Jonathan Martinez thought fighting Jose Aldo would be the same as any other opponent. Then the pair got into the octagon at UFC 301, and everything was different.
Martinez (19-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was tasked with welcoming UFC Hall of Famer Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) back from retirement in the co-headliner of the May event in Rio de Janeiro. It didn’t go his way, because “Scarface” turned in a vintage performance to win a unanimous decision.
The result snapped Martinez’s six-fight winning streak, and compared to some of his other recent showings, it seemed he just couldn’t get his offensive going in an effective manner. According to Martinez, much of that had to with being in awe of the legend he was sharing the octagon with.