LAS VEGAS – Jordan Leavitt beat Victor Martinez with a first-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 220 in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Leavitt, who celebrated the first knockout of his career to come by strikes.
Jordan Leavitt vs. Victor Martinez
Result: Jordan Leavitt def. Victor Martinez via knockout (knees, punches) – Round 1, 2:33
Updated records: Leavitt (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Martinez (13-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stat: Eight of Leavitt’s 11 wins are by stoppage.
Leavitt on the fight's key moment
“I did not imagine in any of the scenarios in my head that I finished him that way, but I’m so happy I did. I learned so much. It was really crazy having the ref push me because I thought Victor somehow bumped me, so I was going to swing again. Then I saw the ref’s head and I was like, ‘Oh, I got a knockout.’ It wasn’t the game plan, but I’m way happier of that side of circumstances.”
Leavitt on his unlikely knockout
“That was a joke. That was straight up joke (predicting a knockout). I had no belief that I was really going to knock him out. I knew it was a possibility because things happen, but total joke. I would say to every interview, ‘I’m going to get another knockout,’ like, try to maybe speak it into existence, but that’s not going to happen. He’s never really been knocked out or I think hasn’t been knocked out since, like, his first fight. And he’s a striker and he has very good durability and he is very good at recovery and he’s tough as hell. There’s no way I was supposed to knock him out, if I’m being honest, but I did it.”
Leavitt on what he wants next
“My wife has not seen me fight since I’ve been in the UFC. My family, my mom, everyone that supported me all along the way, they haven’t been able to see me fight for now, half of my career. It really bums me out. But I really would love for my wife to be able to come to the next one – as long as I’m not flying to some other country where they hate me. Give me T-Mobile (Arena in Las Vegas). Give me the hometown crowd. I deserve it, damn it. And I could sell tickets there. I could sell tickets. This is my home.
“Let’s fight next week. Nothing happened to me. I mean, maybe when the adrenaline wears off, I’ll be like, recant that statement because I kicked some elbows and maybe my hands will hurt. I don’t know. But I could fight next week. As of now, I’m going to keep dieting just in case because I like the way I look when I’m skinny, and we’ll see what happens.”
To hear more from Leavitt, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 220.
