Temporary sanctions change Martinez’s stance

Martinez has been waiting for news since the draw with Mbili in September. He performed well against undefeated opponents but failed to secure a rematch. Instead, Mbili advanced to full championship status, excluding Martinez from the immediate title sequence.

Thursday’s sanctions restored that forward momentum. Martinez now controls his entry point into the next phase of the division.

Alim enters the WBC rankings at No. 14, returning to a level he hasn’t occupied in several years. His most notable performance against a contender came in May 2019, when he fought Matt Korobov to a 10-round majority draw, with an initial scoring error allowing Korobov to briefly win. The revised results did not make Alim a challenger going forward.

Since then, his results have reflected intermittent improvements. Alim’s record after the Korobov fight was 4-2-1, with losses to Ronald Ellis and Amilka Vidal Jr. interrupting his progress. During that time, his wins came against opponents outside of championship caliber, and his name didn’t reenter serious championship discussions.

The provisional sanctions changed his position within the WBC structure. Martinez now has a direct path into the championship sequence, while Alim has the opportunity to re-enter the same level of relevance.

Temporary belt retainer moved to next title position

Mbili’s anticipated fight with Alvarez determines what happens next. Once the match is over, the interim belt holder will take the next available challenger spot, regardless of who becomes champion.

Martinez, 30, is now one game away from that opportunity.