Exclusive images: One of the world’s finest, Sergio Martinez, in training

I finished up a recent four-day trip to California by stopping the Powerhouse Gym in Oxnard to check out Argentina’s Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez, the world’s lineal middleweight champion and the man regarded by many as the third best fighter in the sport.

Martinez is eyeing a March 17th date on HBO against Birmingham, United Kingdom native Matthew Macklin, who himself is coming off of a split-decision loss to WBA champion Felix Sturm this past June.

View slideshow: Exclusive images of Sergio Martinez training for his HBO-televised bout with Matthew Macklin

<--- Exclusive images: One of the world's finest, Sergio 'Maravilla' Martinez, trains at the Powerhouse Gym in Oxnard, California

I got the feeling that this particular 5 P.M. session wasn’t Martinez’s first of the day however, as he was content enough shadowboxing for a while before wrapping up with various drills on the throng of heavy bags that hung along the gym as his trainer Pablo Sarmiento watched on.

Still, the unorthodox style and sharp-punching from Martinez was as evident as ever.

Following his workout, the 36-year old and I discussed a variety of topics, including his renewed interest on fighting on HBO, his recollections from his February 2000 bout with Antonio Margarito, how much he truly misses his trainer Gabriel Sarmiento, why he feels Nonito Donaire will one day reign as the world’s pound-for-pound best, and much more.

Expect more from Martinez in the coming days, but for now, please enjoy exclusive images of his training on the slideshow on the left or visit One of the world’s finest, Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez, in training

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Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com andwww.Twitter.com/CRHarmony