Martinez Takes Home the Silver in Men’s Light-Flyweight at the 2016 Rio Games

2016 Rio Games

It wasn’t the color he’d hoped, but Yuberjen Martinez still has an Olympic medal…

Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov out-boxed the 24-year-old Colombian boxer to win the Men’s Light-Flyweight gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games, with Martinez having to settle for the silver.

Yuberjen Martinez

In a much-anticipated bout on Sunday, Dusmatov moved around the ring quickly and well, kept his guard up in the face of Martinez’s punches and earned a unanimous favorable decision by the three judges.

Dusmatov, who had won the gold at the Asian Championships in 2015, was the more active of the pair in the first round as he probed Martinez’s defenses, while the Colombian seemed to be a little tentative, despite the roars of the huge South American contingent of fans who were on hand for the match.

Martinez, an elegant boxer, picked up his tempo in the second round but the Uzbek was better on the counterattack, setting the pace for the fight, which was not a slugfest but rather a calculating and careful affair.  Sensing a victory, Dusmatov often danced away from Martinez in the third round, and although the Colombian knew he needed a telling round to get the win, he was not able to manufacture the combinations needed and had to settle for the silver.

Yuberjen Martinez

Cuba’s Joahnys Argilagos and US boxer Nico Hernandez, both of whom had lost in the semifinals, won the bronze medals.

Meanwhile, the Colombian government will present Martinez with “the house Yuberjen has dreamed of” in light of his silver-medal win at the 2016 Summer Olympics, according to what Housing, Urban and Territorial Minister Elsa Noguera said on Twitter.  Local television showed Martinez weeping and speechless after being informed that Bogota will give him the home for his mother, as per a wish that he had always expressed before each of his bouts.

Argilagos Gives Cuba Its First Olympic Medal at the 2016 Rio Games

He may not have advanced to the finals, but Joahnys Argilagos is still an Olympic medalist.

The 19-year-old Cuban boxer and reigning world amateur boxong champion, lost to Colombia’s Yuberjen Martinez in the boxing semifinals of the Men’s Light Fly 49kg at the 2016 Rio Games.

Joahnys Argilagos

Argilagos lost in a split decision by a score of 2-1.

Despite the devastating loss, the Cuban boxing sensation has plenty of reason to celebrate. He has won the first medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics for his home country, and its 67th Olympic medal in boxing.

In his young career, Argilagos has won the has won the 2013 AIBA Junior World Championships, the 2015 AMBC American Confederation Boxing Championships, and the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships at light flyweight.

Meanwhile, Martinez will next face Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov in the finals.