David Martinez outpoints Marlon Vera in UFC Mexico co-main event
david martinez used fast hands and movement to frustrate Marlon "Chito" Vera and took a unanimous decision in the UFC Mexico co-main event, a victory that moves him to 3-0 in the promotion and positions him for a higher-ranked opponent next time out.
David Martinez frustrates Marlon Vera
All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Martinez after he spent much of the bout popping Vera with quick two- and three-punch combinations and circling away before his opponent could counter. Martinez recognized Vera’s fight-ending power and relied on speed, accuracy and movement to avoid extended exchanges while landing damaging shots when he chose to attack.
Takedowns, a caught kick and early ground strikes
Martinez caught a kick and put Vera on the canvas, unloading nasty ground strikes before the first round ended. He also secured another takedown later after absorbing a hard head kick, and those sequences helped him build the edge that the judges ultimately rewarded.
Coach Jason Parillo urged urgency with five minutes remaining
With five minutes remaining, Vera’s coach Jason Parillo implored his fighter to hit the gas and go for broke because there was little chance he would win a decision. Vera tried to close distance and threw quick combinations, but Martinez’s movement forced Vera to press and leave openings that Martinez continued to exploit.
Late rally fell short as Martinez stayed elusive
Martinez was slower in the third round, and Vera pressed looking for a knockout while digging to the body. Just before time expired, Vera opened with a barrage that appeared to hurt Martinez, but Martinez remained elusive, fired back and moved away until the final bell.
What the result means
The victory makes david martinez 3-0 in the UFC and bolsters his standing as a contender worth watching; he said after the win, "He’s a really hard fighter. He hits really hard. I’m here to represent and I’m really happy. This is the biggest mixed martial arts organization in the world … whoever they give me, I’m going to be ready. " Vera suffered his third straight loss, marking the longest losing streak of his career.
Other items from UFC Mexico and surrounding coverage
A daily roundup of UFC and MMA news and results included several other notes from the event weekend:
- Arman Tsarukyan and Georgio Poullas face off at RAF 6.
- Get Brandon Moreno vs. Lone’er Kavanagh full fight video highlights from UFC Mexico main event Saturday night.
- David Martinez beat Marlon Vera at UFC Mexico, but his performance still left some people wanting more.
- King Green put a beatdown on Daniel Zellhuber and referee Herb Dean didn’t help the situation at UFC Mexico on Saturday.
Other web pages linked with the coverage returned site notices: 429 Too Many Requests, and a separate message read, "elpasotimes. com wants to ensure the best experience for all of our readers, so we built our site to take advantage of the latest technology, making it faster and easier to use. Unfortunately, your browser is not supported. Please download one of these browsers for the best experience on elpasotimes. com. "
Martinez will undoubtedly look for an even higher-ranked opponent in his next outing; Vera will be seeking to end a three-fight skid that now stands as the longest losing streak of his career.
