LAS VEGAS – UFC bantamweight Jonathan Martinez wants his shot at a former champion.
On the main card of UFC Fight Night 221 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels, Martinez (18-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) entered the cage as a sizeable underdog against Said Nurmagomedov. Martinez dealt with an onslaught of spinning backfists, takedowns, and submission attempts from Nurmagomedov (17-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) to emerge victorious by unanimous decision.
Pulling off the upset was an exciting moment for Martinez, who has now won five straight, and is knocking on the door of the divisional rankings.
“I’m really excited, because I’m half Mexican, half Salvadorian, so I feel like I’m the first Salvadorian to be ranked,” Martinez told reporters at the post-fight news conference. “I worked real hard with my team to get here.”
Martinez believes his run is strong enough now to earn the attention of former champ Dominick Cruz, or he would like to welcome former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueredo to the bantamweight division.
“Well, my last fight I called out Dominick, but I wasn’t ranked,” Martinez said. “So, he wasn’t even looking at me. So, I’m ranked now, so, you know, hopefully, he does. And with Figgy, I could welcome him to 135.”
