HOLLYWOOD, FL — Armando Martínez Jr. delivered the most emphatic statement of his career Saturday night, stopping fellow Cuban and previously unbeaten Neslán Machado with a devastating third round knockout in the main event at Hard Rock Live.
Martínez Jr., the WBA No. 5 ranked lightweight, improved to 18-0 (16 KOs) after a clinical, increasingly dominant performance that ended in explosive fashion, reinforcing his status as one of the division’s rising forces.
“I didn’t take this fight lightly,” Martínez said afterward. “We prepared for everything he could bring and executed the game plan perfectly.”
From the opening bell Martínez controlled range and tempo with sharp timing and clean shot selection, gradually breaking down Machado, who entered the bout unbeaten but struggled to consistently find distance or deter the pressure.
By the second round, the fight had clearly tilted in Martínez’s favor. He began sitting down on his punches, backing Machado up, and landing consistent, eye catching combinations that shifted the momentum completely.
The finish came early in round three. Martínez closed the distance decisively and unleashed a compact, violent sequence capped by a perfectly placed left uppercut that dropped Machado hard. The referee immediately waved off the contest as Machado failed to recover.
Machado suffers the first defeat of his career, falling to 21-1, in a bout where he was steadily outworked, out-timed, and ultimately overwhelmed as the fight progressed.
Martínez the son of a decorated Cuban amateur legend of the same name, continues to surge in a deep lightweight division, with a performance that further strengthens his case as a legitimate contender on the world stage.
“It’s time not just to have a place at 135 pounds, but to take a leading role, to get the big fights we’ve been waiting for. We’re ready now.”
He was originally scheduled to appear on the “Ring IV: Japan vs The World” card in Riyadh last December against Taiga Imanaga, but withdrew due to visa issues and was replaced by Dominican fighter Ericson García.
If there were any doubts about his ceiling, they were answered in emphatic fashion. Martínez didn’t just win he stamped himself as a serious name to watch at 135 pounds.
UNDERCARD ACTION
In super flyweight action, WBA No. 6 contender Ari Bonilla scored a controversial seventh round disqualification victory over former interim champion Daniel Matellon. Matellon was repeatedly warned for excessive fouling throughout the contest and was ultimately disqualified while trailing on the cards and being outboxed for much of the fight.
In bantamweight action, unbeaten prospect Andrey Bonilla continued his rise with a sixth round TKO win over former title challenger Carlos Buitrago. Bonilla (6-0, 5 KOs) gradually broke down the veteran with sustained pressure before forcing a stoppage after a one-sided sequence of punishment.
Meanwhile, in a competitive lightweight bout, “Ext-Matchroom” prospect Aaron Aponte survived a knockdown scare to edge a narrow eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Ramon De La Cruz, with scores of 77-74 and 76-75 twice.
Aponte did enough to secure the win on paper, but the result leaves questions given how closely contested the action was, particularly after he was floored in a pivotal moment that nearly swung the fight.
