Julio Cesar Martinez-McWilliams Arroyo Fight Off Again

The mandatory rematch between WBC flyweight titlist Julio Cesar Martinez and interim titleholder McWilliams Arroyo is once again off, this time due to Arroyo suffering what Matchroom Boxing’s Kevin Rooney Jr. told Fight Freaks Unite and Big Fight Weekend on Tuesday was a “neck/back injury.”

The rematch has been beset by issues. They were most recently due to meet on Dec. 3 (DAZN) at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, in the co-feature to the trilogy fight between lineal junior bantamweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada and four-division champion and former pound-for-pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

Martinez will still fight someone else

Rooney said Arroyo was injured and out of the fight earlier Tuesday at the annual WBC convention, which is taking place this week in Acapulco, Mexico. Rooney told Fight Freaks Unite that Arroyo could resume training in December with an eye toward a return in the first quarter of 2023. He said the plan is for Martinez to remain on the Dec. 3 card and face a new opponent in his fifth title defense.

When they met in November 2021, Martinez (18-2, 14 KOs), 27, of Mexico, retained the 112-pound belt via third-round no contest. It was a wild fight in which both men were knocked down in the first round and Arroyo (21-4, 16 KOs), 36, of Puerto Rico, was also dropped in the second round. However, it ended in the third round when Arroyo was unable to continue after being cut by an accidental head butt.

Martinez has fought once since, taking a fight on short notice and moving up to junior bantamweight and losing a lopsided decision to Gonzalez in a non-title fight in March in San Diego, CA. Arroyo has not fought since the no contest. They were supposed to have the rematch on June 25 in San Antonio but it was postponed when Martinez withdrew due to illness.