Heavyweight Charles Martin set for November return

Former heavyweight titleholder Charles Martin returns to the ring November 16, facing Matthew McKinney in an eight-round fight at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City, California.

The event, promoted by Patrick Ragan’s Westside Promotions, marks their sixth show since launching the promotional entity in 2023 and their third consecutive event at the Fox Theatre.

Martin, 29-4-1 (26 KOs), will step back into the ring after nearly a year-and-a-half hiatus. The 38-year-old from Carson, California, last fought in a competitive bout against Jared Anderson, losing a unanimous decision on ESPN in July 2023. He now takes on 43-year-old McKinney, 17-8-3 (13 KOs), from Escondido, California.

Martin won the IBF heavyweight title by defeating Vyacheslav Glazkov via third-round TKO but lost it in his first defense to Anthony Joshua, getting knocked out in two rounds in the UK. In 2022, Martin headlined a pay-per-view card against Luis Ortiz, where both fighters traded knockdowns before Ortiz stopped Martin in the sixth round.

Also scheduled for the card is unbeaten featherweight Malikai Johnson, trained by Ray Woods, lightweight Jalen Walker and welterweight Jacob Macalolooy in separate bouts.