Carl Jammes Martin announced himself on the biggest stage of his career, handing Mexico's David Picasso a split-decision defeat to capture the WBC silver featherweight championship on Sunday morning (Manila time).

Martin earned the nod on two scorecards, 95-94 and 96-93, while the third judge favored Picasso, 96-95, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

For the 27-year-old Ifugao native, it was a career-defining victory and a breakthrough performance in front of a global audience.

Fighting on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli pay-per-view event, Martin made the most of his first major mainstream exposure.

He improved to 29-0, with 21 victories coming by knockout, while making a successful move up to the 126-pound featherweight division.

Martin could hardly have asked for a better start. His relentless activity and hand speed allowed him to dictate the tempo against the orthodox Picasso, repeatedly landing sharp right jabs, straight lefts and hooks to open the fight.

Picasso, who entered the bout with just one career defeat, struggled to match Martin's pace. The Mexican was coming off a loss to pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue in a world title fight, and Martin made sure he had little room to settle into his rhythm.

One punch proved particularly damaging as Martin's straight left bloodied Picasso's nose, affecting the Mexican's breathing for much of the remaining rounds.

Martin also had to manage the physical demands of facing a longer opponent, with Picasso holding a significant five-inch reach advantage and beginning to find openings as the fight progressed. But the Filipino kept his distance, limited Picasso's offense and carefully managed his energy.

The fight's lone knockdown came in the seventh round when Picasso landed a jab on Martin's chin, causing the Filipino's back foot to slip. The referee ruled it a knockdown, giving Picasso a crucial moment that would have tilted the favor to his favor in a closely contested bout if not for Martin's sustained pressure.

Martin settled into a more measured rhythm, conserving his energy while absorbing Picasso's body shots and keeping the Mexican from building momentum late in the fight.

The final three rounds featured less activity from both fighters, but Martin still found opportunities to connect with solid jabs that likely gave him the upper hand on the scorecards late. Even when he appeared to ease off the pace, he did enough to keep Picasso at bay.

Martin also exploited a familiar weakness in Picasso's defense. Much like in his fight against Inoue, the Mexican absorbed repeated body shots, forcing him to lower his guard and leaving openings for Martin to attack upstairs.

The victory should give Martin a significant boost in the featherweight rankings, a division currently led by established names such as Rafael Espinoza, Bruce Carrington and Angelo Leo.

For Picasso, meanwhile, it was another difficult setback as the Mexican, who entered the fight ranked No. 2 by the WBC and No. 8 by the WBA, leaves Riyadh with a second consecutive defeat.