If there was a front-runner for Fight of the Night at UFC Vegas 81 when the full card was first announced, you have to imagine that Jonathan Martinez vs. Adrian Yanez would have been it.
Two fighters who have proven to be consistently exciting at 135lbs, Martinez and Yanez were as close as you could get to a guaranteed high-octane scrap.
Early on, there was a fair amount of feeling out, but the tone changed quickly when Martinez began landing some absolutely nasty leg kicks. Just a couple of those, and by the midway point of the round, Yanez was almost falling off them. He was hobbled, and switched stances to protect that lead leg. Even in doing so, Yanez was walking gingerly, though he did manage to get his hands going, hitting a combination to the body.
With a minute left in the round, another Martinez kick took Yanez’s legs out from under him. Martinez hesitated, opted not to get on top, and backed off, allowing Yanez up. Yanez connected with a left ahead of the horn, while Martinez fired a few more kicks.
Round two found Yanez still trying to cope with the damage to that limb. Martinez backed him up to the fence, only for Yanez to circle out. But the kicks continued, and Yanez was losing more and more mobility by the minute. Unable to move laterally, Yanez again was pushed back to the fence. Finally, Martinez ripped one last leg kick, and done went Yanez for good, with the ref waving off the fight. Painful to watch, but perfectly executed by Jonathan Martinez.
With Martinez ranked #13 and Yanez #14 at 135lbs, the Factory X fighter should jump up a spot or two in the rankings next week.
Official Result: Jonathan Martinez def. Adrian Yanez by TKO (leg kick), Round 2, 2:26
