Christian Mbilli Defends His WBC Interim Title Against Lester Martinez On The Canelo vs Crawford Undercard September 13th

Press Release:

Less than three months after winning the WBC Interim World Title, Christian Mbilli will have the chance to defend it on the biggest stage, this coming September 13. On the undercard of the mega fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, “Solide” will face hard-hitting Guatemalan Lester Martinez at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, live on Netflix.

“I’m honored that His Excellency Turki Al-Sheikh specifically thought of me for the card of Canelo vs. Crawford. I plan to seize this opportunity to show him that I’m the rightful challenger for the winner of their bout. And I intend to do it by staying true to my style, to myself, and by putting on a spectacular fight. This victory will elevate my status globally, my greatness, and most importantly, show the world who Christian ‘Solide’ Mbilli is,” said WBC Interim Super Middleweight World Champion Christian Mbilli.

One thing’s for sure—adopted Quebecer Christian Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs) cannot be accused of resting on his laurels after claiming his first world title. Already boasting victories over hard-hitting Ecuadorian Carlos Góngora, Australian warrior Rohan Murdock, and Ukrainian technician Sergiy Derevyanchenko, “Solide” took out a fourth top-10 ranked contender on June 27. That night, it took him just one round to dismantle veteran Polish fighter Maciej Sulecki and capture the WBC interim world title. On September 13, he will defend that belt for the first time—against a fighter who, like him, is feared by many.

“Many consider Lester Martinez the most dangerous rising prospect climbing the world ranks right now. But Christian doesn’t say no to anyone. Not to Canelo, not to Martinez—no one,” added Mbilli’s head coach Marc Ramsay.

With a KO ratio of over 84%, Lester Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs) made noise from the moment he entered the professional ranks. In his very first fight in 2019, he stopped—and retired—popular Nicaraguan brawler Ricardo Mayorga in just the second round. More recently, in 2024 and 2025, like Mbilli, he dominated Carlos Góngora over 10 rounds, and then stopped previously undefeated American prospect Joeshon James in the 4th. On September 13, he’ll step into the ring ranked among the top contenders at 168 lbs: #3 by the WBA, #7 by the WBC, and #15 by the WBO. In short, this is a high-risk fight—but to the founder of Eye of the Tiger, it’s more than worth it.