Abner Mares Martínez (born November 28, 1985) is a Mexican-American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the IBF bantamweight title from 2011 to 2012, the WBC super bantamweight title from 2012 to 2013, the WBC featherweight title in 2013, and the WBA (Regular) featherweight title from 2016 to 2018. As an amateur, Mares won numerous medals at international tournaments while representing Mexico. He grew up in the city of Hawaiian Gardens, California and holds dual citizenship with the United States and Mexico.
Mares was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and at age seven his family moved to the city of Hawaiian Gardens, California. At age fifteen he was sent back to Mexico by his father.
As an amateur, Mares compiled a record of 112-8 with 84 KOs. Mares won the U17 World Championships and the bantamweight gold medal at the Central American games 2002 beating Juan Manuel López and the silver medal in the same division in 2003 at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo. At the Junior World Championships 2004, he finished second losing to Aibek Abdimomunov. He participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics for his native country. There he was beaten in the first round of the Bantamweight (54 kg) division by Hungary's Zsolt Bedák in a highly controversial decision.