Julio Cesar Martinez has come a long way since losing his pro debut to then-unbeaten Joaquin Cruz in October 2015.

He would avenge the loss to Cruz, became a legitimate contender at 112 pounds and eventually win a world title. Having famed trainer Eddy Reynoso and working alongside The Ring Magazine super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez has been icing on the cake.

There is still much for Martinez to accomplish, including making an eventual move up in weight to junior bantamweight. For now, he must take care of business against a formidable foe.

Martinez, who is the No. 1-ranked flyweight by The Ring, will defend his WBC title against McWilliams Arroyo, Friday night, at SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The 12-round bout will precede the main event bout between WBO middleweight titleholder Demetrius Andrade against challenger Jason Quigley (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT).

At Thursday’s weigh-in, Martinez weighed in at 111.4 pounds. Arroyo, who is ranked No. 8 by The Ring, weighed 111.6 pounds.

Martinez was scheduled to face Arroyo on February 27, in Miami, Florida, but had to withdraw from the fight earlier in the week due to an injury to his right hand. Arroyo faced late-sub Abraham Rodriguez, winning by stoppage in Round 5.

Originally Martinez was to face Arroyo on August 15 of last year in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but he withdrew from the Arroyo fight due to a reported throat infection. Martinez (18-1, 14 knockouts), who resides in Mexico City, would return to action on June 26, in Guadalajara, Mexico, stopping Joel Cordova in Round 6.

Despite the frustration of having the Arroyo (21-4, 16 KOs) fight fall through twice, Martinez is just glad to showcase his skills in another chapter of the Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry.

“We’re very motivated for this fight, now more than ever,” Martinez told The Ring over the phone Tuesday afternoon. “We’ve been waiting for this moment. This fight has fallen through twice. As always, I will leave it all in the ring against a formidable fighter in Arroyo. We will see who the real champ is.”

Julio Cesar Martinez (left) vs. Jay Harris. Photo by Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA

Martinez is peaking at age 26 but he has had his sights set on attempting to unify the division against any of the major titleholders. Friday will mark the fourth defense of the WBC title he won by stopping Cristofer Rosales in December 2019.

He has expressed an eventual move up to 115 pounds, where an all-Mexico clash against The Ring Magazine junior bantamweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada could come into play. Martinez hopes a matchup will happen immediately in 2022 after Estrada faces Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in their rubber match.

“That is what we’ve wanted the most,” said Martinez, who is promoted by Matchroom Boxing. “We want all the belts. I’ve defended the WBC [title] many times but for me to possibly fight any of the other world champions in the division, I have to win my fight against Arroyo.

“I know a fight against Estrada would be a great fight. He has experience but I have hunger and desire. I want to make history by fighting the best and Estrada is one of the best fighters in boxing.”

Martinez credits Reynoso for improving his skill set and making him a more well-rounded fighter. He gains more motivation by training alongside Alvarez in San Diego, California.

He gains more inspiration by the advice Alvarez gives him on breaks during their training camp. Seeing the success Alvarez has had in recent years has continued giving Martinez more motivation.

“I’m happy with the support Saul give me. I want to follow his footsteps. I want to leave it all in the ring.

“I am very thankful by the support Eddy has for me. He supports me a lot. I work hand-in-hand with him and I’ve learned a lot. He has that dream for me to succeed in the sport.

“I want to make history in my weight class and I feel that I’m on way.”

You may have missed:

JULIO CESAR MARTINEZ: I WOULD LOVE THE SUNNY EDWARDS FIGHT

JULIO CESAR MARTINEZ DECKS AND STOPS JOEL CORDOVA, RETAINS WBC FLYWEIGHT TITLE BY SIXTH-ROUND STOPPAGE

MCWILLIAMS ARROYO STOPS ABRAHAM RODRIGUEZ, WINS INTERIM FLYWEIGHT TITLE

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @FSalazarBoxing.

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