MARTINEZ: I WANT TO UNIFY BEFORE MOVING UP

Julio Cesar Martinez has set his sights on unification battles in 2021 before moving to Super- as the WBC World Flyweight king meets Moises Calleros tonight at TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City, Mexico, live on DAZN.

Martinez (16-1 12 KOs) fights for the second time as WBC king following his first defense against Welshman Jay Harris in Dallas in February having won the vacant strap with a ninth round KO in a thrilling shootout with former champion Cristofer Rosales in December.

Calleros (33-9-1 17 KOs) failed to make weight for the battle so cannot win the strap, but Martinez is still looking to impress and reignite the momentum he had going following his World title wins.

The 25 year old is eyeing battles with IBF championMoruti Mthalane and WBA ruler Artem Dalakian in unification battles but admits that the lure of big showdowns with tonight’s fellow World title defenders and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez could see him move to Super-Flyweight later in 2021.

“I would like to go up against Mthalane,” said Martinez. “There’s him, there’s Dalakian. Honestly, I will go up against anyone, anywhere. I’m ready to have my hand raised first thanks to God, because we’re going in with everything other than fear. We won’t disappoint, it will a great fight.

“I want to stay here a little while to get two or three more belts. But I want the biggest fights, so I’d want El Gallo Estrada and Chocolatito, big fights. But whatever comes. Maybe I have six more months and I’ll move up to Super-Flyweight before they run away from me. “More than anything, I’m very happy and very excited to be fighting in my homeland. I’m just happy that, after my fight, I can go be with my family, with my wife, with my kids.

“I spent my whole training camp at the Centro Ceremonial Otomi. I’ve always said that I prepare with everything other than fear. I don’t train at 100 per cent. I train at 1000 per cent with my training Mauricio Aceves. We fight with whoever, wherever and we always give 100 per cent.

“We’re really happy that Eddy Reynoso and the rest of the guys have accepted us into that group. In that stable you have guys like Canelo, Andy Ruiz Jr, Ryan Garcia, Oscar Valdez ‘El Pantera’ Luiz Nery, they’re really all great friends. It’s really great motivation, anything is possible and we’re going into this fight with everything and for the fights to come, thank God.

“It’s a really good fight tonight. He’s a guy that moves a lot and who brings it all in the ring. But we know we’re also going to leave it all in the ring. And like I always say against whomever and wherever, we always give it our all.”

Martinez’s clash with Calleros is part of a huge fight night in Mexico City, topped by a triple header of mouthwatering World title action.

Juan Francisco Estrada (40-3 27 KOs) defends his WBC World Super-Flyweight title in a rematch with Carlos Cuadras (39-3-1 27 KOs) and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (49-2 41 KOs) defends his WBA World Super-Flyweight strap against Israel Gonzalez (25-3 11 KOs) – with Estrada and Chocolatito on a collision course for a rematch should they both emerge victorious.

Three of Eddie Hearn’s young tyros make their return to action on the bill, with Diego Pacheco (9-0 7 KOs) boxing for the tenth time in the paid ranks, Austin Williams (5-0 4 KOs) making a second foray outside the States in his sixth pro fight and Otha Jones III (5-0 2 KOs) also boxing for the sixth time as a pro.