Frank Martin and Nahir Albright Draw After 10th-Round Controversy

10th-round mouthpiece pause halts Albright’s finishing surge

Frank Martin (19-1-1) and Nahir Albright (17-2-1) fight to a majority draw over 10 rounds at junior welterweight, with all three judges scoring it 95-95. The controversy came in the final round, when a mouthpiece interruption stopped Albright’s attack as Martin appeared hurt.

Early in the 10th, Albright stepped in behind a hard jab and let combinations go. A sharp series upstairs forced Martin to grab and hold. As they spilled toward the ropes, Martin’s legs looked unsteady and his guard high.

Albright was punching in rhythm when the referee called time. His mouthpiece had come loose. The action paused while it was rinsed and put back in.

When the fight resumed, Albright went back on the front foot. He worked behind the jab, dipped to the body, and fired short hooks in close. Martin covered up and tried to buy time along the ropes. Then it happened again. The mouthpiece came out a second time and the referee stepped in once more.

Those stoppages were brief. In a round where Martin was absorbing clean shots and giving ground, the breaks allowed him to steady himself, reset his feet, and clear his head. Albright’s surge lost its edge.

“I was prepared for a war, and that’s what it was,” Albright said afterward.

Martin admitted he left openings. “I can do a lot better,” he said. “There were things I didn’t capitalize upon. Credit to him for bringing more than I expected.”

Through the earlier rounds, the fight was competitive. Martin had success when he started with the jab and shot the left hand down the pipe. He boxed in spots, keeping the exchanges at mid-range. Albright did his best work when he closed distance, worked the body, and forced Martin to stand and trade.

By the ninth, Albright was the one pushing the pace. He pressed Martin back, let his hands go in combination, and tested his conditioning. The 10th only amplified that trend.

The draw keeps Martin from regaining traction after his first career defeat. For Albright, it feels like an opportunity left in the ring. The scorecards read even. The lasting image is the referee stepping in as one fighter was on the ropes and the other was letting combinations go.