Cuban Olympic Gold Medalist and former Unified Featherweight World Champion talks about facing fellow former titleholder Roman “Rocky” Martinez this Saturday on the PBC on Showtime card at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore.
BALTIMORE — Former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa will look to put himself squarely back into world title contention when he faces fellow former champion Roman “Rocky” Martinez on Saturday, July 27 live on SHOWTIME from Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore.
Gamboa last fought in November 2018, when he dropped Miguel Beltran Jr. on his way to earning a unanimous decision in their 10-round fight. He took the momentum from that fight directly into camp for his matchup against Martinez.
“I feel great and I’m in the ideal condition for this fight,” said Gamboa. “It helped immensely that I fought in November 2018 and went back to the gym in late January 2019. I started training camp for this fight in early May 2019 to get me in the best shape possible for Martinez.
“I have to be the best that I can be, and I know that I will be. The rest will take care of itself. I am not coming off a long layoff like I was in previous years, and I’m thankful to my team that put me in this position to get right back in the ring.”
In Martinez, Gamboa faces another former champion who will be looking to get himself back into the world title picture. Neither fighter can afford a loss at this point in their careers, which serves as the ingredients for a high-stakes and exciting battle.
“I expect this fight to be a very cerebral fight at first,” said Gamboa. “You have two former world champions with huge amounts of experience between Martinez and I. It will build into a very entertaining bout for everyone watching. The fans are going to witness boxing at its highest level.”
Amongst his wealth of experience in the ring, Gamboa has faced a litany of champions and contenders throughout his career. Heading into the fight against Martinez, Gamboa sees similarities to his past triumphs over former champions Orlando Salido and Daniel Ponce De Leon.
“I see similarities in Martinez to my previous fights against Salido and Ponce De Leon,” said Gamboa. “Both were tough and rugged and kept coming forward. We all know that Martinez fits the bill as a tough fighter who will never back down. Having faced these two opponents in the past will help me a great deal in this fight.”
Gamboa will be fighting as the co-main event to that evening’s headlining bout featuring WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Gervonta Davis, who defends his title in his hometown against mandatory challenger Ricardo Núñez. If Davis and Gamboa are both victorious on July 27, Gamboa would welcome a future showdown between the two.
“After I win this fight, I am ready for anyone at 130 or 135 pounds,” said Gamboa. “Gervonta Davis is a very good fighter and has done a fantastic job in his campaign as a 130-pound champion. If Gervonta happens to be the next fight, let’s throw hands and see what happens.
“Unlike my fight with Terrence Crawford at 135 pounds, I feel like I would be the bigger man in the ring against Gervonta. A win versus Martinez is a wonderful opportunity and I will not let it go to waste as it will catapult me to much bigger fights, which my fans deserve.”
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions in association with GTD Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or at the Royal Farms Box Office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET.
For a closer look at Gamboa vs Martinez, check out our PBC on SHOWTIME Fight Night page.
- Topics
- Davis vs Nunez
