Sergio Martinez vs Matthew Macklin

On Saturday, 17th March 2012, at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, the WBC Diamond Middleweight Title and The Ring Magazine Middleweight Title were on the line as Sergio Martinez defended his titles against Matthew Macklin. Promoted by DiBella Entertainment and televised on HBO World Championship Boxing, the fight saw Martinez, with a record of 48-2-2, face Macklin, who held a record of 28-3-0. Both fighters weighed under the middleweight limit, with Martinez at 157½ lbs and Macklin at 158 lbs.

The fight began as a tactical battle, with Martinez employing his signature movement to keep Macklin at bay while landing quick, powerful shots. Macklin struggled to find his rhythm in the early rounds but began to gain confidence in the fifth round by putting punches together. Despite the back-and-forth action, a controversial knockdown in the seventh round seemed to ignite a fire in Martinez.

As the fight progressed, Martinez began to pull away from Macklin, showcasing his superior speed and accuracy. In the ninth and tenth rounds, the Argentine champion's movement and effective counterpunching began to wear down the English challenger. In the eleventh round, Martinez landed a devastating straight left that sent Macklin stumbling to the canvas.

Macklin managed to beat the count but was visibly shaken and bleeding from cuts above both eyebrows. Martinez capitalized on his advantage, landing another straight left hand that dropped Macklin once more. Although Macklin again beat the count, his trainer, James (Buddy) McGirt, decided that his fighter had taken enough punishment and signalled to referee Eddie Cotton to stop the fight.

With the victory, Sergio Martinez successfully defended his WBC Diamond Middleweight Title for the second time and The Ring Magazine Middleweight Title for the fourth time, solidifying his position as the top fighter in the division.