Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez II: The WBC confirms the direct rematch after the action-packed draw.
The WBC has reacted – and quickly: After the thrilling draw between Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez on the Canelo Crawford undercard in Las Vegas, the federation ordered an immediate rematch on Wednesday evening. The decision was made unanimously by the WBC Board of Governors.
The fight between the two unbeaten super middleweights caused a sensation last Saturday. In the Allegiant Stadium, Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 knockouts) and Martinez (19-0-1, 16 knockouts) delivered a ten-round fireworks display that was broadcast worldwide via Netflix. Both landed a series of clear-cut strikes, but neither was able to decisively dominate the other. In the end there was a split draw: Patricia Morse Jarman saw Martinez ahead (97-93), Chris Migliore scored it 96-94 for Mbilli, Glenn Feldman had a draw (95-95).
The CompuBox figures also show how close it was: Martinez landed 412 of 980 punches, Mbilli 273 of 787. The Canadian thus retained his WBC interim title, but the open outcome and the media response forced the association to take action. With the rescheduling, the race for a title fight against the new undisputed champion Terence Crawford remains open. Whether Mbilli or Martinez – the winner of the rematch is likely to be at the top of the challenger list.
Text by Robin Josten