Feider Viloria’s Regional Success Led to a Román Martínez Title Challenge
Feider Viloria challenged Román Martínez for the WBO super featherweight championship on September 12, 2009, in Puerto Rico. The Colombian contender reached the ninth round before Martínez secured a knockout, completing his first successful defense of the title.
Career highlights
Viloria’s professional career included regional championship competition as well as the world-title opportunity against Martínez. His record lists a unanimous-decision win over Renan Acosta in Panama City on March 24, 2009, during the period leading into that challenge.
The championship bout brought Viloria opposite a fighter who had recently won the WBO belt from Nicky Cook. Martínez had stopped Cook in the fourth round in Manchester earlier in 2009, making Viloria the first challenger of his initial reign.
The Martínez championship fight
The WBO’s account describes a measured opening before Martínez began increasing his offensive pressure. Viloria had to contend with a reopened injury beneath his right eye, but he also produced combinations and had a productive sixth round.
Martínez became more aggressive in the later stages and landed the finishing combination in round nine. The knockout kept the championship in Puerto Rico. For Viloria, the contest remains an important career milestone: a major world-title challenge following regional success and meetings with experienced opponents across the lower weight divisions.
Sources
Article Tags
Feider Viloria, Boxing, Combat sports
