Sergio Martinez considering retirement after three more fights

Sergio Martinez says that he's already thinking about retirement in the near future, as the world champion at 160 pounds intends to finish out a three-fight deal with HBO, and then likely walk away from the sport.

Martinez will turn 38 in February, and already has his next fight signed, against Martin Murray on April 27. They'll meet in Argentina.

"What else can I accomplish? I signed a contract with HBO for three more fights that [are probably going to] be the last of my career, including April 27. Boxing is losing prominence in my life."

Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KO) has beaten the odds and then some by becoming a world-recognized fighter in his mid-30s, as he had toiled in relative obscurity until 2008, when he made his HBO debut with a thrashing of Alex Bunema at age 33. He really broke out in a 2009 loss to Paul Williams, which was a Fight of the Year candidate, which he followed by taking the middleweight title from Kelly Pavlik, and then knocking out Williams in two rounds in their rematch.

Since then, Martinez has torn through the competition, and scored the biggest win of his career in terms of notoriety when he beat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in September. Those two are expected to rematch in September 2013, if all goes well for them before then.