Former three-time world title challenger and United States Olympian Vanes Martirosyan died Sunday at the age of 39 after a two-year battle with skin cancer.

Martirosyan (36-4-1, 21 KOs) shared the ring with the likes of Erislandy Lara twice, Demetrius Andrade, and Jermell Charlo as a junior middleweight contender and retired after facing Gennadiy Golovkin in 2018.

Martirosyan’s notable wins included victories over Kassim Ouma, Willie Nelson, and Ishe Smith, spanning a professional career of more than 13 years. As an amateur, Martirosyan beat future world champions Timothy Bradley Jr., Austin Trout, and Andre Berto and had a reported record of 120-10.

Martirosyan was born on May 1, 1986, in Yerevan, Armenia, and grew up in Glendale, California, where he sported a sizable Armenian fan base. Martirosyan was a touted amateur prospect who represented the U.S. at the 2004 Olympics and turned professional in 2005 after signing a promotional deal with Top Rank Boxing.

Undefeated in his first 34 fights, Martirosyan lived up to his nickname of “The Nightmare” and was in highly competitive clashes with some of the best contemporaries of his era in fights that aired on HBO, Showtime, and ESPN.

Against Lara, Martirosyan fought to a technical draw in 2012 and a unanimous decision defeat in 2016. He knocked down Andrade in a 2013 split decision defeat and dropped a razor-thin decision against Charlo in 2015.

Martirosyan was trained by the likes of Freddie Roach, Ronnie Shields, Joe Goossen, Edmond Tarverdyan, and Roma Kalantaryan and was also signed with Al Haymon, Don King, Dan Goossen, and Shelly Finkel at different junctures.

Martirosyan showed his warrior spirit all the way down to his last fight over six years ago, moving up a weight class to challenge the unified middleweight champion Golovkin on short notice. It was Martirosyan's first fight in two years at the time and the opportunity arrived after Triple G's original opponent, Canelo Alvarez, was pulled from the fight after testing positive for a banned substance. After a back-and-forth first round, Martirosyan was knocked out in the second.

Despite the losses and setbacks, the soft-spoken Martirosyan was always smiling, and he earned the respect of the boxing world.

Terence Crawford was among the luminaries who offered his condolences on social media after learning of Martirosyan’s passing.

"I'm deeply saddened by the news of Vanes Martirosyan, who lost his battle to cancer," said WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman. "Vanes was a proud WBC silver champion and a dear friend. My sincere condolences to his family and friends."

In 2024, Sulaiman arranged for Pope Francis to give Martirosyan a blessing at the Vatican in Rome.

Kalantaryan, a lifelong friend and confidant who now trains Bakhram Murtazaliev, was at Martirosyan’s bedside Thursday in Los Angeles when doctors said that Martirosyan had just a handful of days left to live.

“He was fighting for his life like the champion he was,” Kalantaryan told The Ring. “It’s incredibly tragic to say that he’s not here with us anymore. He tried everything and even went to Mexico to get treatment, but it was really hard for him over the last six months. Vanes understood that he was running out of time the last time that I saw him. He asked that I look out for his family, we thanked each other for everything, and said our goodbyes. Vanes was such an amazing person with a heart of gold. I wish that he rests in eternal peace.”

Martirosyan is survived by his wife Gaby Tsao, son Andrew, and daughter Arianna.

“Today our hearts are shattered,” said Tsao. “We are losing an incredible man – a loving husband, a devoted father, a kind soul, and someone who left a mark on everyone who ever met him.

“Those who knew Vanes know how special he was, how big his heart was, and how deeply he loved. The emptiness he leaves behind is something we will feel forever. We love him so much, and we are going to miss him in ways words can’t explain.

"It won’t be easy, but we hold on to the thought that he is going to a better place, where there is no more pain or suffering. A place of peace. Please keep him in your prayers so his spirit can rest gently and peacefully.

“Baby, you were an amazing husband and father, and we will carry your love with us for the rest of our lives.”