David Martinez scored the biggest win of his career at UFC Mexico, defeating Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera in the evening’s co-main event.
Vera struggled in the opening round as Martinez’s speed proved to be a problem for the one-time title challenger. For much of the first and into the second, ‘Chito’ struggled to track down Martinez and land anything of note.
Halfway through the contest, Martinez started to find his range, catching Vera with a stinging right hand. ‘Chito’ responded with a head kick that partially connected, but that allowed Martinez to kick out Vera’s other leg, scoring the first takedown of the fight.
Martinez appeared to slow down towards the end of the second, giving Vera a much-needed opportunity in the third and final round.
Unfortunately, Vera showed little urgency as Martinez circled the cage, staying on his bicycle and avoiding a potential firefight with Vera. With the clock ticking down, ‘Chito’ connected with a right hand that had Martinez retreating, but it wouldn’t be enough to narrow the gap on the scorecards.
Official Result: David Martinez def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
