Abner Mares Bio
Abner Mares Martínez (born November 28, 1985) is a Mexican-American professional boxer and boxing analyst who has built a reputation as one of the most active champions of his era. Over the course of his career, he has captured multiple world championships across three weight divisions, including the International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title, the World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight and featherweight titles, and the World Boxing Association (WBA) Regular featherweight title. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, he grew up in Hawaiian Gardens, California, and holds dual citizenship with Mexico and the United States. Outside the ring, Mares works as a commentator for Showtime, providing analysis on major boxing events.
Early Life and Background
Abner Mares Martínez was born on November 28, 1985, in Guadalajara, the capital of the western Mexican state of Jalisco. When he was seven years old, his family relocated to Hawaiian Gardens, a small city in southeast Los Angeles County, California, where he was raised and where he continues to maintain ties. Growing up in Southern California exposed him to a wide range of athletic influences, but boxing ultimately became his primary passion. At the age of fifteen, his father sent him back to Mexico, a move that deepened his connection to his birth country and strengthened his cultural identity.
Standing 5 feet 4½ inches tall with a 66-inch reach and fighting from an orthodox stance, Mares developed the compact, high-volume style that would later define his professional career. His Mexican heritage and American upbringing gave him a dual sense of identity that he has carried throughout his career in and out of the ring. Hawaiian Gardens, California, remains his long-term residence.
Path to Boxing
Mares began training in boxing as a young boy and quickly emerged as one of the most decorated amateur boxers from Mexico. He compiled an outstanding amateur record of 112 wins and 8 losses, with 84 of those victories coming by knockout. Along the way, he captured the Under-17 World Championships and earned international medals representing Mexico. In 2002, he won the bantamweight gold medal at the Central American Games in San Salvador, a tournament that featured future star Juan Manuel López among the beaten field. The following year, he added a silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo.
In 2004, Mares finished as runner-up at the Junior World Championships, losing to Aibek Abdimomunov, and then represented Mexico at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where he was eliminated in the first round of the bantamweight (54 kg) division by Hungary’s Zsolt Bedák in a controversial decision. After the Olympics, he made the transition to the professional ranks, winning his pro debut in January 2005 against Puerto Rican fighter Luis Malave.
Abner Mares Career
Early Career (2005-2009)
Following his January 2005 professional debut, Abner Mares Martínez moved quickly through the early stages of his career, fighting frequently and stacking up rounds of experience. He was trained early on by Hall of Fame trainer Ignacio Beristáín, one of Mexico’s most respected cornermen, though the two later parted ways when Mares changed promotional companies. On September 7, 2007, he captured the WBO NABA Bantamweight Championship by defeating former WBO titleholder Isidro García, marking his first recognized regional title.
After winning his next three fights, Mares suffered a serious eye injury that required surgery and kept him out of competition for roughly ten months. He returned to the ring by stopping Jonathan Perez and continued his climb up the bantamweight rankings under his new trainer, Clemente Medina, who helped launch him toward world-title contention.
Bantamweight Breakthrough (2010-2011)
On May 22, 2010, Mares challenged undefeated IBF Bantamweight Champion Yonnhy Perez in a high-stakes title fight that ended in a 12-round majority draw, with one judge scoring it 115-113 for Mares and the other two scoring it even at 114-114. Most ringside press scored the bout in Mares’ favor, establishing him as a legitimate player at bantamweight. He then entered Showtime’s four-man single-elimination bantamweight tournament, where he defeated former world champion Vic Darchinyan by controversial split decision to claim the IBO and WBC Silver bantamweight titles.
The tournament final was originally scheduled for April 23, 2011, against IBF champion Joseph Agbeko, but was postponed after Agbeko cited an injury. When the fight was rescheduled for August 13, 2011, Mares won the IBF Bantamweight title by majority decision, though the bout was marred by repeated low blows that went largely unpunished by the referee. In the December 3, 2011, rematch, Mares left no doubt, sweeping the scorecards with three identical 118-110 cards to retain his IBF title and confirm his place among the top bantamweights in the world.
Super Bantamweight Era (2012-2013)
After establishing himself at bantamweight, Abner Mares Martínez moved up to super bantamweight, where he challenged former world champion Eric Morel for the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight title on April 21, 2012. Mares dominated the older Morel with relentless pressure and high-volume output, winning a unanimous decision with scores of 120-107, 119-109, and 119-109 to claim his first super bantamweight crown.
In his next outing, on November 10, 2012, Mares faced world-class operator Anselmo Moreno, widely regarded as one of the most skilled fighters in the lower weight classes. Mares trapped Moreno on the ropes for long stretches, dropped him with a hard straight right hand in the fifth round, and controlled the body work through the middle rounds to earn a unanimous decision with scores of 116-110, 116-110, and 120-106. The win over a consensus top-10 pound-for-pound fighter cemented his status as a multi-division champion.
Featherweight Era (2013-2018)
Mares continued moving up in weight, jumping to 126 pounds to face WBC Featherweight Champion Daniel Ponce de León on the Mayweather-Guerrero undercard on May 4, 2013. He dropped Ponce de León in both the second and ninth rounds before finishing him by technical knockout at 2:20 of the ninth round to capture the WBC Featherweight title. The victory made him a three-division world champion.
His reign was short-lived, however, as he was stopped in the first round by Jhonny González on August 24, 2013, at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. After parting ways with Clemente Medina and Espinoza Boxing Club, Mares worked with Virgil Hunter before returning to Medina. On December 10, 2016, he defeated Jesus Cuellar by split decision to win the WBA Regular Featherweight title, then retained the belt against Andres Gutierrez by technical decision. His featherweight run closed with a unanimous-decision loss to WBA Super Featherweight Champion Leo Santa Cruz on June 9, 2018, in a long-anticipated rematch that lived up to its billing as a fan-friendly battle.
Super Featherweight Era (2018-Present)
Following the move up to 130 pounds, Abner Mares Martínez has remained active in the super featherweight division. He has continued to take on high-profile opponents and serves as a boxing analyst and commentator for Showtime, providing insight on major fights while maintaining his own competitive career. His ongoing presence in the sport, both inside and outside the ring, has helped establish him as one of the most recognizable Mexican-American boxers of his generation.
Style and Strengths
Mares is known for a high-pressure, high-volume style built on relentless body work, sharp straight right hands, and the ability to close distance on taller opponents. Working with longtime trainer Clemente Medina, he has refined a game plan that emphasizes trapping opponents on the ropes and unloading accurate combinations. His compact frame and orthodox stance allow him to fight effectively on the inside, while his conditioning has typically held up well across 12-round championship fights.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the most significant achievements of Abner Mares Martínez’s career are his world titles in three weight classes, an Olympic appearance at the 2004 Athens Games, and a reputation for being involved in several of the most talked-about fights of his era. His amateur résumé, which includes an Under-17 World Championship and medals at the Central American Games and Pan American Games, stands as one of the strongest in Mexican boxing history.
Abner Mares Career Wins
Abner Mares Martínez has compiled a professional record of 31 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws across 36 total fights, with 15 of his victories coming by knockout. He has captured world titles at bantamweight, super bantamweight, and featherweight, along with several secondary and regional belts during his climb through the lower weight classes.
Bantamweight Highlights
Mares won the IBF Bantamweight title in 2011 with a majority-decision victory over Joseph Agbeko and successfully defended it in an emphatic unanimous-decision rematch later that same year. He also captured the IBO and WBC Silver bantamweight titles during the Showtime tournament run that established him as a world champion.
Super Bantamweight Highlights
At super bantamweight, Mares defeated former world champion Eric Morel to win the vacant WBC title and then produced one of his signature performances against Anselmo Moreno, a future Hall of Fame-level talent, earning a clear unanimous decision and dropping Moreno for the first time in his career.
Featherweight Highlights
His most dramatic featherweight win came against Daniel Ponce de León, whom he stopped in nine rounds to claim the WBC Featherweight title on the Mayweather-Guerrero undercard in 2013. He later added the WBA Regular Featherweight title by split decision over Jesus Cuellar in 2016 and defended it against Andres Gutierrez.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his world titles, Mares captured the WBO NABA Bantamweight Championship early in his career and competed in Showtime’s high-profile bantamweight tournament, which helped launch him into championship contention.
Abner Mares Family
Family Background and Boxing Lineage
Public details about Abner Mares Martínez’s immediate family remain limited. He was raised primarily in Hawaiian Gardens, California, after his family moved there from Guadalajara when he was seven, and his father played a significant role in his upbringing, including sending him back to Mexico at the age of fifteen to stay connected to his roots.
Personal Life
Mares holds dual citizenship in Mexico and the United States and continues to make his home in Hawaiian Gardens, California. Outside of his professional career, he has built a second career as a boxing analyst and commentator for Showtime, allowing him to remain a visible figure in the sport while still competing at a high level.
2025 Season Outlook
As of 2025, Abner Mares Martínez continues his career in the super featherweight division while balancing his role as a commentator and analyst for Showtime. The Mexican-American veteran remains an active figure at 130 pounds, where he has the experience and résumé to compete with top contenders. His deep familiarity with championship-level boxing, built over more than two decades as both fighter and broadcaster, makes him a respected voice in any broadcast booth.
Throughout 2025, Mares is expected to maintain his dual presence inside and outside the ring, with potential fights in the super featherweight division still a realistic possibility given his durable track record and conditioning. His standing as a three-division world champion gives any potential matchup meaningful stakes, and his analytical work keeps him closely connected to the broader boxing landscape. Fans and analysts alike continue to watch his career with interest as he weighs competitive opportunities against his expanding media responsibilities.