Christian Mbilli Retains His Title with a Draw

French-Canadian interim WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli retained his title by getting a draw against Léster Martínez of Guatemala. The spectacular hard fought bout was part of the undercard for the Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez vs. Terence “Bud” Crawford fight, which took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mbilli was a heavy favorite to retain his interim title, but Martínez showed his able Olympic experience and excellent preparation from his time as a sparring partner in Crawford’s camp, putting on a performance worthy of a round of applause.
Martínez didn’t back down from Mbilli’s pressure. He went toe-to-toe, showed great courage, and engaged in savage exchanges that thrilled the fans who packed the Allegiant.
At the end of 10 grueling and thrilling rounds, judge Chris Migliore scored it 96-94 for Mbilli; Patricia Morse Jarman favored Martínez 97-93, while Glenn Feldman scored the fight a 95-95 draw, which was perhaps the best scorecard of the night.
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