Leomana Martinez Aiming for First UFC Knockout, Performance Bonus Against Brandon Davis
Ultimate Fighting Championship fans have yet to see Leomana Martinez’s renowned finishing skills, something he plans to remedy soon. Martinez (9-3, 1-1 UFC) made his promotional debut in August 2021 when he took home a narrow split decision over Guido Cannetti at UFC on ESPN 30. Subsequently, “Manaboi” lost to Ronnie Lawrence via unanimous decision at UFC 271 in February. Before signing with the UFC, Martinez finished all his opponents with strikes inside the distance, earning a solid reputation as a prospect to watch. In recent times, Martinez made a few adjustments to his training routine, switching his camp and moving to Lee's Summit, Missouri, to train at Glory MMA and Fitness. Now, the 26-year-old believes the time is right to score his first knockout in the UFC as he takes on Brandon Davis at UFC Fight Night 212, possibly pocketing a nice $50,000 performance bonus.
“That's the plan. I've been seeing it in my head, replaying it over and over again. There's numerous ways I can get Brandon Davis out of there. I can see me getting my first finish, my first knockout, and back to my finishing ways like I did and what got me into the UFC, possibly walking away with that 50k. It's definitely been on my mind, and I've been working hard towards that goal every day, especially since moving out here full-time. It’s coming for sure.”
(00:00) Intro
(00:53) His loss to Ronnie Lawrence
(02:28) Praising Lawrence’s toughness
(03:16) The biggest takeaway from that fight
(04:01) Studying his opponents
(04:58) Facing Davis
(06:34) Acquiring Octagon time
(08:21) Training at Glory MMA & Fitness
(09:23) His sparring partners
(10:42) Picking Alexa Grasso vs. Viviane Araujo
(11:44) Predicting a knockout
(12:40) His walkout music choices
(13:57) Outro