Melissa Martinez returned to action for the first time in 2025 at UFC Nashville, kicking off the show against Fatima Kline.
Both fighters came in with 1-1 records under the UFC banner; both entered Saturday’s strawweight contest off their first win inside the octagon.
Kline took center early and pressed the action in Saturday’s curtain-jerker, taking the fight to Martinez and forcing her to circle on the outside. Kline attacked with low kicks, jabs, kicks to the body, and combinations, displaying solid footwork and keeping Martinez guessing. When Martinez fired back with a kick of her own, she spun around like a top, out of position, but quickly regained her composure. Martinez would get off some better kicks are the round progressed, firing to the body. What should could not get off, however, was the fence. Kline was also the busier fighter, landing more impactful strikes even as Martinez took some big swings.
Kline would clinch up briefly with a minute left in the round, but Martinez pulled free almost immediately. That was followed by a solid jab or two from Fatima Kline, who was off to a good start after five minutes.
Round two saw the pair clinch up early, with Kline looking for a takedown and Martinez defending. Martinez did stay upright, but was forced to eat some knees to the body for her efforts. When she finally extricated herself, she was under fire from Kline, who just seemed a step ahead of Martinez in all areas. “Super Mely,” however, did manage to land a solid kick to the body, though Kline was able to do the same, followed by another in kind from Martinez. Martinez would also connected with a left hand, then a right, forcing Kline to clinch up again. A closer round, though Fatima Kline likely had the edge once again.
Kline went on the attack again to start round three, but Melissa Martinez was ready, popping off an uppercut on the counter. Martinez was almost certainly in need of a finish, however, and whether she’d find the opening was a big question. Martinez briefly caught a kick, but couldn’t dump Kline. And after getting her back off the fence a little more in the back half of round two, she was hemmed in again early in the third.
The finish would come, however. It just wasn’t Melissa Martinez landing it. Instead, Fatima Kline fired off a high kick after connecting with a right hand, her shin connecting clean on Martinez’s face. Martinez hit the canvas, and Kline landed a few follow-up strikes before the ref waved it off. Huge win for Kline, and a huge way to kick off UFC Nashville.
Official Result: Fatima Kline def. Melissa Martinez by TKO (head kick and strikes), Round 3, 2:36
