Martinez Stops Plantic in 10th to Keep WBC Interim Belt

Overview

• Lester Martinez defeated Luka Plantic by TKO in the 10th round on Saturday, August 29, retaining the WBC interim super-middleweight title.
• The fight headlined a ProBox Champion Series card at the USC Galen Center in Los Angeles after both fighters made weight at the Friday ceremonial weigh-in.
• Both men entered the ring unbeaten with Martinez at 20-0-1 and 16 knockouts and Plantic at 13-0 with 10 knockouts, with the bout pitched as Martinez’s pressure style against Plantic’s power.
• Martinez prepared under trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre and reported sparring with retired champion Terence Crawford during camp, elements his team cited as key to his readiness.
• Specialty sites posted full-fight video and reported the TKO while mainstream result databases have yet to publish formal confirmations, and the victory moves Martinez closer to a shot at the winner of the Canelo-Mbilli title fight.