WBC interim champion Lester Martinez completes Colorado camp

WBC interim super-middleweight champion Lester Martinez has completed his training camp in Colorado Springs ahead of his first title defence against Croatia’s Luka Plantic on 29 August. The 12-round fight will take place at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, with ProBox TV carrying the event.

Martinez enters his second fight of 2026 with a 20-0-1 record, including 16 victories inside the distance. Plantic, a 2020 Croatian Olympian, is unbeaten at 13-0 and has stopped 10 opponents. The Croatian is the mandatory challenger for Martinez’s interim belt.

The Guatemalan became the first boxer from his country to win a world title from a major sanctioning organisation when he captured the WBC interim super-middleweight championship in March. His first defence will also be his debut in Los Angeles, a city with the largest Guatemalan population in the United States.

Martinez spent the last four weeks preparing at altitude in Colorado Springs after earlier work in Las Vegas and Southern California. Trainers Brian “BoMac” McIntyre and Esau Dieguez, along with longtime strength and conditioning coach Héctor Arreola, made the camp the central focus of his preparation.

The programme included boxing sessions, mountain runs and the demanding climb at Manitou Springs. Training took place at about 1,840 metres above sea level, while Terence Crawford also visited the camp and completed sparring sessions with Martinez. Crawford had previously worked with Martinez as a principal sparring partner for his September bout with Canelo Álvarez.

Martinez and his team are scheduled to travel to Los Angeles on Sunday for the final preparations. The contest at the USC Galen Center will headline a ProBox Promotions card, with tickets available from $50 before charges and the broadcast offered through ProBox TV.