The undefeated Croatian boxer fights for the WBC interim title against Guatemala's Lester Martinez in Los Angeles on August 29. A win would put him in contention for the world title, an opportunity Croatia hasn't had since the era of Mate Parlov.
Croatian boxer Luka Plantić stands on the brink of boxing immortality. In an elimination bout scheduled for August 29, 2026, in Los Angeles, Plantić will face Guatemalan fighter Lester Martinez, with enormous stakes: the WBC interim title and the status of official challenger for the world championship in the super middleweight division.
Plantić, known by the nickname The Thunder, boasts a perfect professional record of 13 wins with no losses, 10 of them by knockout. His rise through the WBC rankings has been meteoric-in less than a year, he defended the WBC International Gold title twice and climbed to third place on the WBC's super middleweight rankings.
Plantić made his first title defense in early 2025 in front of a home crowd at Zagreb's Cibona arena, defeating Argentina's Bruno Acosta. He defended it again in Tirana, Albania, cementing his status as one of the best boxers in his division outside the very top.
For the biggest challenge of his career, he has been preparing since June 28, 2026 at the renowned Diaz Brothers Training Camp in California. His daily routine is entirely dedicated to boxing-he puts in two intense training sessions a day, with a professional team overseeing his nutrition and recovery. While he emphasizes the excellent conditions, he doesn't hide that being separated from family and friends is the hardest part. He used his rare free moments to visit Big Bear Lake, where his colleagues and friends Luka Pratljačić and Bosnian-Herzegovinian boxer Ahmet Krnjić are also preparing.
Lester Martinez (30 years old) comes in with an impressive professional record of 20 wins and 1 draw, with 16 knockouts. He is the current WBC interim champion in the super middleweight division, and the only fight he didn't win ended in a draw against current world champion Christian M'Bili. According to BoxRec, he is ranked among the top boxers in the world in his weight class.
The winner of the Plantić-Martinez bout will become the official challenger for the WBC world title and will face the winner of the fight between Canelo Álvarez and Christian M'Bili.
"It's big news that I'm boxing Lester Martinez at the end of August for the WBC interim title. The winner gets a shot at the world title, and that's an opportunity I've been waiting for and working toward my entire career," Plantić told 24sata Sport.
Since the era of legendary Mate Parlov, Croatia hasn't been this close to fighting for the WBC world title-nearly half a century has passed. Plantić, born in Sesvete, has lived and trained near Split for years, where he built his professional career with his team. During a successful amateur career, he won bronze at the Youth Olympic Games, silver at the world level, gold at the European level in the youth division, bronze at the senior European Championship, and competed at the Tokyo Olympics.
The bout in Los Angeles represents not just a turning point in Plantić's career, but also a potential return of Croatian boxing to the world stage in the fight for the most prestigious title.
