Sergio Martinez vs Martin Murray

In the face of a formidable challenger, Sergio Martinez managed to defend his WBC World Middleweight and Ring Magazine titles against Martin Murray, in a heated clash at the Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires on Saturday 27th April 2013. The fight, promoted by DiBella Entertainment, Sampson Boxing & Maravillabox Promotions, was broadcast on HBO World Championship Boxing & BoxNation. Martinez, with a record of 50-2-2, weighed in at 159½ lbs, identical to his opponent Murray, who held an impressive undefeated record of 25-0-1.

The bout began with the 38-year-old Martinez, a resident of Quilmes, Argentina, exhibiting his typical style of keeping his hands low while he outmanoeuvred Murray in the first three rounds. However, Murray, hailing from St Helens on Merseyside, England, retaliated in the fourth round, landing more punches than Martinez for the first time in the match. Despite a low blow that allowed Martinez a brief recovery period, the fight continued at a brisk pace.

In Round 8, Murray was able to score a knockdown with a straight right hand that caught Martinez squarely on the jaw, sending the reigning champion to the mat. Martinez found himself on the canvas once more in Round 10, this time due to a glancing blow, but this was ruled a slip by referee Massimo Barrovecchio.

As the fight approached its climax, the scorecards were precariously balanced. Through the ninth round, many spectators and analysts had the fight scored even. Despite expressing discomfort in his left hand, Martinez exhibited his champion's spirit, outperforming Murray in the final two rounds to secure a unanimous decision from the judges. The scorecards from Max DeLuca, Nicolas Hidalgo, and Alejandro Rochin all read 115-112 in favor of Martinez.

Entering the match, Martinez was ranked the world's #4 pound-for-pound fighter by The Ring Magazine, while Murray, the 6-to-1 betting underdog, held a respectable #7 middleweight contender rank. This bout marked Martinez's first fight in his native Argentina in over 11 years and Murray's first professional bout outside of Europe.

Despite a shift in the start time due to weather concerns for the outdoor event, the match drew an audience that was estimated to exceed 40,000 spectators.