Martinez vs Cordova Predictions: The conquest of Julio Cesar

Julio Cesar Martinez looks to further his case as one of the sport’s most exciting fighters on Saturday night as he takes on Angelino Cordova. The WBC flyweight champion headlines the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with Amazon Prime PPV broadcasting the fight.

Here are my Martinez vs Cordova predictions as one of the world’s best returns.

Like many great flyweights before him, Martinez is doomed by his size. If Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are the big budget blockbusters that dominate the zeitgeist, Martinez is a plucky independent flick that has a fifth of the budget and 10 times more heart. The heavyweights pull in the popcorn crowd. Martinez and his fellow flyweights are the Criterion Collection of pugilism.

Martinez has that rare quality in modern boxers, that being the will to leave his comfort zone. The second of his two career defeats reflects that. The first arrived on his debut, when he dropped a four-round split decision to Joaquin Cruz that he later avenged. 

But in his second defeat, Martinez moved up to super flyweight for the first time. This was no fact-finding mission. He would face Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, a pound-for-pound fixture and one of the great lower-weight fighters of his era. Martinez lost the fight via unanimous decision, but the fact he was willing to risk it all against a first-ballot Hall of Famer speaks volumes about his competitive spirit.

Back in his own division, Martinez has enjoyed more success. This is his seventh defence of the WBC flyweight title which he won in 2019. That reign has scarcely been dull. Whether it was both fighters hitting the deck in his bout with McWilliams Arroyo or the sustained hammering he gave Ronal Batista, Martinez’s fights are usually appointment viewing.

This one is no different, with Cordova having thoroughly earned his place in this title match. He was the underdog going into a bout with Angel Acosta last time out. Battling through a cut, Cordova won a war of attrition by a very close unanimous decision. A robust test of his credentials, the unbeaten Venezuelan has earned his place opposite Martinez.

There are, however, levels to this game. Cordova might deserve this chance but that doesn’t mean he is a comparable fighter to the champion. Martinez has excelled at world level to the point he had to move up in weight for a true challenge. Cordova hasn’t spent time breathing that rarefied air. This is comfortably the biggest fight of his career while to Martinez, it doesn’t crack the top five.

Of course that means that focus on the part of Martinez is paramount. He cannot afford to take the game Cordova lightly. Just ask Angel Acosta. But if Martinez turns up in his usual fettle, he should have enough to complete this task without much trouble. I expect him to do so inside the distance, with Cordova never having competed in a 12-round fight before. Martinez by knockout is my prediction which you can back at 5/4.

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