Ground Zero Grappling 4 check in with Will Martinez
Will Martinez is one of the best MMA fighters that Philadelphia has had. Martinez is a Bellator veteran and fought to a 13-3-1 record. Grappling though, has always had the biggest piece of his heart. The 3rd degree blackbelt under Carlos Machado continues to be a pillar in combat sports even though he hasn’t been in the cage since 2017. Martinez BJJ, located in Northeast Philadelphia, remains one of the top schools in the region.
Will has seen the explosion in submission grappling events and has competed in several himself. On Saturday September 23rd, he once again heads to the center of the mat to look for a submission. This time it will be for his own event as Ground Zero Grappling 4 goes down on the waterfront in South Philadelphia’s Sheetmetal Workers Union Hall. Martinez has done a terrific job with matchmaking the first three GZ shows and was happy to get an opportunity for himself to work.
I’ve been blessed to be a part of the Ground Zero team handling commentary. For some preparation, I took the short trip over to see Will and ask him a little bit about grappling in general and GZ4. When I asked Will about how he improves his jiu-jitsu, he tells MyMMANews…
“My skill set keeps improving because I have an open-door policy. Anyone that comes in here, I train with them at a level, and if they’re going soft, I won’t allow it. I just want to keep getting better. The only way to do that is to grind and work hard and have guys come after you. You’ll never hear me say let’s take it easy. That’s for sure.”
Please check out our interview on the link above
Will touches on the card and the grappling community growth. He is also excited to see his daughter Lana have a match. Lana is one of the top teen grapplers in the region. When she’s not on the card, Lana is always busy keeping the shows on schedule and learning the trade working very diligently backstage. Lana is a fierce competitor like her dad, and also has plans to transition to MMA in the future.
The combat sports community continues to thrive. The Martinez family is a big reason for that!
