Kiko Martinez Retires At The Age Of 37

Kiko Martinez has retired from the sport of boxing at the age of 37. 

The Spaniard managed to reach the top of the sport when he became the IBF champion in the super bantamweight division. The boxer caused a major upset when he stopped Colombia’s Jonatan Romero to secure the title. 

Martinez’s First Title

“This is a dream come true for me. [Ring announcer] Michael Buffer called out my name. This is a dream. I am super-happy. I have no words. All I want to do is give my daughter a kiss when I get home,” Martinez stated

Thereafter, Kiko managed to defend his titles on two successful occasions. However, it was to no avail as he ended up losing his belt to Carl Frampton. 

However, that was not enough to keep Martinez down. The boxer managed to cause another upset once again at 126 pounds.

He stopped Kid Galahad to win the IBF belt against all the odds in the latter’s own backyard. And in the aftermath, Martinez recalled the Euphoria that he felt.

Martinez Wins Another Title

“Galahad was this fearsome name in the UK who had a high reputation throughout the world. Nobody in boxing gave me a chance. To win in the way I did was amazing.

“And to make a lot of money for the people in this town who bet on me was wonderful. It was a dream come true. Who would have thought I would become world champion again after so many years,” Martinez said 

But for all of that success, Kiko’s current form has not been the best. Two defeats in his last three fights have shown a boxer who was no longer the same fighter that he once had been.

Out of those two losses, one was by way of stoppage, while the other was a unanimous-decision loss, showing that Martinez’s durability was not up to the test. 

But ultimately, Martinez has achieved what most fighters will not be able to do in the sport. And there is no getting away from that.