Heavyweight prospect Brett Martin knows his worth, feels UFC ready
Read Time:3 Minute, 56 Second
Brett Martin (9-1-1) has always marched to the beat of his own drum. As an amateur, Martin fought multiple unsanctioned bouts sans a coach or gym. Armed with only a wrestling background and what he taught himself about MMA, βBig Dogβ took eight fights in a yearβs span.
He went 7-1.
Then it was time to turn pro and that meant getting serious about fighting. Martin now splits his time at Triumph Muay Thai and Black Lion where he works closely with rising UFC prospect Jamahal Hill.
When a ‘W’ doesn’t feel like a victory
Since the move to a major gym, Martin has amassed an 8-1 record as a professional. As impressive as that may be, the road hasnβt been without its potholes. Martin entered the Legacy Fighting Alliance heavyweight tournament last year. LFA is largely a feeder organization for the UFC and often draws the eyes of UFC brass. A good showing there could change everything. In the semi-finals, Martinβs opponent landed multiple blows to the back of his head resulting in a disqualification.
The DQ meant that Martin technically won and advanced in the tourney. In the finals, in an almost unfathomable twist, he would again win after his opponent was disqualified for throwing illegal knees.
βIt took me a while to accept that those instances were not my fault,β Martin told The Scrap.Β βIt was like a nightmare, not scary or anything; it was just this dΓ©jΓ vu. It was sh*tty because I worked really hard. I always get a lot of hate because of how I look. Iβm the guy taking these fights and I look the way I look. A lot of these guys that are poster boys that they say deserve to be in the UFC may be cute, but they donβt take the fights I take.β
A rare asset
Martin is 6β0β and cuts to the heavyweight limit of 265-pounds. Heβs portly and lacking the chiseled physique of a Francis Ngannou. But heβs also a top heavyweight under the age of 30.
For fight promotions, finding athletic men of that stature has often proven to be a difficult task. Many heavyweights opt for the bigger payday in more established sports. There are of course good heavyweights but many of them are pushing into their forties. This makes Martin a commodity.
βI just turned 26. If you go back a year and half, Iβm 25, and I beat a guy who was a prospect on The Ultimate Fighter and the Contenderβs Series (Josh Parisian). They want young guys. Well, Iβm young. They want guys who will fight anyone. Well, over the last year my opponents combined records were like 28-8. All of those guys are legit. So Iβm doing these things and I just have heard no feedback at all. Itβs all about making those connections,β Martin explained.
Fighting for his spot
He was recently working those connections at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Burns. He flew to Las Vegas to corner Jamahal Hill at the event. If thatβs the closest he ever gets to the Octagon, he gets it. He never got into fighting with the intention of becoming a champion (though he now holds three regional titles). He actually never expected it to go this far. At this point, the dream is to help his friends grow and succeed. That doesnβt mean heβs not pushing towards his own goals, but Martin is happy in his role of lifting his partners.
Going forward, itβs only fights that make sense to Martin. Recently he was scheduled to take on Tony Lopezβthe number one ranked regional heavyweightβbut that event fell victim to the pandemic. Heβs also been in talks with the LFA matchmakers since the promotion landed on UFCβs streaming service, Fight Pass. PFL and Bellator are also on his radar as is the returning Contenderβs Series. Martin, though, knows heβs UFC ready.
βI see myself beating a lot of them [UFC heavyweights]. I see guys get poked in the eye and rush back in there or say unprofessional things. As you saw in my last two fights, Iβm very smart. I donβt talk to the ref until I know I can say the right things. Thatβs a big thing, having that kind of knowledge. Iβve been scheduled for five or six championship fights. How many guys can say theyβve done that before entering the UFC?β
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
100 %
About Post Author
Average Rating