David Martinez’s gameplan against Marlon Vera was well executed, and that’s why he had his hand raised against the Ecuadorian.
In just his third UFC fight, Martinez took on former UFC title challenger “Chito” Vera in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 268 on Saturday in Mexico City. Martinez has well prepared for the big opportunity, but there was one thing he wasn’t expecting from his rival.
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“I didn’t expect his hand to be so heavy,” Martinez said in a post-fight interview with Paramount+. “Obviously, he’s one of the best in the division, but he did surprise me a lot in the fight. We were ready for everything and we were able to take home the victory.”
Martinez won a unanimous decison, scoring a 29-28 on all judges’ scorecards. Martinez was in control for the first 10 minutes of the fight, but Vera managed to rally back in the third.
“He stepped on the gas,” Martinez said. “I knew we had taken the first and second rounds, so it was kill or be killed for him, and that’s what happened. I felt the round was tougher, but still, I had fun in this fight.”
All in all, Martinez is happy with what he was able to display that night at Arena CDMX, and is proud of his work of recent years. He’s now 3-0 in the UFC, and on an impressive 10-fight winning streak.
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“I feel very happy,” Martinez said. “I’m very happy in being able to achieve the 10 wins with four of those, counting the one at (Dana White’s) Contender (Series), being here in the UFC. I’m very happy and I’m very excited .”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: David Martinez surprised in UFC Mexico decision win over Marlon Vera
