LAS VEGAS – Jonathan Martinez is tasked with welcoming UFC Hall of Famer Cub Swanson to the bantamweight division, and seems confident ahead of the challenge.
The UFC Fight Night 212 bout will serve as the co-main event, and it’s a big one for Martinez (16-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) as he gets a chance to take on one of the toughest opponents of his 10-fight UFC career in Swanson (28-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC).
Despite Swanson dropping down a weight class for this one, Martinez expects the same Swanson he and everyone else is used to seeing in the past at featherweight.
“I assume it’s going to be the same, from his old tape and stuff like that,” Martinez told reporters including MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s media day. “… I watched him when I was growing up and stuff. I was super young. But yeah, at the end of the day, when I go in there, it’s just another person.”
Martinez enters Saturday on the heels of three consecutive wins, having defeated Zviad Lazishvili, Alejandro Perez, and Vince Morales in succession. Saturday’s fight against Swanson will be his third competition of 2022.
You can watch Martinez’s full media day interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.