Mbilli and Martinez Traded Heavy Fire but Finished Without a Winner
Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez fought to a split draw on September 13, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Their ten-round super middleweight contest ended with scores of 97–93 for Martinez, 96–94 for Mbilli and 95–95, leaving Mbilli with the WBC interim title.
Mbilli attacked the body and set an aggressive opening pace
Mbilli began by pressing forward and targeting Martinez’s body. Both fighters were willing to exchange at close range, producing sustained action rather than a cautious opening.
Martinez increasingly answered the pressure as the fight developed. His combinations and willingness to trade prevented Mbilli’s early activity from becoming a simple one-way contest.
The later rounds brought heavy responses from both men
An eighth-round right hand gave Mbilli a promising attacking moment, but Martinez replied with an overhand right of his own. Neither boxer converted those exchanges into a finish.
The tenth continued at a demanding pace. Martinez connected with combinations and uppercuts, while Mbilli answered with counters, keeping the result in the judges’ hands through the final bell.
Three different verdicts produced the split draw
Patricia Morse Jarman favored Martinez, Chris Migliore favored Mbilli and Glenn Feldman scored the bout even. With one card in each category, neither fighter received the victory.
Mbilli retained the interim championship on the Canelo Alvarez–Terence Crawford undercard. The distinction mattered after such an active contest: keeping the belt did not mean winning the bout, as the official result recorded a draw after ten completed rounds.
Sources
- WBC: official title outcome and named judges
- LowKick MMA: exchanges and closing rounds
- World Boxing News: venue and scorecards
Article Tags
Christian Mbilli, Lester Martinez, Boxing
