Prospect in the Spotlight (Oct 4-5): David Martinez

Introduction

Tuesday, October 1st, Mexican bantamweight prospect David Martinez will be in action for Dana White’s Contender Series, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Xavier Franklin. He will be looking for another win, as Martinez looks to score a contract with the UFC. He represents Bonebreakers MMA, a solid camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”

Strengths

Striking: Martinez is a flashy, skilled striker that has really shown of his abilities in the cage thus far in his career. He is good at getting range, despite being just 5’5″. He is aggressive in moving forward and landing combinations. He has immense one-strike knockout power, especially in his hands where he shows competent boxing. He also has a strong kicking game, especially his low kicks. That said, he also has a head kick knockout over UFC veteran Francisco Rivera.

Conditioning: Martinez has a very deep gas tank and he uses it to his advantage in his fights. He has no problem picking his shots and accumulating damage on his opponents, knowing he will not get tired. In fact, Martinez has scored knockouts in the fourth round of his last two fights, showing he stays dangerous as the fight fatigues both fighters. That conditioning and constant danger as the fight wears on is a major advantage for the former Combate Global Champion.

Needs Improvement

Lack of Track Record vs. Wrestlers: Martinez has shown himself quite competent against fellow strikers and guys with solid jiu-jitsu, but we’ve yet to really see him against an opponent with UFC-level wrestling. That is a question mark on Martinez’s otherwise strong skillset.

Outlook

UFC Mid-to-Upper Midcarder: Martinez is obviously very talented and appears to be one of the best prospects on this season of the Contender Series. He was a star for Combat Global and was a human highlight reel, which is where he built his reputation. With his finishing ability, he’s clearly a guy that is right up Dana White’s alley. He has an underrated opponent in Xavier Franklin for this fight, who does possess the wrestling to challenge Martinez. If Martinez passes this test, especially with flying colors, I think he goes to the UFC and has a solid career.