Boxing
Julio Cesar Martinez to defend WBC title against Francisco Rodriguez Jr. on Canelo vs. Smith undercard
One of boxing's most exciting fighters is coming right back to appear on one of the biggest fight cards of the year.
It was revealed on Wednesday that Julio Cesar Martinez would defend his WBC flyweight title against Francisco Rodriguez Jr. on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Callum Smith on Saturday, Dec. 19 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The card can be seen live on DAZN in 200+ countries and territories worldwide.
Martinez (17-1 13 KOs) returns to the ring after destroying Moisés Calleros via second-round TKO at the end of October to successfully defend his belt for the second time. The 25-year-old is happy to get a third fight in 2020 and the opportunity to appear on the same card as Alvarez.
"I'm here in San Diego preparing, and I'm very excited to be here," Martinez said in a press release. "I'm completing almost two months of camp. I'm so honored to be fighting on the undercard of Saul. I'm going to leave everything to God as always and have faith that he'll ensure it all goes well. Hopefully, that night I'll get a knockout. We know that this guy is very strong that he's coming very well prepared. It's going to be a tough fight, but we know as always we've prepared 1000 percent, and we have no fear. (I’m) going to leave everything in the ring. I still have three kilos to lose, but I have two, almost three weeks left to lose that. I'm excited and anxious."
Rodriguez (33-4-1. 24 KOs), a former unified minimumweight champion, enters the biggest bout of his career on a torrid run, having won 14 consecutive fights, with 11 of them coming by stoppage. Like Martinez, Rodriguez is thankful to be on the card and get the chance to become a two-weight world champion.
"I want to thank Martínez and his team as well as Matchroom for giving me this opportunity," Rodriguez Jr said. "It is a pleasure to fight in the biggest card of the year. Martinez is a solid champion and a good fighter, but with all due respect, he hasn't fought someone like me. I (have) been waiting for this shot for almost five years, and it comes at the perfect time. I won't waste it."
