Lester Martinez is set to defend his WBC interim super middleweight title against fellow unbeaten contender Luka Plantic on August 29. The championship bout will headline a summer card at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Los Angeles.
The 12-round main event places two unblemished records on the line. Martinez (20-0-1, 16 KOs) captured the interim belt in his last outing and now faces Croatia’s Plantic (13-0, 10 KOs), a fighter with significant knockout power. This fight represents a direct path toward a full world title shot for the winner, while the loser will suffer a first professional defeat. The card’s co-feature maintains this high-stakes theme, pitting unbeaten light heavyweight Najee Lopez (16-0, 13 KOs) against Colombian knockout artist Juan Carrillo (15-0, 11 KOs).
The choice of venue signals a significant step up for Martinez. His title-winning performance against Immanuwel Aleem in March sold out the 4,000-seat NOS Events Center. The move to the Galen Center, which can hold approximately 12,000 for boxing, demonstrates the promoter’s confidence in his growing drawing power in the Southern California market.
Promoters have also indicated a deep undercard is being assembled to support the two primary contests. While full details are pending, several notable fighters are expected to be included. The official announcement noted that Luis “Koreano” Torres and Weljon Mindoro all expected to appear on the card alongside prospects from the “Future Stars” series. The confirmation also included Ramon Cardenas as a likely participant, rounding out a card built to showcase rising talent looking to remain undefeated.
