Martinez ready to prove he’s ‘the guy’ at 168 by beating Christian Mbilli

To step up from fighting inside a worn convention center to an NFL stadium is not a routine career trajectory, but Lester Martinez feels fully prepared to bask in the glow of boxing’s hottest lights Saturday night.

A stablemate of main-event fighter Terence Crawford, Guatemala’s Martinez, 19-0 (16 KOs), secured a shot at WBC super-middleweight interim champion Christian Mbilli, 29-0 (24 KOs), on the Netflix-streamed undercard of Crawford’s undisputed super-middleweight challenge of champion Canelo Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium.

“I feel calm,” Martinez told BS this week. “I’ve always wanted to be part of a Terence Crawford fight. It’s a goal of my life that will now be realized. Maybe not as many, but I’ve felt bright lights before. I’ll be focused for this fight.”

Coming off a March victory at the Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino, California, Martinez, 29, has functioned as an inspired, destructive performer, riding a wave of six knockouts/stoppages over his past seven fights to rise to No. 3 among WBA 168lbs fighters, No. 7 in the WBC and No. 15 in the WBO.

He was only paused in July, when a return bout with what he originally believed were migraine headaches forced him to withdraw from his ProBoxTV main event versus Pierre Hubert Dibombe at Fresno’s Save Mart Arena.

“It was a pinched [Arnold] nerve – the nerve runs from the top of your neck base of your skull over the top of your head to the eye,” ProBoxTV CEO Garry Jonas explained.

Martinez proceeded through treatments including nerve stimulation and rest followed by physical therapy during training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Martinez sparred with Crawford.

The neck and upper back tightness alleviated, stopping the previously undiagnosed discomfort, and freeing the fan favorite to resume his career path.

“That [pain] is all in the past. I got the work done on it, and it’s all fixed – to the point I don’t even think about it anymore,” Martinez said. “My chances of winning this fight are good because of the preparation I’ve put in and the fact I know this is my opportunity.”

Trained by Crawford’s cornerman, Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, Martinez meets an opponent in the Cameroon-born Canadian Mbilli who has disposed of two 168lbs gatekeepers in recent bouts, defeating former middleweight title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko in August 2024 and Maciej Sulecki by first-round TKO on June 27.

By fighting for ProBoxTV, which prides itself on staging 50-50, demanding fights, Martinez said the high stakes of the lower-profile shows “opened doors for me, teaching me so much and making me more recognized in boxing … it got me this fight.”

The sparring sessions with Crawford complemented Martinez’s typical preparation, as each felt the appreciation of confronting a rigged practice test before the defining fights of their career.

“I was helping Crawford and then I got word that I’d have this fight on the same card and he worked so hard in helping me,” Martinez said. “It became a case of iron sharpening iron.”

How will Crawford fare?

“It is Canelo so it’s an uphill battle, but I believe [Crawford] has very high chances to win,” Martinez said.

Whatever happens in that bout, Martinez will have the opportunity in victory to put himself strongly in line for either a victorious Alvarez or to fight someone else for the belt should Crawford, 37, retire or move back down toward the 154lbs division he’s moved up from.

“After this there will be big things – things will get a lot more big and a lot more complicated,” Martinez said. “I will have that [interim championship] and things will become a lot more interesting for me.”

Martinez said he plans to perform so strongly Saturday that it will lift him past Hamzah Sheeraz as the frontrunner for a shot at the super-middleweight belts.

“Any doubts? Watch the fight Saturday night,” he said. “There will be no doubt left that I’m the guy in the division.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Looking forward to this but don’t think it’s before the main event.


That’ll be Walsh-Vargas

[Ruthless-RKO]

[goose 5]

Mercy. Great fight. 96-94 Martinez on my card.

[JMac]

I had it a draw. That was a fight that nobody deserved to lose. Fights like that don't lead to long careers if they want to be able to talk as they get older.

[Evander]

Fight of the night
This one went back and forth
I could see a draw
Edge went to Mbilli though