Yuberjen Martínez: Colombia’s Olympic Boxing Silver Medalist
Yuberjén Herney Martínez Rivas is a Colombian boxer from Turbo, Antioquia. He first became widely known as an amateur, winning Olympic silver in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 in the light-flyweight division. He later competed at Tokyo 2020, where he placed fifth at flyweight.
Martínez turned professional in 2022 and has competed at flyweight. In May 2026 he stopped Panama’s Ángel Bethancourt to win the WBO Latino flyweight title. The Colombian newspaper El Colombiano reported the result; it was a professional title, distinct from his Olympic achievement.
His Olympic record remains the defining early milestone of his career. Olympedia lists his 2016 silver and Tokyo 2020 result. A planned route to Paris 2024 ended after he lost to Roscoe Hill at the final world qualification tournament, so he did not compete at those Games.
The Four Victories Behind His Olympic Silver
Martínez began his Rio campaign by defeating Brazilian host-nation boxer Patrick Lourenço. He followed that opening success with a win over the Philippines’ Rogen Ladon, then defeated Kenya’s Peter Mungai Warui in the quarterfinals. Each of those three contests ended with a unanimous 3–0 verdict.
His semifinal was a major test against Cuba’s Joahnys Argilagos, the reigning world champion. Martínez won a split decision, becoming the first Colombian boxer to reach an Olympic final. The victory guaranteed at least silver and carried him into the gold-medal contest against Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov.
Dusmatov won the final by unanimous decision, leaving Martínez with four victories and one defeat across the tournament. Describing that path gives substance to the medal itself: his run involved opponents from five countries and a semifinal win over one of the division’s leading amateurs. It also helps separate the Olympic light-flyweight chapter from the professional flyweight title opportunities he pursued later.
Tournament reference: IBA’s athlete profile and Rio 2016 results.
Sources
Career records and reporting: prensa.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
