Frank Martin is entering a new chapter of his boxing career at 31 years old, with a new promoter, a new manager and a new trainer all working toward the same goal: getting him back in the ring regularly.
Martin has signed with Top Rank, joined Adrian Clark of Fighters First Management and begun working with Hall of Fame trainer Buddy McGirt as he looks to rebuild his career after a prolonged period of inactivity.
The talented lightweight-turned-junior-welterweight owns a record of 19-1-1 with 13 knockouts, but his activity level has been a major concern. Martin has fought only once per year over the past four years, leaving him frustrated with the lack of consistency.
His most recent outing came in February, when he fought to a 10-round draw with Nahir Albright in Las Vegas. Now, Martin's priority is simple: fight as often as possible.
Martin Wants to Stay Busy
Martin believes his new relationship with Top Rank can provide the regular opportunities he has been missing.
“I just feel like they was just more about keeping me busy,” Martin said. “That’s important to me. Staying busy, getting fights. I hadn’t been active for a while.”
Martin pointed to the long stretches between his previous fights as a major setback. He was inactive for a year before facing Gervonta “Tank” Davis and then spent another 18 months away from competition following that bout.
“That’s three years of my career just inactive,” Martin said.
With Top Rank now guiding his career, Martin expects to have a much clearer schedule. He also believes the promotional company's relationship with DAZN could make it easier to put together the fights he wants.
“I just want to be busy. I want to fight,” Martin said.
World Title Ambitions Remain
Martin is not interested in rushing into a major fight before he has rebuilt his momentum. His immediate objective is to secure another fight at 140 pounds before the end of the year, with a world title opportunity targeted for early 2027.
“We got a game plan. We want to get a belt early next year. Hopefully, we can get a date in February or March, and we’ll be fighting for a belt,” Martin said.
Rather than publicly calling out specific opponents, Martin wants to put himself in position first and let the bigger fights come afterward.
“I do want to fight the main guys, the main names, the big names,” he said. “But as far as me calling them out and doing all this stuff, I want to get myself in position, get a belt, and do all that.”
Martin is currently ranked No. 9 by the WBA at junior welterweight. Gary Antuanne Russell holds the WBA championship, while the IBF title is set to be contested by Lindolfo Delgado and Arthur Biyarslanov. Dalton Smith holds the WBC belt, and Shakur Stevenson is the WBO champion.
A New Team Around Martin
Martin's revamped team includes manager Adrian Clark and trainer Buddy McGirt. Martin said Clark has helped bring structure and clarity to his career, giving him a better understanding of what comes next.
“I ended up signing with a manager, Adrian Clark, and Adrian, he always keeps me in tune with everything that’s going on. We got a game plan of what we want to do… when we may fight,” Martin said.
The partnership with McGirt has also brought a significant change in the gym. Martin previously worked with trainer Derrick James, but the two eventually went their separate ways.
Martin stressed that there is no bad blood between them. He said the split came after he began training with other coaches while spending time in Miami, creating concerns about conflicting instructions.
“Me and Derrick ain’t no bad blood or nothing between us. We all good,” Martin said.
McGirt, meanwhile, was a natural fit. The two had known about each other for years, and after being introduced through a mutual friend, they quickly developed a strong connection in the gym.
“As soon as we worked out, we connected instantly,” Martin said. “We clicked instantly, man. We here now.”
Martin Embraces McGirt's Experience
Martin has also taken time to study McGirt's own career and believes his former style offers plenty of lessons.
He praised McGirt's movement, defensive skills and ability to adapt to different opponents while describing the Hall of Famer as a smooth and fundamentally sound boxer.
Under McGirt, Martin said much of the early work has focused on sharpening the fundamentals and improving the details of his game.
No Bad Blood With Derrick James
Although Martin has moved on to a new trainer, he remains on good terms with Derrick James.
Martin explained that James was uncomfortable with him working with other trainers because it could interfere with the techniques they had been developing together.
Rather than allowing the situation to create tension, the two decided to part ways professionally.
“It was understood, you know, so we just parted ways. Not on bad terms, because like I said, we still good to this day,” Martin said.
Martin Still Believes in Gervonta Davis
Martin's last major high-profile fight came against Gervonta Davis in 2024, when Davis stopped him in the eighth round in Las Vegas.
The two have not spoken since their fight, but Martin continues to believe Davis can return to the top of the sport despite the inactivity and issues surrounding the Baltimore star outside the ring.
Martin believes extended periods away from competition can affect a fighter's timing and rhythm, but he remains confident in Davis' ability to regain his form.
“He one of them guys, ‘Tank,’ and it’s just the inactivity, man. It sucks. It definitely sucks and it messes us up with the timing, everything, but I think he’d be able to get back and still do the same stuff that he do,” Martin said.
Moving Up to 140 Pounds
Martin also appears ready to make junior welterweight his home for the foreseeable future.
Making the 135-pound lightweight limit has become increasingly difficult, and Martin fought Albright at a 140-pound catchweight.
He said he felt comfortable at the higher weight and believes 140 pounds allows him to perform without excessive weight cutting or rehydration.
“I’m going to be at 140 for a little bit. I’m going to get a title at 140 for sure,” Martin said.
For now, Martin's focus is on rebuilding momentum, staying active and positioning himself for a championship opportunity. With a new promotional home, management team and trainer behind him, he believes the next stage of his career can finally provide the consistency he has been missing.
