David Martinez has made a statement that he is a true bantamweight contender, and the future of Marlon "Chito" Vera might be uncertain, as Martinez scored the win in their UFC Mexico co-main event bout.
Martinez got off to a strong start, working over Vera with his striking on the front foot and making Vera miss. Vera brought the fight to the ground, but Martinez stayed in control of the fight.
Vera looked to build momentum again early in the second round, but Martinez kept distance and used his speed to land and cut Vera off. Martinez landed a pair of solid punches midway through the round, and while Martinez ate a head kick from "Chito," he stayed on his feet and scored a sweep to control the action on the ground again.
Vera looked to land power in the third round, but Martinez's speed proved to be the difference again. Vera landed a pair of strong left hands in the closing seconds, but it wasn't enough.
David Martinez Defeats Marlon Vera At UFC Mexico
Martinez extends his win streak to 10 and is now 3-0 in the UFC since coming in from Dana White's Contender Series. Martinez entered tonight's bout with a finish of Saimon Oliveira and a decision win over Rob Font.
Vera has now lost four straight and five of his last six, with defeats to the likes of Sean O'Malley, Deiveson Figueiredo, Cory Sandhagen, and Aiemann Zahabi.