Odelia Ben Ephraim Off January 27 Card

French featherweight champion Odelia Ben Ephraim is out of a scheduled fight against European featherweight champion Sheila Martinez. Ben Ephraim is experiencing hand issues and won't heal in time for the January 27 fight. Martinez is now scheduled to defend the title against Annaelle Angerville on that date in San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain.

Ben Ephraim's injury comes at an inopportune time as she matched up well against Martinez. The European champ is tall, long, awkward, and fights rough. The 25 year old from Spain has no qualms about shoving her forearm into an opponent's face. Martinez has improved dramatically in her last two fights though, evolving from a crude brawler to a boxer who uses her height and reach advantages to better effect. Her technique is far from textbook and her footwork is poor, but her unconventional style does make for some punches from unexpected angles. Nevertheless, the champ is quite hittable, and with Ben Ephraim's precision accuracy and intelligent combinations, Martinez would have been in trouble.

Instead of Ben Ephraim, Martinez will now defend her title against former French featherweight champion, Annaelle Angerville, a 34 year old who was a world champion in Muay Thai. Angerville barely snuck by Ben Ephraim in their two fights, the most recent taking place a year ago. That bout was for the vacant French featherweight title, which Angerville won by split decision. If Angerville beats Martinez, another fight against Ben Ephraim could make for a high-level defense, but she may not want to tempt fate with a third match against her compatriot.