Fresh off a statement knockout in March, unbeaten super-middleweight contender Lester “El Guatemalteco” Martínez (19-0, 16 KOs) is headed back to California on July 12 to meet France’s road-warrior Pierre Dibombe (22-2-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round regional title bout streamed live on ProBox TV from the Save Mart Center in Fresno.
Martínez, under the guidance of trainer Brian “Bomac” McIntyre, exited nine months of frustration when he took out Joeshon James in four rounds in San Bernardino, twice dropping the once-beaten prospect to complete an often-delayed grudge match. At 28 years old and now an unbeaten professional, the former Guatemalan amateur star is looking to maintain momentum on the track to a world ranking with what would be his seventh U.S. victory in nine fights.
Dibombe is a 33-year-old whose passport has been stamped - and losses have been marked - because he has fought in Brooklyn, Montreal and Dublin. The native of Nantes lost narrowly by decision last year to both Bektemir Melikuziev and Ali Akhmedov, even knocking back Akhmedov in the later rounds. The goal for Dibombe is to turn Fresno into his backyard, stop the bleeding of two consecutive losses, and remain a tough, versatile test for the heavy-handed Martínez.
The stakes could not be higher for Martínez; he continues to build momentum with the hope of breaking into the massive 168-pound title picture occupied by the likes of Canelo Álvarez and multiple other titleholders. For Dibombe, this is a chance to be the spoiler and regain footing in the contender position. And with ProBox's consistent record for prioritizing violence first, Central Valley fans should buckle up because they will witness something special when Guatemala's hammer and France's traveling warrior collide.
Fight card:
▪️Lester Martinez vs. Pierre Hubert Dibombe, 10 rounds, super middleweight
▪️Vladimir Hernandez vs. Francisco Daniel Veron, 10 rounds, super welterweight
▪️Erick Badillo vs. Gerardo Zapata, 10 rounds, light flyweight
▪️Tsendbaatar Erdenebat vs. Humberto Galindo, 10 rounds, super featherweight
▪️Katsuma Akitsugi vs. Luis Robles Pacheco, 10 rounds, bantamweight
▪️Carlos Balderas vs. Salvador Briceno, 8 rounds, super lightweight
▪️Jessie Guerrero vs. Shaiel Einel Perez Roman, 6 rounds, flyweight
▪️Jorge Maravillo vs. Cameron Krael, 6 rounds, super welterweight
