| WBC Flyweight champion eyes homecoming bout – but would love another UK showdown |
| Julio Cesar Martinez says he would love to box in Mexico as a World champion as he plots his future in the latest episode of ‘Peleamundo’. Martinez (16-1 12 KOs) has seen his stock rise dramatically over the last year, with a win over Andrew Selby in March in Mexico followed by his controversial clash with Charlie Edwards in London in August, a thrilling World title win over Cristofer Rosales in December and a cracking battle in his first defense against Jay Harris in February. The 25 year old Mexican will be on the hunt for unification battles when boxing returns, and told presenter and former two-weight Jessie Vargas that IBF champion Moruti Mthalane and WBO ruler Kosei Tanaka are top of his hitlist, and he would love to host them in his home country. “I’d love to do something big for my Mexican people,” said Martinez. “They always support me. I feel very happy and grateful. We’re just coming for all those belts. “I just want the best fights. Whatever Eddie Hearn and Eddy Reynoso decide. The best fights with the best purses. I just want all the belts and stay champion for a while. I’d like to unify the belts. A good fight would be against Kosei Tanaka. He’s an undefeated, strong fighter in the flyweight division. That would be a good fight for me. “Mthalane is a great fight too but it’s up to Eddie and Eddy. I know he has a belt; I have a belt. He’s not an exception. I’ll fight him too.” Martinez is no stranger to boxing away from home though, and the pocket-rocket is even open to returning to the UK, where he met Edwards at The O2 in London in August 2019 in a contest that ended in a no-contest after Martinez landed a body shot after Edwards had already hit the canvas from a barrage from the then title challenger. Martinez would win the vacant title in a thrilling contest with former champion Rosales in Phoenix in December before his clash with Welshman Harris in February – a third Briton in the opposite corner for Martinez in four fights and his second with new promoter Eddie Hearn. “England is a very nice country,” said Martinez. “They received me with open arms. Outside of the ring, all the fans wanted pictures and treated me like a champion. They are very nice people. “They gave me respect and treated me very well so for that, I wouldn’t have any problems returning to England. They respected me a lot. They wanted pictures and hey cheered for me, it was a good experience. “I met Eddie when I fought Charlie in England. Eddie and Mauricio Sulaiman gave me their respect. They supported me a lot with the rematch but Charlie went up in weight and left that belt vacant so I was able to win it against Rosales in Phoenix. Eddie liked the way I fought and moved in that fight. I know it’s just the start of many great things to come. I was so happy and proud. I didn’t’ leave it to the judges to decide my fight, I got the KO. I was happy I won.” Martinez is joined by his manager and co-trainer Reynoso in the second episode of ‘Peleamundo’, presented by former two weight World champion Jessie Vargas, and amateur sensation Marc Castro also stars in the show as he prepares to start life in the paid ranks when boxing returns. |
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