Promoter: Plantic is not an underdog against Martinez

Croatian boxer Luka Plantić is set to face one of the biggest challenges of his professional career against undefeated Guatemalan fighter Lester Martinez in Los Angeles. The bout is for the interim WBC super middleweight title.

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In America, they consider Luka an underdog, but in my opinion, he is not a real underdog.

Martinez, who has a perfect professional record, has been training with elite boxers like Terrence Crawford. He is known for his draw against WBC champion Christian M'Billi, a fighter Plantić defeated in their amateur days 12 years ago. Despite this history, Martinez is perceived as the favorite in the US.

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I believe Luka will deliver good boxing, I expect a lot.

However, Plantić's promoter, Ahmet Oner, disagrees with the underdog label. "In America, they consider Luka an underdog, but in my opinion, he is not a real underdog," Oner stated. He expressed confidence in the WBC judges and expects Plantić to deliver a strong performance. Oner acknowledged Martinez's fight with M'Billi but believes it signifies Plantić's capability to compete at the highest level.

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Lester Martinez fought well against Christian M'Billi, whom Luka beat in amateur boxing 12 years ago. But I don't think that means much, but it shows that Luka is at a level where he can compete with the strongest fighters.

Plantić himself anticipates an exciting fight from start to finish. He recognizes Martinez as a good counter-puncher but is confident in his ability to win. While Plantić gained significant experience in Olympic boxing, he feels professional boxing suits him much better. This fight in Los Angeles will be Plantić's first professional bout outside of Europe, having previously fought in Croatia, Germany, England, and Albania.

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I believe that Luka will force Martinez to survive as well.