The scores told the story of a fight that Martinez controlled for long stretches. He drove the pace early, keeping Aleem on the back foot and piling on rounds through pressure, steady punches and a willingness to work every minute. Aleem had a few spells where he made things uncomfortable and found small pockets of success, but he couldn’t keep Martinez off him long enough to turn the fight into something close.
Martinez, who entered the night at 19-0-1 with 16 knockouts, fought like the younger and fresher man of the opening rounds. He stayed on top of Aleem, letting his hands go and forcing the veteran into a fight that was difficult to manage over 12 rounds. Aleem had the experience to survive rough patches and the toughness to reach the final bell, but surviving wasn’t enough against a fighter who continues to build a lead.
Aleem went 22-3-3 with 14 knockouts and tried to use his experience to disrupt Martinez’s flow, but the pressure never really let up. There was no takedown and no late drama that changed the direction of the fight. Martinez simply continued to pile on rounds and work Aleem at a pace that favored him.
This was an important part of the result. Martinez didn’t need one big moment to bail him out. He won by doing the hard, boring stuff over and over, and that tends to travel better on the world stage than highlight-reel bursts. After his draw against Christian Mbilli in 2025, it was the kind of result he needed. It was clear, broad and left little room for argument.
At 168 pounds, Martinez now moves forward as the WBC interim titleholder and a vibrant name in a division that already has several major players. Saturday’s win may not go down as his sharpest performance, but it was still a serious piece of work against a seasoned opponent brought in to test him. Martinez passed that test cleanly, and he looks like a fighter approaching the nights that count the most.
Result: Lester Martinez def. Immanuwel Aleem by unanimous decision (120-108, 118-110, 119-109) to win the vacant WBC interim super middleweight title.
