Lester Martinez to defend WBC Interim super-middleweight title to Luka Plantic

Lester Martinez to defend WBC Interim super-middleweight title against Luka Plantic

On August 29, 2026, undefeated Guatemalan standout Lester Martinez (20-0-1, 16 KOs) will make the first defense of his WBC Interim super-middleweight championship when he faces Croatian contender Luka Plantic (13-0, 10 KOs) in Los Angeles, California.

30-year-old Martinez enters the bout after capturing the interim WBC title earlier this year, cementing his status as one of the leading names in the 168-pound division and moving closer to a shot at the full world championship. The Central American star remains unbeaten in 21 and will look to take another major step toward the top of the division. His only draw on his record came against Christian Mbilli in 2025, who defends his WBC super-middleweight title to Canelo in September. He has an 80% KO ratio.

Standing across the ring will be Croatian 'Thunder' Plantic, a strong European contender and the current WBC International super-middleweight champion. The 29-year-old Croatian won the title in 2024 and has since defended it four times. The No.1 in Croatia views this fight as the biggest opportunity of his career and will attempt to take Martinez’s title, while inserting himself into the world title conversation. He has an 76.92% KO ratio.

The matchup features two of the most promising rising contenders in the super middleweight division and could have significant implications for the WBC championship picture.