Experienced junior welterweight contender Sandor Martin returns on Saturday, ending a nine-month layoff since narrowly coming up short against then-WBC titlist Alberto Puello in March.

Martin, The Ring's No. 6-rated operator at 140 pounds, will look to position himself for another world title opportunity when facing Yanis Kurylenko, at the Bilbao Arena in Bilbao, Spain during a local show streamed exclusively on DAZN.

"It's a tough fight against two-time Ukrainian champion Yanis Kurylenko," Martin (42-4, 15 KOs) told The Ring.

"I need to stay active in the rankings, and haven't fought in Spain for a while, so that's been a big motivation."

While still aggrieved at not bringing home the WBC belt against Puello, the 32-year-old remains upbeat.

"I feel good, I would have liked a different result, but that's boxing," he said. "I don't want to dwell on it, I'm here to work and earn another opportunity soon."

In the nine months since his last fight, he has kept busy.

"I've spent time with my family and trained at the gym. My life hasn't changed since then; I'm still the same person."

The tricky Spanish southpaw is a former European champion at 140-pounds, who first caught the eye on the global stage when travelling to Fresno, California, where he scored a 10-round majority decision upset over Mikey Garcia in October 2021.

Two fights later, Martin gave Teofimo Lopez all he could handle, dropping the two-weight world champion in the second round, but narrowly lost a 10-round split decision in December 2022.

Since then, he has won two fights before losing the world title fight earlier this year. His preferred route is the WBC title, which is log-jammed at the moment.

The current champion Subriel Matias, who edged out Puello in July, will face Dalton Smith on January 10. The winner of their New York meeting then owes Puello a fight, as the WBC have ruled. The path has some twists and turns before Martin can land a second shot.

"Given the current state of the division, I see an immediate world title shot - which is the goal - as unlikely," he admitted. "A fight with [Isaac] Pitbull Cruz would be fantastic for 2026."

However, his dream remains the same.

"I won't leave boxing without being a world champion, so that's what I'm still working towards," he said. "We'll continue working hard to try and win the title."

His father, Rafael, who also doubles up as his trainer, believes his son has given a good account of himself when mixing with the elites and hopes for another chance in the not-to-distant future.

"I hope to see the best version of Sandor again, his speed, intelligence, footwork," said Martin Sr.

"Everything that has taken him to the big stages. We've had two great performances without the result Sandor deserved. He knocked Teofimo down twice, and many people thought he won against Puello."

"It's time to work even harder and show his best. We want the big fights in 2026."

Kurylenko (14-1, 8 KOs) turned professional in his native Ukraine in 2020. After losing his third fight, he's since rebounded to reel off a 12-fight win streak.

The 30-year-old is the current Ukrainian 140-pound champion, though this is a marked step up in opposition.