Atlanta, GA — Lightweight Alex Martinez is headed to the PFL post-season, after getting past the hard-hitting Clay Collard at PFL 4 on Friday in Atlanta.
It was no easy task, with Martinez (10-2, 1NC) picking up a split decision win to lock up a playoff spot.
After the victory, Martinez said he was confident he’d done enough to get the victory.
“I’m very picky with myself. I’m happy that I got the victory, thank God for that. I know I won; it was a close fight, don’t get me wrong, and yes he did drop me once there, but I thought I won,” Martinez told Cageside Press following the fight at the Overtime Elite Arena. “I was close to finishing him too, just like he was close to finishing me— well not really, because I knew I wasn’t going to give up, but I almost had him.”
“I guess it’s just part of fighting,” Martinez continued. “I’m a little disappointed I couldn’t finish it, but at the same time, at this level, it’s not easy. He’s a dog, he hasn’t been finished in a while, he beat big names, and man, we pulled it though, so we’re here now.”
If the post-season were to start tomorrow, Martinez would be facing the #2 seed in the lightweight division. That’s not set in stone just yet, however, as Anthony Pettis, ranked first overall, will fight Stevie Ray later this month.
“Right now it looks like I’m fighting my friend, Olivier-Aubin Mercier, which is always something that I wouldn’t enjoy,” Martinez said when asked about his next fight. “I’d probably like to fight him in the finals. Hopefully we see Stevie Ray, Stevie Ray gets to pull through and bumps me out so I don’t fight my friend Olivier.”
For that to happen, Ray would need a finish of Pettis and six points. Raush Manfio would then be dropped from the post-season.
Watch the full PFL 4 post-fight press scrum with Alex Martinez above.
