Said Nurmagomedov vs Jonathan Martinez booked for UFC FN 221
We’ve just been informed of an incredibly exciting bantamweight bout going down at UFC Fight Night 221, and that’s a clash between no. 14 ranked Said Nurmagomedov (17-2) and Jonathan Martinez (17-4).
UFC Fight Night 221 is to go down on March 11, 2023, live from The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Paradise, Nevada.
Both Nurmagomedov and Martinez have done very well for themselves as of late, both coming into this bout on their own respective four-fight win streaks.
Beginning with Said Nurmagomedov, a former AFC bantamweight champion; he made his UFC debut in July of 2018 with a record of 11-1, and quickly went 2-0 inside the promotion through his first two octagon bouts, defeating the likes of Justin Scoggins (SD) and Ricardo Ramos (TKO).
Nurmagomedov was then defeated by Raoni Barcelos (UD), before returning nearly a year later to KO Mike Striegl in a mere 51 seconds. He would then submit (guillotine choke) Cody Stamann in just 47 seconds of his next outing, before winning a unanimous decision over Douglas Silva de Andrade in July of 2022.
That brings us to Nurmagomedov’s latest appearance, where he was absolutely mauled by Saidyokub Kakhramonov for eight minutes, prior to sinking in another guillotine choke finish at 3:50 of round two.
Then we have Jonathan Martinez, one of the brightest young prospects in the sport today.
Martinez came to the UFC in October of 2018 with a record of 9-1; he was a former XFL flyweight and bantamweight champion, and his lone defeat came to UFC flyweight contender Matt Schnell via disqualification.
So really, he’d never lost a fight.
That would all change in the Fall of 2018 however.
After losing his promotional debut to Andre Soukhamthath (UD), Martinez would go 4-1 over his next five bouts, securing two knockouts in that time, the only defeat coming to Andre Ewell via a very, very controversial split decision that literally everyone knows he won.
Martinez was then KO’d by Davey Grant, the only time he’s been finished thus far through his 21-fight career, before going on his recent four-fight win streak, the fourth victory of which seeing him TKO longtime featherweight staple Cub Swanson at 4:19 of round two.
Both of these killers have very bright futures ahead of them.
Who walks away from this bantamweight clash going down at UFC FN 221 the victor?
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