Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez Draw For Interim Crown

Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez clashed in a brutal, ten-round super-middleweight war on the undercard of Canelo Álvarez vs Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and what came of their fight felt like precisely the kind of matchup boxing fans live for. The bout ended in a split draw — the scorecards reading 97-93 for Martinez, 96-94 for Mbilli, and one 95-95 even. Both fighters entered the ring undefeated: Mbilli at 29-0-0 (24 KOs) and Martinez at 19-0-0 (16 KOs).

Coming into this fight, Mbilli held the WBC interim super middleweight title, which he won in June 2025 by stopping Maciej Sulecki in the first round. Martinez, ranked among the top challengers in the division, had been looking for a breakout moment. This bout presented that opportunity. Both weighed in at 167 lbs, meeting the limit for the division. The expectations were raw power, endurance, and an answer for who might be in line for a shot at the Canelo vs Crawford winner.

From the opening bell, Mbilli pressed forward, working the body early, trying to bully Martinez with heavy hooks and frequently backing him toward the ropes. Martinez, who fights out of Guatemala, welcomed the fight rather than seeking to avoid it. He countered sharply, especially with uppercuts, and sought to disrupt Mbilli’s forward momentum by mixing jabs, hooks and stepping off when Mbilli leapt in. The fight had very little give in terms of movement; it was more of a phone-booth style affair where each man exchanged heavy weapons in close quarters. Neither fighter looked to avoid engagement, and neither was visibly hurt in a way that shifted momentum decisively.

Punch stats are telling. According to CompuBox/unofficial stats, Martinez landed 412 of 980 total punches, while Mbilli landed 273 of 787. Among power shots, Martinez connected more frequently: he had 342 power punches landed to Mbilli’s 257. Early rounds skewed slightly in Mbilli’s favour in terms of pressure and body work, but Martinez’s output — especially in middle and late rounds — evened things out. The final two rounds saw Martinez land a large number of power shots. Mbilli’s strengths were toughness, forward pressure, and the ability to absorb those uppercuts and hooks while staying active. Martinez’s precision in counterpunching, especially uppercuts, and his ability to land combinations when Mbilli came in, earned him rounds on the cards.

As the fight progressed past the halfway point, fatigue showed faintly — more in Martinez, some observers thought — but neither man let it dictate the fight. Moments in rounds 8-10 were especially intense. Mbilli arguably hurt Martinez in the eighth with a slick right that prompted a significant response, and Martinez replied with combinations in those same closing rounds, especially with uppercuts, trying to make up ground. The tenth saw both men swinging inside, leaving nothing in reserve. The crowd, already on its feet in earlier rounds, gave them standing ovations when the final bell rang.

Judges’ verdicts reflected just how close the fight was. One saw Martinez clearly winning (97-93), another favoured Mbilli (96-94), and the third had it even (95-95). Given the punch stats and the rounds where Martinez made his best work — especially late — many thought the draw was fair; others felt Mbilli’s early dominance should’ve tilted at least two cards in his favour. For Mbilli, he retains the WBC interim title and has to accept his first non-win result. For Martinez, he becomes, likewise, without ever having been beaten.

The stakes were high — not just pride, but positioning. Mbilli had made clear he wanted to be in line for the winner of the main event; a win here could have propelled Martinez or Mbilli into immediate title contention with even greater leverage. Fans and pundits alike saw in this draw both a statement and a question mark: who is the next step in the division? The performance answered some, but the lack of a definitive result means a rematch now feels almost inevitable. Given their styles, their records, and the intensity, it’s hard to imagine that either side walks away fully satisfied, but both walk away having gained respect. And if their fight has stolen moments from the spotlight, it has also shown that beyond the headliners, there are matches in the undercard that demand attention.