Jonathan Martinez is building quite the resume in the UFC.
The 28-year-old bantamweight is picking up steam, as he scored a brutal TKO over veteran Cub Swanson this past Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 212. The victory capped off a four-fight winning streak and a 6-1 run that includes wins over notable opposition such as Thomas Almeida, Alejandro Perez, Frankie Saenz, and now Swanson.
Although Martinez (17-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) is on a roll in the division, the Factory X product sees himself as the dark horse of the weight class.
“Yeah, I’ve always seen myself (as the dark horse),” Martinez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I see that I don’t get credit, or I don’t know, because I see some win two, and they go up, and they’re talked about.
“I think that with this win and I see the comments like, ‘Oh, who’s he? Did he just sign?’ And I’ve been fighting for many years here, and they’re just starting to recognize me. But yeah, that’s how I see myself.”
Martinez says he enjoys the dark horse or underdog role, and he won’t switch gears and indulge in the trash talk to bolster his standing in the weight class.
“I like it,” Martinez said. “I train very hard, and I don’t need to be talking. I like to show my work in the cage. I respect all my opponents because they also have family and all that. I’m going to do my job, win or lose, and give it my all.”
After his TKO win at UFC Fight Night 212, Martinez expressed interest in fighting former champions Dominick Cruz or Cody Garbrandt.
He wants a name of that caliber, as he thinks it’s time he gets an opportunity to enter the rankings.
“Yeah, I want a big name of that type,” Martinez said. “There needs to be new blood up top. Many of them have been fighting at the top for a long time, and they’re always there. They already had their time, and it’s time for the younger fighters to get their turn.
“He (Dominick Cruz) has always been there. There is Cody (Garbrandt). There’s T.J (Dillashaw). Jose Also was there, but he just retired. They already had their time, and now it’s my turn to go up in the rankings.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.
