Lester Martinez Targets Canelo Álvarez — But the WBC Must Make His Mandatory Path Count

Lester Martinez is not simply adding his name to the long list of fighters who want a profitable night against Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez. The unbeaten WBC interim super-middleweight champion has a stronger argument than the usual callout: he holds one version of the title, won the fight reportedly connected to a mandatory opportunity and now wants the full champion standing above him.

Canelo reclaimed that position on October 31, defeating Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision over 12 rounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. MMA Fighting reported scorecards of 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110, a result that returned the Mexican star to the top of the WBC’s super-middleweight structure.

Martinez had already made his intention clear. The Ring reported from ringside that he told the DAZN broadcast before the main event that he wanted the winner. After Canelo defeated Mbilli, Boxing News 24 reported Martinez’s message through Izquierdazo Boxeo and The Ring: “My dream now is to fight Canelo because he’s the champion.”

The ambition is obvious. The opportunity is not yet official.

No fight has been announced, there is no verified report that negotiations have begun, and the WBC has not published a new order confirming Martinez as Canelo’s next opponent. That distinction matters because Martinez may have completed the sporting route placed in front of him, but boxing’s championship system does not always turn a mandatory position into a signed contract.

Martinez Followed the Route Reportedly Set by the WBC

Martinez’s claim begins with more than his interim belt.

In August, The Ring reported that the WBC had directed the winner of Canelo-Mbilli to defend against the winner of Martinez-Luka Plantic. Martinez completed his side of that equation on August 29, stopping Plantic in the 10th round and retaining his position near the front of the championship line.

The Ring lists Martinez at 21-0-1 with 17 knockouts, the same record currently carried in the WBC’s super-middleweight records. He did not reach that standing by waiting for Canelo’s name to become available. He fought for the interim championship, defended it and publicly committed himself to facing whoever emerged with the full title.

His path became clearer in March. According to the WBC, Martinez defeated Immanuwel Aleem by unanimous decision on March 21 to win the vacant interim championship. The reported scorecards—120-108, 119-109 and 118-110—reflected a decisive victory rather than a disputed step toward contention.

The Plantic fight then carried additional importance because of the pathway reported by The Ring. Martinez stopped him instead of merely protecting his ranking, apparently doing what was required to preserve his claim to a full title opportunity.

That gives his demand substance.

Martinez is not arguing that he deserves Canelo solely because he is undefeated, dangerous or eager to face the division’s biggest name. His case is that the sanctioning body established a route, he won the designated fight, and the champion produced by the other side of that route should now have to face him.

If that pathway means anything, the WBC should clarify it promptly.

Canelo’s Victory Creates a Direct Championship Question

Canelo’s return changes the commercial scale of Martinez’s opportunity, but it also simplifies the championship picture.

The WBC currently lists Canelo as its full super-middleweight champion with a record of 64-3-2. Martinez is listed as the interim champion at 21-0-1 with 17 knockouts. Whatever complications exist around matchmaking, the sanctioning body now has a full champion and an interim champion occupying the same division.

Interim titles are often introduced to keep a championship active when the full champion cannot immediately defend. They also create an implied promise: the interim champion is positioned for an eventual opportunity to resolve the split in the ring.

Martinez has reached that point at exactly the moment when the value of the opportunity is highest. Facing Canelo would offer him a chance to win the full championship, prove himself against the division’s most accomplished active fighter and move from respected contender to international headliner.

For Canelo, the matchup would come with a different calculation. Martinez has an unbeaten record, legitimate power and little of the commercial security that can sometimes accompany facing a more famous opponent. He would represent a credible sporting challenge without necessarily bringing the same immediate business appeal as another established star.

That imbalance is why sanctioning-body enforcement matters.

A mandatory system is supposed to ensure that contenders can earn title opportunities through results even when they cannot generate the champion’s preferred level of revenue. If every challenger must first become commercially irresistible, rankings, eliminators and interim championships lose much of their purpose.

Canelo’s status does not automatically make Martinez his next opponent. It does, however, place the WBC under pressure to explain what Martinez’s status is supposed to deliver.

Martinez’s Record Shows He Has Earned Serious Consideration

Martinez’s recent progression provides a credible sporting argument for the fight.

His rise includes a 10-round split draw with Mbilli on September 13, 2025, on the Canelo-Terence Crawford undercard in Las Vegas. The Associated Press reported that one judge scored the fight 97-93 for Martinez, another had it 96-94 for Mbilli, and the third scored it 95-95.

The draw did not settle which fighter was better, but it established that Martinez could compete evenly with the man who later held the full WBC title and challenged Canelo. When Mbilli was elevated to full champion in January 2026, the WBC said Martinez’s mandatory-challenger case would be evaluated by its Board of Governors.

Martinez did not remain inactive while waiting for that evaluation to produce an opportunity. He defeated Aleem for the interim title in March and stopped Plantic in August. After Canelo beat Mbilli in October, Martinez immediately called for the matchup that his position had been building toward.

His preparation also suggests that his team understands the level required. The Ring reported that Martinez trained in Omaha before facing Plantic and received sparring assistance from Terence Crawford. He is trained by Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, Crawford’s longtime trainer.

None of that proves Martinez would defeat Canelo.

Quality sparring, an accomplished trainer and an unbeaten record can prepare a fighter for a major opportunity, but they cannot reproduce the experience of facing someone who has operated at championship level across multiple weight classes. Canelo’s timing, counterpunching and ability to control the pace of major fights would present questions Martinez has not yet answered against an opponent of that stature.

That uncertainty is not an argument against the matchup. It is the reason to stage it.

Martinez has done enough to deserve the chance to discover whether his record and development translate against the full champion. He does not need to be favored over Canelo to possess a legitimate claim.

The WBC’s Next Action Will Determine What Martinez Actually Won

The reported mandate remains the most important unresolved part of this story.

The Ring previously reported that the Canelo-Mbilli winner was expected to defend against the Martinez-Plantic winner. Both fights have now happened. Canelo and Martinez won. Yet the WBC has not published a new order formally directing the two camps to negotiate.

Until that happens, Martinez’s position remains powerful in theory but uncertain in practice.

There is no verified report that representatives for Canelo and Martinez have opened negotiations. No date or venue has been announced. There is no confirmed purse arrangement, broadcast agreement or deadline for the parties to reach a deal. It is also unclear whether Canelo intends to remain at super middleweight for his next appearance.

Martinez therefore should not be described as Canelo’s confirmed next opponent.

The immediate responsibility belongs to the WBC. If the sanctioning body intends to enforce the previously reported pathway, it can issue a formal order, establish a negotiation period and explain whether a purse bid will follow if the camps cannot agree.

If it does not intend to enforce that route, it should explain why.

That answer would reach beyond Martinez. Fighters accept eliminators, pursue interim belts and pay sanctioning fees because those mechanisms are presented as steps toward a championship opportunity. When the final step becomes uncertain after a commercially powerful champion takes control of the title, the process begins to look less like a pathway and more like a suggestion.

Canelo has earned enormous influence through his accomplishments and drawing power. He will naturally have options, and his team may prefer a different opponent for competitive or commercial reasons. But the purpose of a mandatory challenger is to prevent the champion’s preferences from becoming the only force governing the division.

Martinez appears to have satisfied his portion of the process.

Now the WBC must decide whether its process carries consequences.