Jonathan Martinez has joined Edson Barboza in the exclusive club of fighters with more than one leg kick TKO in the UFC.
"Dragon" put on a masterclass against Adrian Yanez at UFC Fight Night 230, chopping at Yanez' leg early from the southpaw position. Despite an effort to check the kicks, Martinez' thudding shots eventually had Yanez hopping around the octagon.
A crafty technician, Martinez kept going to the bank with his kicks, and feinting kicks into his boxing when Yanez started to overreact. The fight entered the second round and Yanez had a renewed sense of urgency. The Texas native tried to turn the fight in his favor, but it was too little too late.
Martinez invested even more into Yanez' lead leg, and eventually the boxer dropped to the floor. The referee had seen enough and called off the fight. Coincidentally, the only other man to have more than one leg kick TKO in the UFC, Edson Barboza, was headlining the very same card just one fight away.
Martinez undoubtedly looks at a new ranking in the coming weeks. "Dragon" is now at the helm of an impressive six-fight win streak, with victories over Cub Swanson and Said Nurmagomedov included. Martinez, and his comrades from 'Different Breed MMA' are certainly fighters to look out for.
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