Frank Martin laser focused on one thing: landing 'opportunity to get my belts'

If Frank Martin had stubborn doubters before his fight against Michel Rivera in December, they probably came around afterward.

The 135-pound contender not only defeated previously unbeaten Michel Rivera, he outclassed him, pitching a shutout on one card and getting one-sided nods on the other two to claim the most significant victory of his career.

In fact, he made it look so effortless that viewers might not fully appreciate what he accomplished that night.

“I made it look easier than it was,” said Martin, who faces Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday in Las Vegas (Showtime). “Not to discredit his skills or his talent. I was just 100 percent ready and prepared for everything he had. …

“Some guys might not have given him the problems I gave him in that fight. … It was a great fight for me, to get that experience against that caliber fighter on my resume.”

Fans and pundits alike appreciated his performance enough to acknowledge that he’s gaining on the top lightweights, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Martin seems to have everything required to have great success. Natural gifts. He’s quick and athletic. The skill set. He was a top amateur and only getting better. Good power. A great trainer in Derrick James. And, by all accounts, discipline.

All that seemed obvious in the victory over the talented Michel, which took him a step closer to a showdown with one of the stars in the division.

“Yes, people actually got to see some of my skills,” Martin said. “I went into the fight, if I’m not mistaken, as the underdog. People who didn’t know me, it woke them up. And it prepared me for the bigger fights I’m wanting down the line.

“It’s definitely all coming together. … [People] used to tell me that it was all going to come fast. It’s come super, super quick.”

Now, like so many top fighters yearning for big opportunities, Martin, who is ranked in the Top 7 by all four major sanctioning bodies, must continue to win and continue to wait.

He respects Harutyunyan (12-0, 7 KOs), who capped a successful amateur career by winning a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics for his home country of Germany.

Martin insists he’s taking Harutyunyan as seriously as he would take a fight with one of the big four in the division. He might not pose a similar threat. At the same, he can’t risk an upset, which would spoil all the work that has led him to this point.

“I gotta stay grounded, gotta stay focused,” he said. “That’s really the hardest part about it, staying focused once you get success, keeping that determined mindset. You can’t get comfortable [because] it’s easy to get off track.

“This is one of those fights that will get me closer to being the mandatory,” he went on. “… This gets me closer to those belts. I have to make sure to go in there and get the job done against him before I can look at the bigger names.”

Martin is young by common standards, 28. However, he’s at an age when most talented fighters have already made big moves in his career.

Does he feel added pressure in that regard? Does he feel the clock ticking?

“Yeah, but I don’t feel it’s an age thing,” he said in response to those questions. “I feel that because I feel I’m ready, ready for the opportunity to get my belts. I want to get the belts. I’ve put in a lot of hard work, staying in the gym day in and day out.

“I’m ready for the opportunities to present themselves so I can show the world.”