Deerfield Beach, FL – Eight-time national champion and former Gold Gloves champion Vanes Norkovich Martirosyan has signed a promotional contract with world-renowned Hall of Fame boxing promoter Don King.

King’s fighters have a busy next three months with Isaac Ekpo heading to Berlin, Germany to battle Tyron Zeuge for the WBA Super Middleweight championship on March 25; Amir Imam battling Terence Crawford in May for the super lightweight title; and Charles Hatley facing Jermell Charlo on May 27 in Oxon, Maryland for the WBC super welterweight mandatory title defense.

King also promotes former heavyweight world champion Bermane Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 Kos), a Haiti native living in Las Vegas, who is scheduled to face heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in a WBC mandatory title defense.

The 30-year-Martirosyan, who hails from Glendale, CA, has a professional record of 36-3-1 with 21 knockouts. He represented the United States in the 2004 Olympics. He secured a spot on the U.S. team by beating Haiti’s Andre Berto in a qualifying tournament. Vanes was on the same Olympic team with Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell. Notable boxers he beat as an amateur included Austin Trout (three times), Berto and Tim Bradley. In the Olympics, he won his first bout convincingly, 45-20 against Algeria’s Benamar Meskine, but lost to Cuba’s Lorenzo Aragon Armenteros, 20-11 in the second round.

“I’m thrilled to sign with the legendary Don King,” said Martirosyan. “I’m certain Don will guide my career in the right direction and in doing so, will get me another chance to become a world champion.”

King is the architect and impresario behind the legendary The Rumble In the Jungle and Thrilla in Manila and countless other historic classic boxing events.

“Vanes Norkovich Martirosyan is an unbelievable fighter, who is knocking on the door to reach his goal of becoming a world champion,” said King. “He is in the prime of his boxing career and I’m excited to be working with Vanes and his team.”

Nicknamed the Nightmare, Martirosyan made his professional debut in April of 2005, when he beat Jesse Orta in a four-round unanimous decision.

Vanes won 25 straight fights and finally received a title shot on Dec. 19, 2009, when he stopped Willie Lee at 2:13 of the third round to take the NABF, WBO and NABO light middleweight titles.

He won the WBC Silver light middleweight title with an unbelievable comeback win against Saul Roman, who he knocked out at 2:58 of the 7th round on June 4, 2011. He suffered his first loss in 34 fights on Nov. 9, 2013 to Demetrius Andrade for the WBO light middleweight title.

His last fight was his third loss of his career as he lost a unanimous decision on May 21, 2016 to Erislandy Lara for the WBA and IBO light middleweight titles. Vanes had previously had a draw with Lara after an accidental head butt.