Frank “The Ghost” Martin returns to the ring on December 6th and will begin his campaign at 140 pounds. He will be opposed by former two-division champion Rances Barthelemy on a three-fight PBC on Prime Video free livestream from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. “At 140 I’m going to be stronger, faster and basically back where I’m supposed to be at,” said Martin, who had a successful run at 135 pounds before losing a title fight to Gervonta Davis in June 2024. “I stack up with anyone in the division. I’m just going to show it all on fight night and again and again every time I get into the ring. The loss didn’t make me lose my confidence. I just gotta get back there and punch on someone to let people see where I’m supposed to be.”
Martin (18-1, 12 KOs) will enter this next chapter of his career with a new head trainer leading his corner, as he’s teamed up with accomplished ex-champ Buddy McGirt. Martin felt a quick connection to McGirt when the two originally connected in Miami, and have continued to build momentum throughout this training camp in Dallas. “Buddy and I clicked right away,” said Martin, who credits another former champion, Maurice Hooker, with providing elite level sparring for this fight. “Everything has been so good so far. The key thing that Buddy and I have been working on is me being comfortable being me in the ring. We’re working on a lot of little things that are gonna help me get far, and we’re seeing the results in sparring.
“I’ve been letting my hands go, not throwing just one or two shots, but four and five punch combinations. My hands have been flying and I’m sitting on those shots. They’re crisp combinations. This is our first fight together, but I feel like a lot is going to show.”
The 30 year-old Martin’s run in the lightweight division saw him take down contenders Michel Rivera, Artem Harutyunyan and Romero Duno to earn the world title showdown against Davis. While he came up short in his title chalenge, Martin plans to take everything he learned from that experience into this next phase.
“I learned so much from the Gervonta Davis fight,” said Martin. “For starters, be you. Be comfortable. When they say the bright lights can affect you, I’d say it’s more than just the lights. It’s everything. There were a lot of other little things going on, and it all can play with your mental. At that level, you just have to be prepared for everything. I’m going to take everything I learned and I know I’ll be better for it.”
On December 6th, Martin will again face a former two-division world champion in Cuba’s Barthelemy. While he’s had an eye on Barthelemy throughout his career, Martin believes that he can put an end to Barthelemy’s career and stop the crafty veteran. “I’ve always seen Barthelemy as an awkward fighter,” said Martin. “He’s long, he’s tough and he’s tricky. He’s been a world champion in multiple divisions, so I know he’s not a walkthrough. I have to go out there and put on a demonstration.
“I’m going to show him that it’s over with for him. Now that they’ve matched me up with him, I’m gonna show him that Father Time has caught up to him. I’m seeing a stoppage win for me in this one. I’m not going to force anything. I just want the stoppage to come to me and come from the work that I put in.”
If Martin is able to handle business on December 6th, he plans to watch the evening’s main event, which will see 140-pound star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Lamont Roach duel for the WBC interim belt. Martin hopes to face the winner of that fight as soon as possible. “This is a great card on December 6th, but my favorite fight is definitely that main event with Pitbull vs. Roach,” said Martin. “I’m looking at the winner of that fight, so I’m going to be watching them real close.”
