Julio Cesar 'Rey' Martinez has changed his habits.

After losing the opportunity to be involved in the co-feature for Canelo Alvarez's card last December, due to an illness caused by a carelessness in his diet, the WBC world flyweight champion will defend his title against McWilliams Arroyo of Puerto Rico, in a mandatory fight on February 27.

The card will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, now as part of the event in which Canelo will defend the WBC, WBA super middleweight titles against mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim.

The Mexican champion accepts that he now pays a lot more attention to everything in his training for the championship fight.

"For the previous fight I lost a lot of weight and that began to affect my ulcer and that's what failed, but we are ready to defend the belt with great pride," Martinez told Universal.

Advised by the medical service of the Mexico City Boxing Commission, Martinez has left his bad habits behind.

"The truth is that I don't like having breakfast and I went to training on an empty stomach. I have the old school mentality, but now I'm with my nutritionist, I follow my diet, I am taking care of myself so I don't have any more problems with that."

And, despite adding 250 fights in the amateur field, the reality is that he still hasn't exceeded 20 professional fights, so he has a long way to go.

The hard puncher is already eager to move up to super flyweight, to pursue more world titles and bigger fights - but he'd like to unify at 112-pounds before doing that. 

"We want to make history, I already want to go up to 115 but first I want to unify. I go to the gym with pleasure. I have never been afraid of anyone, I do it with joy because I want my family to have the best, it is with pride to go into a fight," Martinez said.