The location for the WBC-ordered rematch between interim super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez has yet to be determined.
The Strong Case for Montreal
From a business standpoint, it would make sense for the event to be staged in Montreal, Mbilli’s adopted home city, rather than in Las Vegas, where they fought to a 12-round split draw on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium.
Mbilli is a popular fighter in Montreal, drawing large crowds to his events. They couldn’t stage their fight in Martinez’s home country of Guatemala because that wouldn’t work. The travel, bringing in the DAZN broadcasters, and ticket sales wouldn’t be the same as if the fight is staged in Montreal.
Without having a big star to sell tickets, a Mbilli vs. Martinez 2 rematch won’t sell in Las Vegas. The two fought on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford event, so they didn’t have to worry about bringing in fans to sell out the stadium.
A Big Break for Crawford
The WBC ordered the Mbilli-Martinez II rematch four days after their fight on September 17. It works in Crawford’s favor because if he had to defend against WBC interim champion Mbilli, he would likely vacate the title rather than take that risky fight that he could lose. Mbilli wouldn’t allow him to treat the fight as a sparring session like Canelo did.
Controversy Over Shoving Tactic
With the rematch occurring in Montreal, Mbilli may benefit with the referee controlling the illegal shoving that Martinez does. That was a big part of Lester’s game for the September 13th fight. He was shoving Mbilli away and then hitting him with shots immediately after.
Fighters are supposed to fight out of the situation or move away. What Martinez was doing was shoving Mbilli hard, two to three feet, and then hitting him. That’s illegal, and the referee failed to do his job. Without that tactic, there’s an excellent chance that Mbilli would have won the fight because Martinez wasn’t as effective on the inside as he was on the outside or medium range.
A Tale of the Scorecards
- 95-95
- 97-93: Martinez
- 96-94: Mbilli
Last Updated on 09/21/2025
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