Carl Jammes Martin survives knockdown, beats Dipaen at Thrilla 50th anniversary

Carl Jammes Martin passed the toughest test of his career after scoring a unanimous decision over former world title challenger Aran Dipaen on the undercard of the 50th anniversary of the Thrilla in Manila on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Martin, 26, controlled the pace early, firing combinations to the head and body while the Thai looked to time him with a counter right. Dipaen found his opening in round three, landing his best shot of the night that sent Martin to the canvas, though the Filipino quickly beat the count.

The knockdown sparked a spirited response from Martin, who pushed the action in the succeeding rounds and engaged Dipaen in fierce exchanges. In round nine, Martin scored a knockdown of his own, though it appeared partially caused by a slip.

Despite the tense momentum swings, Martin stayed composed and went the full ten rounds against the relentless Thai challenger. All three judges scored the bout in his favor, lifting Martin’s record to 27-0 with 20 knockouts, while Dipaen fell to 21-5 with 18 knockouts.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News