Christian M’billi has reasons to thank His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. He’s now fighting on the biggest and perhaps most historical card of the modern era. Before Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford step in to settle the undisputed debate, fans will get an opportunity to watch a fight that promises fireworks. A ten-round battle will feature M’billi defending his interim WBC middleweight title from rising star Lester Martinez.

And Christian M’billi believes he has to make the best of the opportunity. “I plan to seize this opportunity to show him that I’m the rightful challenger for the winner of their bout,” he said before adding, “This victory will elevate my status globally, my greatness, and most importantly, show the world who Christian ‘Solide’ Mbilli is.” But it’s not as easy as it appears. In Lester Martinez, M’billi faces a formidable challenge. So ahead of their much-anticipated bout, let’s check out a few details that reveal how the two super middleweights measure up.

Predicting Christian M’billi vs. Lester Martinez: Who has better stats and a record?

Both M’billi and Martinez are age-mates. The latter, who was born in San Benito, Guatemala, will turn 30 next month. However, in terms of record and experience, the Cameroonian-French belt holder appears to have some edge. Beginning his professional journey in 2017, Christian M’billi has thus participated in 29 fights.

He remains unbeaten, with 24 of his wins secured through early stoppage. So his knockout-to-win rate stands at an impressive 83%. But Lester Martinez isn’t far behind. He made his debut two years after M’billi did and has only 19 professional wins in his kitty. Still, the undefeated Guatemalan fighter boasts a massive 84% KO rate.

So fans are assured a high-octane exchange.

Christian M’billi vs. Lester Martinez: Height, weight, reach comparison, and more

Now a quick review reveals Lester Martinez stands 3 inches taller than Christian M’billi. He boasts a 5-foot-11-inch, or 180-centimeter, height against M’billi’s 5-foot-8-inch, or 174-centimeter, frame. As far as the reach goes, both the interim champion and the challenger register a 72-inch (183-centimeter) wingspan.

The final weigh-in of the event is yet to take place. However, two months before, when he faced Poland’s Maciej Sulecki, Christian M’billi weighed 167.7 pounds. On the other hand, Lester Martinez tipped the scale at 167.5 pounds when he stepped into the ring against Joeshon James late in March.

Fight prediction

Strictly speaking, it’s one of those fights that could tilt either way. Riding high on impressive wins, both M’billi and Martinez enter this fight in excellent form. Still, for some, the Cameroonian-French interim champion appears to be the slight favorite to notch yet another victory.

Much of the confidence stems from the opposition M’billi faced in recent times. From Rohan Murdock to Sulecki, he fought a slew of regional titleholders with competitive records. Last February, Lester Martinez bagged the WBC Latino title. However, his subsequent two fights occurred against unheralded fighters.

But the question still remains. Is it easy to rule out Martinez? Considering he’s been trained by BoMac McIntyre and has sparred with Terence Crawford, the Guatemalan fighter appears to have improved his game. Thus, M’billi would be wise enough to take the challenger’s threat seriously.

Ultimately, it boils down to hunger. Like many at 168 lbs, Christian M’billi dreams of a matchup against Canelo Alvarez. A fight with the Mexican icon would cement his legacy. Let’s not forget the payout either. By the same logic, a win is critical for Lester Martínez as well. Though still a few fights away from a title shot, a victory over an interim champion would definitely elevate his position in the rankings.

Between Martinez and M’billi, who’s your pick for the win?