It didn’t take long for Julio Cesar Martinez to get over the disappointment of his rematch with McWilliams Arroyo once again hitting the scrap heap.

The silver lining was that the reigning WBC flyweight titlist wasn’t the cause for the fallout. Even better news for Mexico City’s Martinez was the news that he would remain on  the December 3 DAZN show, as he will face Spain’s Samuel Carmona in the televised co-feature from Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

“I’m excited to be getting back in the ring and defending my WBC belt again,” Martinez said of the salvaged title defense. “It’s unfortunate the Arroyo rematch is not happening, but it’s a huge chance for Samuel Carmona. Ne’s young and hungry, so you know he will bring everything on the night.”

Martinez (18-2, 14KOs) was in need of a new opponent once Arroyo withdrew from the fight after suffering a back and neck injury during training camp. It didn’t take long to line up Carmona (8-0, 6KOs), a 2016 Olympic quarterfinalist for Spain whose first career title fight also doubles as his U.S. debut.

It was a fitting twist to their bizarre series which has seen four official postponements over more than two years. Their lone fight over that period came last November 19 in Manchester, New Hampshire, with both fighters hitting the deck before it was stopped after two rounds. An accidental clash of heads left Puerto Rico’s Arroyo cut and unable to continue, resulting in a No-Contest.

With the short-notice availability of Carmona, Martinez will attempt the fourth defense of his WBC flyweight title. It comes after a one-fight departure from the division to challenge former four-division titlist Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez on March 5 in San Diego, California.

Martinez dropped a lopsided twelve-round, unanimous decision to Nicaragua’s Gonzalez (51-3, 41KOs), who faces lineal junior bantamweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada (43-3, 28KOs) in their highly anticipated rubber match atop the December 3 DAZN show.

With a win, Martinez hopes to resume his quest of flyweight supremacy.

“As we say, with everything except fear, I will rise to this challenge,” vowed Martinez. “Next year, we are coming for all the belts.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox