Martin beats Picasso by split decision to claim WBC silver featherweight title
The unbeaten Filipino recovered from an eighth-round knockdown to record his 29th victory in Riyadh.
Filipino boxer Carl Jammes Martin defeated Mexico’s David Picasso on a split decision at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, winning the WBC silver featherweight title on November 1, Manila time.
The 27-year-old from Lagawe, Ifugao, remained unbeaten after 29 fights. The judges scored the 10-round contest 94-95, 95-94 and 96-93, with Martin finishing strongly over the final two rounds.
Picasso knocked Martin down with a short jab to the face in round eight. Martin promptly beat the count and disputed the knockdown, saying he had tripped. He then connected with punches to Picasso’s head and body over the closing rounds.
Picasso had challenged Naoya Inoue in 2025 for the unified WBC, IBF and WBO super bantamweight championship, losing on points. He subsequently moved up in weight and took the silver featherweight belt by stopping fellow Mexican Maicol Rincon in August.
Martin’s record includes 21 knockouts. Picasso’s defeat left him with a record of 33-2-1, including 18 knockouts.
