Christian Mbilli-Lester Martinez rematch ordered by WBC
Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez could have another chance to settle their differences.
The pair of unbeaten super middleweights were ordered to begin negotiations for an immediate rematch, the WBC ruled on Wednesday. Mbilli and Martinez are just days removed from their Fight of the Year contender, which resulted in a split decision draw this past Saturday on Netflix from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The official verdict allowed Mbilli – a Cameroon Olympian now based in Montreal – to retain his interim WBC 168lbs title on the Terence Crawford-Saul “Canelo” Alvarez undercard. However, the secondary belt at stake provided the necessary avenue for Guatemala’s Martinez to file a request for a return bout.
The matter was presented to the WBC Board of Governors, who unanimously approved the motion.
Ironically, a winner would have been forced to wait out the next decision by Crawford, 42-0 (31 KOs), who claimed the undisputed 168lbs championship in the historic win over Alvarez, 63-3-2 (39 KOs).
There is the possibility that Crawford – who turns 38 later this month – will call it a career after securing the legacy-defining win and gargantuan payday that came with the event. Crawford only moved up to 154lbs last summer and was one-and-done at the weight – a WBA title win, though he was relieved of the belt once the bell sounded for his clash with Alvarez.
Few believed that Saturday’s main event would have next faced either Mbilli or Martinez, both of whom pose high risk and low reward to elite fighters.
With that, Saturday’s verdict from their Netflix undercard bout and Wednesday’s ruling provide the best-case scenario for both boxers.
Mbilli, 29-0-1 (24 KOs), is promoted by Eye of the Tiger Management, already a working partner with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season who financed Saturday’s event. Martinez, 19-0-1 (16 KOs), is a stablemate of Crawford’s – both train under Brian “Bomac” McIntyre – and has cut his teeth on the ProBox TV circuit (Writer’s note: ProBox TV founder Garry Jonas owns BS).
A 30-day negotiation period will be assigned with the recent ruling, with a designated purse bid also scheduled in the event the two sides cannot come to an agreement.
While Mbilli is the current interim WBC title, it is possible that the full version of the belt is at stake for this ordered rematch. That will be up to Crawford to decide whether to hold his belts, and what awaits his boxing future.
Mbilli claimed the secondary version of the belt in a firstt round knockout of Maciej Sulecki on June 27 in Quebec City, Canada. The decision to request that title at stake was an insurance policy precisely for a scenario such as this. At the time, Mbilli hoped to force a mandatory title shot against Mexico’s Alvarez had he defeated Crawford.
Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
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Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
WBC Orders Immediate Rematch Between Christian Mbilli, Lester Martinez
The WBC announced Wednesday night that its board of governors voted unanimously to order an immediate rematch between Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez.
The undefeated super middleweights waged one of the most memorable bouts of 2025 on the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford undercard Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Mbilli retained his WBC interim 168-pound championship because their spectacular slugfest resulted in a split draw.
The WBC cited the inconclusive outcome and public demand as reasons for requiring an immediate rematch so quickly.
Montreal’s Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) and Guatemala’s Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) wowed the capacity crowd by standing and trading hard shots throughout a 10-round bout Netflix streamed globally. Even though they continuously caught each other with flush punches, neither could hurt each other enough to finish their fight inside the distance.
Judge Patricia Morse Jarman scored seven rounds for Martinez, who won 97-93 on her card. Chris Migliore credited Mbilli for a 96-94 victory and Glenn Feldman scored it 95-95.
CompuBox unofficially favored Martinez, who landed 412 of 980 punches, 139 more than Mbilli (273 of 787).
Mbilli entered as The Ring’s No. 1-ranked contender for Alvarez, who lost his Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO belts to Crawford. Martinez was not ranked in The Ring’s Top 10 prior to Saturday night.
Now that Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) has dethroned Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs), the Mexican superstar is The Ring’s No. 1 contender, Cuban southpaw Osleys Iglesias (14-0, 13 KOs) is second, Mbilli third and Martinez fourth.
The WBC announced Wednesday night that its board of governors voted unanimously to order an immediate rematch between Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez.
The undefeated super middleweights waged one of the most memorable bouts of 2025 on the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford undercard Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Mbilli retained his WBC interim 168-pound championship because their spectacular slugfest resulted in a split draw.
The WBC cited the inconclusive outcome and public demand as reasons for requiring an immediate rematch so quickly.
Montreal’s Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) and Guatemala’s Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) wowed the capacity crowd by standing and trading hard shots throughout a 10-round bout Netflix streamed globally. Even though they continuously caught each other with flush punches, neither could hurt each other enough to finish their fight inside the distance.
Judge Patricia Morse Jarman scored seven rounds for Martinez, who won 97-93 on her card. Chris Migliore credited Mbilli for a 96-94 victory and Glenn Feldman scored it 95-95.
CompuBox unofficially favored Martinez, who landed 412 of 980 punches, 139 more than Mbilli (273 of 787).
Mbilli entered as The Ring’s No. 1-ranked contender for Alvarez, who lost his Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO belts to Crawford. Martinez was not ranked in The Ring’s Top 10 prior to Saturday night.
Now that Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) has dethroned Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs), the Mexican superstar is The Ring’s No. 1 contender, Cuban southpaw Osleys Iglesias (14-0, 13 KOs) is second, Mbilli third and Martinez fourth.
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Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
Lester Martinez: ‘I assure you, I can win a Christian Mbilli rematch’
Lester Martinez, in his first public comments since producing Saturday’s fight of the night in a brutal draw versus WBC interim super middleweight titleholder Christian Mbilli, said, “It was the opportunity of our lives, and we made the most of it.”
The WBC has granted Martinez’s request for an immediate rematch with fellow unbeaten Mbilli after they engaged in the draw under Martinez gym mate Terence Crawford’s unanimous decision victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
In an interview Thursday on ProBoxTV’s “BS Today,” Martinez told hosts Jimmy Smith, Paulie Malignaggi and Chris Algieri that training alongside Crawford, 42-0, made his bout against Mbilli, 30-0-1, a “reflection of the preparation … physically and mentally. It helped me a lot.”
Guatemala’s top-10 ranked Martinez, 19-0-1, said the accomplishment of “getting a draw against a world champion when you’re not favored and when hardly anyone knows you … we did something right.”
The grueling battle was intense, a constant-punching inside war in which Martinez landed effective uppercuts and stood toe-to-toe with the Cameroon-born Canadian who sought to score a knockout.
Appearing with a face free of swelling on Thursday, Martinez said, “I’m sore, but I’m calm.”
Asked if he believed he won after judge Patricia Morse Jarman had it 97-93 in his favor, Martinez said, “I felt like a winner. I felt that I won. I was very happy, but not satisfied.”
He said the bout was trying due to Mbilli’s pressure.
“As the fight goes on, you feel tired, but the desire to win the belt kept me going,” Martinez, 29, said. My heart and emotion were incredibly strong.”
Martinez is pushing for the rematch to be a 12-round fight after Saturday’s 10-round affair.
“Of course I want [that], I want to be a champion,” he said. “I feel like a champion. I assure you, I can do better and I can really win [the rematch].”
Moving up from the ProBoxTV environment to a stadium show proved “exciting” and forced Martinez to set aside the environment to remain “mentally prepared.
“I knew I was walking among greats – a big venue in front of a big crowd.”
That exposure lifts him into the No. 3 contender’s spot in the WBA and No. 4 in the WBC.
Asked what he would change in reviewing the bout in hindsight, Martinez agreed that devoting more effort to his effective uppercuts and fighting Mbilli at greater range might have swayed the bout his way. Nevertheless, the entertainment value of the bout was immense.
“I could have done a better job,” he said. “I wanted people to see who Lester Martinez is.”
Lester Martinez, in his first public comments since producing Saturday’s fight of the night in a brutal draw versus WBC interim super middleweight titleholder Christian Mbilli, said, “It was the opportunity of our lives, and we made the most of it.”
The WBC has granted Martinez’s request for an immediate rematch with fellow unbeaten Mbilli after they engaged in the draw under Martinez gym mate Terence Crawford’s unanimous decision victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
In an interview Thursday on ProBoxTV’s “BS Today,” Martinez told hosts Jimmy Smith, Paulie Malignaggi and Chris Algieri that training alongside Crawford, 42-0, made his bout against Mbilli, 30-0-1, a “reflection of the preparation … physically and mentally. It helped me a lot.”
Guatemala’s top-10 ranked Martinez, 19-0-1, said the accomplishment of “getting a draw against a world champion when you’re not favored and when hardly anyone knows you … we did something right.”
The grueling battle was intense, a constant-punching inside war in which Martinez landed effective uppercuts and stood toe-to-toe with the Cameroon-born Canadian who sought to score a knockout.
Appearing with a face free of swelling on Thursday, Martinez said, “I’m sore, but I’m calm.”
Asked if he believed he won after judge Patricia Morse Jarman had it 97-93 in his favor, Martinez said, “I felt like a winner. I felt that I won. I was very happy, but not satisfied.”
He said the bout was trying due to Mbilli’s pressure.
“As the fight goes on, you feel tired, but the desire to win the belt kept me going,” Martinez, 29, said. My heart and emotion were incredibly strong.”
Martinez is pushing for the rematch to be a 12-round fight after Saturday’s 10-round affair.
“Of course I want [that], I want to be a champion,” he said. “I feel like a champion. I assure you, I can do better and I can really win [the rematch].”
Moving up from the ProBoxTV environment to a stadium show proved “exciting” and forced Martinez to set aside the environment to remain “mentally prepared.
“I knew I was walking among greats – a big venue in front of a big crowd.”
That exposure lifts him into the No. 3 contender’s spot in the WBA and No. 4 in the WBC.
Asked what he would change in reviewing the bout in hindsight, Martinez agreed that devoting more effort to his effective uppercuts and fighting Mbilli at greater range might have swayed the bout his way. Nevertheless, the entertainment value of the bout was immense.
“I could have done a better job,” he said. “I wanted people to see who Lester Martinez is.”
Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
Where when
Put them on the Ortiz v Lubin undercard
Put them on the Ortiz v Lubin undercard
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Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
Christian Mbilli promises defensive adjustments for Lester Martinez rematch
Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez battled it out in a brutal bout and a Fight of the Year contender earlier this month, and it appears a sequel is in store after the initial affair was ruled a split draw.
The WBC has already ordered a much-desired rematch between Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs), the sanctioning body’s super middleweight interim titleholder, and Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) after their heated encounter unfolded on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
“Of course, I am open to the rematch, why not?” Mbilli told The Ring. “We'll see if we get one. Maybe it will be more crushing. Right now, I am ready for anyone, and a big name like Canelo Alvarez or Terence Crawford. I'm ready for everything. I want to fight.”
CompuBox unofficially credited the busier Martinez with 412 landed punches to 273 from Mbilli in the back-and-forth, 10-round slugfest. Martinez also threw 203 more punches. One judge had it 97-93 for Martinez while another had it 96-94 for Mbilli, with a third judge scoring it 95-95.
Mbilli believes he did more than enough to get the victory.
“Me and my team were very surprised by the 97-93 card. Maybe they were looking at another fight, I don't know,” said Mbilli. “I thought I won by two or three rounds. But I'm not the judge. We threw a lot of punches, and a lot of power punches. It was a war. Maybe next I can have better defense. I think I need better defense in the rematch and better transitioning between defense and attacking.”
Despite the lukewarm feeling of walking away with a draw, Mbilli, now The Ring’s No. 3-ranked super middleweight in the world, is still standing in a solid position in the division.
“I am very happy and pleased with the fight,” said Mbilli. “We had the best fight of the night. It was a spectacular fight. Many people thought it would be the fight of the night, and it was.
“The fight went as I expected. Martinez is a very good fighter. He's powerful and has a very good chin. He's very strong and has good conditioning and was taking my power very well.
“Maybe the fight would have been different [if we fought for 12 rounds]. I think we gave all of the energy we had in every round.”
Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez battled it out in a brutal bout and a Fight of the Year contender earlier this month, and it appears a sequel is in store after the initial affair was ruled a split draw.
The WBC has already ordered a much-desired rematch between Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs), the sanctioning body’s super middleweight interim titleholder, and Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) after their heated encounter unfolded on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
“Of course, I am open to the rematch, why not?” Mbilli told The Ring. “We'll see if we get one. Maybe it will be more crushing. Right now, I am ready for anyone, and a big name like Canelo Alvarez or Terence Crawford. I'm ready for everything. I want to fight.”
CompuBox unofficially credited the busier Martinez with 412 landed punches to 273 from Mbilli in the back-and-forth, 10-round slugfest. Martinez also threw 203 more punches. One judge had it 97-93 for Martinez while another had it 96-94 for Mbilli, with a third judge scoring it 95-95.
Mbilli believes he did more than enough to get the victory.
“Me and my team were very surprised by the 97-93 card. Maybe they were looking at another fight, I don't know,” said Mbilli. “I thought I won by two or three rounds. But I'm not the judge. We threw a lot of punches, and a lot of power punches. It was a war. Maybe next I can have better defense. I think I need better defense in the rematch and better transitioning between defense and attacking.”
Despite the lukewarm feeling of walking away with a draw, Mbilli, now The Ring’s No. 3-ranked super middleweight in the world, is still standing in a solid position in the division.
“I am very happy and pleased with the fight,” said Mbilli. “We had the best fight of the night. It was a spectacular fight. Many people thought it would be the fight of the night, and it was.
“The fight went as I expected. Martinez is a very good fighter. He's powerful and has a very good chin. He's very strong and has good conditioning and was taking my power very well.
“Maybe the fight would have been different [if we fought for 12 rounds]. I think we gave all of the energy we had in every round.”
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Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
Lester Martinez honored by WBC as Mbilli rematch looms ahead
Lester Martinez didn’t come away emptyihanded from his terrific clash with Christian Mbilli.
The unbeaten super middleweight from Guatemala was honored by the WBC during the sanctioning body’s “Martes de Café” session on Tuesday in Mexico City. Martinez, 19-0-1 (16 KOs) fought Canada’s Mbilli to a ten-round draw in their terrific WBC interim 168lbs title fight on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The bout was part of the historic Terence Crawford-Saul “Canelo” Alvarez Netflix show and hailed as the standout fight of the evening. That honor was extended by the WBC, who presented Martinez with a ring in the shape of the WBC’s symbolic green and gold belt.
“I want to thank the WBC for the invitation, and I’m very happy to be here,” Martinez said during Tuesday’s ceremony. “Mexico helped me make my debut and opened the doors for me to fight. Great bouts in Tijuana and Los Mochis.
“What you saw in the fight is part of my story. I would have loved to be here with the title, but hopefully next time we are invited, we’ll bring the belt.”
Tuesday’s session also saw the WBC honor recently crowned WBC/WBA 112lbs flyweight titlist Ricardo Sandoval with his official belt.
Mbilli retained his secondary title for the first time but is not completely out of the woods. The bout was strategically placed on the show, as Mbilli entered as the WBC mandatory challenger. The division’s fully unified crown is now held by Crawford, 42-0 (31 KOs), who outpointed Guadalajara’s Alvarez, 62-3-2 (39 KOs) over 12 rounds to become a three-weight undisputed champion.
However, Mbilli will first have to run it back with Martinez.
“There has never been a world champion from Guatemala,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman noted. “Because the fight was so good—perhaps even the fight of the year—the WBC has ordered a rematch.”
As previously reported by BS, Mbilli and Martinez were summoned to enter a negotiation period to work out terms for the ordered second fight. A purse bid hearing will be held should the two sides fail to come to terms during the 30-day period.
Crawford and Martinez train together under Brian “Bomac” McIntyre. The relationship could see Crawford pave the way for Martinez to become full WBC titlist, should he defeat Mbilli in their return meeting.
Lester Martinez didn’t come away emptyihanded from his terrific clash with Christian Mbilli.
The unbeaten super middleweight from Guatemala was honored by the WBC during the sanctioning body’s “Martes de Café” session on Tuesday in Mexico City. Martinez, 19-0-1 (16 KOs) fought Canada’s Mbilli to a ten-round draw in their terrific WBC interim 168lbs title fight on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The bout was part of the historic Terence Crawford-Saul “Canelo” Alvarez Netflix show and hailed as the standout fight of the evening. That honor was extended by the WBC, who presented Martinez with a ring in the shape of the WBC’s symbolic green and gold belt.
“I want to thank the WBC for the invitation, and I’m very happy to be here,” Martinez said during Tuesday’s ceremony. “Mexico helped me make my debut and opened the doors for me to fight. Great bouts in Tijuana and Los Mochis.
“What you saw in the fight is part of my story. I would have loved to be here with the title, but hopefully next time we are invited, we’ll bring the belt.”
Tuesday’s session also saw the WBC honor recently crowned WBC/WBA 112lbs flyweight titlist Ricardo Sandoval with his official belt.
Mbilli retained his secondary title for the first time but is not completely out of the woods. The bout was strategically placed on the show, as Mbilli entered as the WBC mandatory challenger. The division’s fully unified crown is now held by Crawford, 42-0 (31 KOs), who outpointed Guadalajara’s Alvarez, 62-3-2 (39 KOs) over 12 rounds to become a three-weight undisputed champion.
However, Mbilli will first have to run it back with Martinez.
“There has never been a world champion from Guatemala,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman noted. “Because the fight was so good—perhaps even the fight of the year—the WBC has ordered a rematch.”
As previously reported by BS, Mbilli and Martinez were summoned to enter a negotiation period to work out terms for the ordered second fight. A purse bid hearing will be held should the two sides fail to come to terms during the 30-day period.
Crawford and Martinez train together under Brian “Bomac” McIntyre. The relationship could see Crawford pave the way for Martinez to become full WBC titlist, should he defeat Mbilli in their return meeting.
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Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
I hope the next fight is just as exciting. I'm excited
Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
Put one of them on the Ortiz v Lubin undercard then
Give them some exposure if they want it
Top 2 fights are set with Ortiz v Lubin and Schofield v Diaz
There's a 3rd jump at it
Give them some exposure if they want it
Top 2 fights are set with Ortiz v Lubin and Schofield v Diaz
There's a 3rd jump at it
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Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
CHRISTIAN MBILLI'S TRAINER MARC RAMSAY NONCOMMITTAL ON LESTER MARTINEZ REMATCH
SHEFFIELD, England — Marc Ramsay made sure not to overlook, nor indulge in forecasting the future when asked about what's next following Arslanbek Makhmudov's bruising 12-round points win over Dave Allen earlier this month.
Yet he told The Ring of his 'very busy' schedule between now and the year's end, predominantly in Montreal, Canada, with several fighters he trains scheduled for matchups or awaiting news on their future.
Junior welterweight talent Wyatt Sanford (4-0, 2 KOs) continues on-the-job learning after clinching Olympic bronze last summer, while super middleweight hopeful Moreno Fendero (12-0, 10 KOs) has benefited from an active schedule: six stoppage wins in the last 12 months.
Colombian 140-pound contender Jhon Orobio (15-0, 13 KOs) faces a step-up in competition against South Africa's seasoned contender Xolisani Ndongeni (33-7, 19 KOs) next month on the Erik Bazinyan-Steven Butler undercard, which all three prospects are set to feature in.
Anyone else of note? Well, it's almost impossible to forget about WBC interim super middleweight beltholder Christian Mbilli.
"Christian will be back in the gym soon before his next fight," Ramsay chuckled when asked for an update on the 30-year-old, a month removed from his thrilling 10-round split draw with Lester Martinez.
Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) made the first defence of his interim title by breezing beyond Maciej Sulecki on June 28, though left critics wanting more after being kept honest by a crafty operator showing more to his game than mere punching power.
Martinez's team requested and were approved a direct rematch by the WBC, who since ordered 'free negotiations' to arrange the rematch. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has told The Ring they haven't begun a 30-day deadline yet, but that might not matter.
On the topic of an immediate rematch, Ramsay was non-committal.
"Look, we'll see," he said. "We're starting negotiations down a different route right now but will assess everything."
"It was a good fight, I've known Lester since he was an amateur and knew how good he is, he beat two-time Olympic champion Arlen Lopez [as an amateur, 2018] and did it with a pro style. He's a real good prospect but boxing people didn't know him yet.
"We know he's an elite-level fighter but was unknown in boxing circles, had a lot to lose but Christian had everything on him—age, maturity—so if you want to make your place at the top table, you must take fights like that one."
The sentiment that Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) was a hidden gem has been echoed by his head coach, Brian McIntyre.
Much was said about the hard-hitting Guatemalan playing a pivotal role in sparring alongside Terence Crawford before his undisputed super middleweight triumph over Canelo Alvarez.
While featuring on a Crawford undercard would've done wonders for his profile, it's time for the 29-year-old to blossom as a headliner himself in future.
"You know he was Terence's chief sparring partner for Canelo but just wow, a phenomenal kid and the nicest to work with," he told The Ring.
"He never complains about anything, always goes above and beyond in his training and I want to see the rematch next. That fight just gave me a little bit more of what we need to work on, as a team and for Lester himself."
Mbilli has been linked with multiple names already this year, including Diego Pacheco and Kevin Lele Sadjo - who now box one another on Dec. 13, as well as divisional newcomer Hamzah Sheeraz.
Sheeraz's head coach Andy Lee rejected the possibility of a high-risk, low-reward matchup against Mbilli when questioned in the summer.
Meanwhile, Sheeraz's promoter allegedly has insisted they're unwilling to wait around with prospective opponent Canelo set to undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery next week.
SHEFFIELD, England — Marc Ramsay made sure not to overlook, nor indulge in forecasting the future when asked about what's next following Arslanbek Makhmudov's bruising 12-round points win over Dave Allen earlier this month.
Yet he told The Ring of his 'very busy' schedule between now and the year's end, predominantly in Montreal, Canada, with several fighters he trains scheduled for matchups or awaiting news on their future.
Junior welterweight talent Wyatt Sanford (4-0, 2 KOs) continues on-the-job learning after clinching Olympic bronze last summer, while super middleweight hopeful Moreno Fendero (12-0, 10 KOs) has benefited from an active schedule: six stoppage wins in the last 12 months.
Colombian 140-pound contender Jhon Orobio (15-0, 13 KOs) faces a step-up in competition against South Africa's seasoned contender Xolisani Ndongeni (33-7, 19 KOs) next month on the Erik Bazinyan-Steven Butler undercard, which all three prospects are set to feature in.
Anyone else of note? Well, it's almost impossible to forget about WBC interim super middleweight beltholder Christian Mbilli.
"Christian will be back in the gym soon before his next fight," Ramsay chuckled when asked for an update on the 30-year-old, a month removed from his thrilling 10-round split draw with Lester Martinez.
Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) made the first defence of his interim title by breezing beyond Maciej Sulecki on June 28, though left critics wanting more after being kept honest by a crafty operator showing more to his game than mere punching power.
Martinez's team requested and were approved a direct rematch by the WBC, who since ordered 'free negotiations' to arrange the rematch. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has told The Ring they haven't begun a 30-day deadline yet, but that might not matter.
On the topic of an immediate rematch, Ramsay was non-committal.
"Look, we'll see," he said. "We're starting negotiations down a different route right now but will assess everything."
"It was a good fight, I've known Lester since he was an amateur and knew how good he is, he beat two-time Olympic champion Arlen Lopez [as an amateur, 2018] and did it with a pro style. He's a real good prospect but boxing people didn't know him yet.
"We know he's an elite-level fighter but was unknown in boxing circles, had a lot to lose but Christian had everything on him—age, maturity—so if you want to make your place at the top table, you must take fights like that one."
The sentiment that Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) was a hidden gem has been echoed by his head coach, Brian McIntyre.
Much was said about the hard-hitting Guatemalan playing a pivotal role in sparring alongside Terence Crawford before his undisputed super middleweight triumph over Canelo Alvarez.
While featuring on a Crawford undercard would've done wonders for his profile, it's time for the 29-year-old to blossom as a headliner himself in future.
"You know he was Terence's chief sparring partner for Canelo but just wow, a phenomenal kid and the nicest to work with," he told The Ring.
"He never complains about anything, always goes above and beyond in his training and I want to see the rematch next. That fight just gave me a little bit more of what we need to work on, as a team and for Lester himself."
Mbilli has been linked with multiple names already this year, including Diego Pacheco and Kevin Lele Sadjo - who now box one another on Dec. 13, as well as divisional newcomer Hamzah Sheeraz.
Sheeraz's head coach Andy Lee rejected the possibility of a high-risk, low-reward matchup against Mbilli when questioned in the summer.
Meanwhile, Sheeraz's promoter allegedly has insisted they're unwilling to wait around with prospective opponent Canelo set to undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery next week.
Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
Kind of sounds like Mbilli's people aren't really interested in a rematch with Martinez. If that's the case and the fight doesn't happen, I hope he at least takes on someone in the top 25. Maybe another go-round with an uninjured Derevyanchenko, or Nurmaganbet, or Ihosvany Garcia. Mbilli has shown a willingness to take on boxers near the top of the weight class, so it wouldn't be a good look if he swerves Martinez to fight someone at the back end of the top 100.
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Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
Lester Martinez moves to ProBox TV main event as Christian Mbilli opts for Jaime Munguia
Lester Martinez is moving forward with his next option in lieu of an immediate rematch with Christian Mbilli following their entertaining draw on September 13.
Mbilli, the interim WBC super middleweight titleholder, intends to gain an exception and pursue a bout with Jaime Munguia. That has led Martinez into a headline spot on a March ProBox card in Southern California, BS has learned.
Guatemala’s Martinez, now 19-0-1 (16 KOs), and France’s Mbilli, 29-0-1 (24 KOs), shared a Fight of the Year candidate on the undercard of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium.
And while the WBC immediately ordered a rematch, Mbilli is looking to avoid that bout right away, shifting to talks with Munguia, 45-2 (35 KOs), a former junior middleweight titleholder turned super middleweight contender, for an early 2026 bout. The Ring Magazine first reported the Mbilli-Munguia discussions on Monday.
“It’s the fight the fans want and deserve, but he doesn’t want it,” Martinez told BS of his Mbilli rematch. “He wants to fight Munguia, and I don’t blame him.”
Mbilli promoter Camille Estephan of Eye of the Tiger said the timing is ideal to meet Munguia now and Martinez later.
“Mbilli wants to fight Munguia, and Munguia wants to fight Mbilli, and it would be a great fight given their abilities,” Estephan told BS on Monday. “In my book, Mbilli-Martinez was Fight of the Year, and Munguia is all-action, too.”
Mbilli-Munguia could be staged as early as January, Boxing
Scene learned.
ProBox owner Garry Jonas answered Estephan’s comment by tweaking the Canadian promoter’s statement: “Martinez wants to fight Mbilli, but apparently Mbilli doesn’t want to fight Martinez.
“We were forced into a 10-round championship fight with Mbilli, and we feel if the fight went 12 rounds, we clearly would have won it,” Jonas added. “In the meantime, we will make the best of our other plans.”
While BS learned Mbilli has not yet requested an exception from the WBC to fight Martinez, it’s obvious engaging with Munguia means he expects an exception will be granted.
Jonas said he has received encouragement from WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman that Martinez, by winning in March, will be first in line to meet the Mbilli-Munguia winner.
And that bout could perhaps be for the full title given the possibility that undisputed super middleweight champion Crawford will vacate his belts for a move to middleweight in an effort to become a six-division champion next year.
Upon learning weeks ago that Mbilli wanted to shy away from him, Martinez, 30, embraced the idea of topping a main event on a card that will be placed in Southern California to maximize interest from his countrymen, with hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans residing in the region.
“Bringing Lester to his fan base in the Los Angeles area is a pretty good alternative for Lester and ProBox, and we will make it a big card,” Jonas said. “Lester was given a hero’s welcome when he returned to Guatemala. His popularity has blown up since that fight. So we think the time is appropriate to bring him ‘home’ to his strongest possible fan base here in the U.S.”
Lester Martinez is moving forward with his next option in lieu of an immediate rematch with Christian Mbilli following their entertaining draw on September 13.
Mbilli, the interim WBC super middleweight titleholder, intends to gain an exception and pursue a bout with Jaime Munguia. That has led Martinez into a headline spot on a March ProBox card in Southern California, BS has learned.
Guatemala’s Martinez, now 19-0-1 (16 KOs), and France’s Mbilli, 29-0-1 (24 KOs), shared a Fight of the Year candidate on the undercard of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium.
And while the WBC immediately ordered a rematch, Mbilli is looking to avoid that bout right away, shifting to talks with Munguia, 45-2 (35 KOs), a former junior middleweight titleholder turned super middleweight contender, for an early 2026 bout. The Ring Magazine first reported the Mbilli-Munguia discussions on Monday.
“It’s the fight the fans want and deserve, but he doesn’t want it,” Martinez told BS of his Mbilli rematch. “He wants to fight Munguia, and I don’t blame him.”
Mbilli promoter Camille Estephan of Eye of the Tiger said the timing is ideal to meet Munguia now and Martinez later.
“Mbilli wants to fight Munguia, and Munguia wants to fight Mbilli, and it would be a great fight given their abilities,” Estephan told BS on Monday. “In my book, Mbilli-Martinez was Fight of the Year, and Munguia is all-action, too.”
Mbilli-Munguia could be staged as early as January, Boxing
Scene learned.
ProBox owner Garry Jonas answered Estephan’s comment by tweaking the Canadian promoter’s statement: “Martinez wants to fight Mbilli, but apparently Mbilli doesn’t want to fight Martinez.
“We were forced into a 10-round championship fight with Mbilli, and we feel if the fight went 12 rounds, we clearly would have won it,” Jonas added. “In the meantime, we will make the best of our other plans.”
While BS learned Mbilli has not yet requested an exception from the WBC to fight Martinez, it’s obvious engaging with Munguia means he expects an exception will be granted.
Jonas said he has received encouragement from WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman that Martinez, by winning in March, will be first in line to meet the Mbilli-Munguia winner.
And that bout could perhaps be for the full title given the possibility that undisputed super middleweight champion Crawford will vacate his belts for a move to middleweight in an effort to become a six-division champion next year.
Upon learning weeks ago that Mbilli wanted to shy away from him, Martinez, 30, embraced the idea of topping a main event on a card that will be placed in Southern California to maximize interest from his countrymen, with hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans residing in the region.
“Bringing Lester to his fan base in the Los Angeles area is a pretty good alternative for Lester and ProBox, and we will make it a big card,” Jonas said. “Lester was given a hero’s welcome when he returned to Guatemala. His popularity has blown up since that fight. So we think the time is appropriate to bring him ‘home’ to his strongest possible fan base here in the U.S.”
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Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
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Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
Mbilli is no longer interim champion.
Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
Was he elevated to full champion or stripped of the interim title?
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Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
- Posts: 100682
- Joined: 24 Apr 2016, 11:59
Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
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Perkin Warbeck
- Super Featherweight
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- Joined: 25 Jun 2018, 19:53
Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
The first fight was highly entertaining, so Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II is one for us to look forward to watching.
Re: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II - WBC ordered rematch
Based on what I've read, it seems that Mbilli wants nothing to do with a Martinez rematch. Based on a BN24 story, he's thrown out the names of Alvarez, Munguia, Plant, and Berlanga as the guys he wants to fight. And, quite frankly, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the WBC puts Mbilli's first defense on hold until September when he can fight Alvarez.Perkin Warbeck wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026, 14:41 The first fight was highly entertaining, so Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II is one for us to look forward to watching.