Athletes
Melissa Martinez Knows What She Is Capable Of
Mexico’s Melissa Martinez Wants To Perfectly Execute Her Gameplan And Get Her First UFC Win On Saturday Night
Melissa Martinez and her brother David Martinez made history a few weeks ago as the first brother and sister duo simultaneously competing in the UFC. Her brother was awarded a UFC contract on week 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series. Being able to compete side by side with her brother throughout her career is something that motivates her.
“It has been amazing because we have been able to share this since the beginning, since we were little,” Martinez said. “We've always trained together, and we do have a lot of different training partners, but no matter where we go to train, we go together. I think we're the ones that spend the most time together, so we know each other 100% and including that he has been able to be in my corner, as well.”
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The 27-year-old made her UFC debut two years ago at UFC 279, losing to Elise Reed by unanimous decision. But heading into her second fight week on the roster, Martinez is feeling more confident and has been putting in the work to sharpen her skills and secure her first win inside the Octagon.
“My debut was very important to me and a very special moment, so it's something I'll always take with me,” Martinez said. “Now is a different kind of situation because I know the level that I need to be at to be in this company, to be in this organization, and I'm going to enjoy every single moment I can in that Octagon.”
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This weekend, she faces an opponent that is also relatively new to the organization and searching for her first win, Alice Ardelean. Ardelean made her debut a few months ago in Manchester, losing to Shauna Bannon by split decision. All but one of her victories has come by way of finish. Martinez knows she doesn’t have any easy test ahead, but is confident her preparation will lead her to victory.
“As far as the fighters in this organization, they only choose the best, so the people that fight here are only the best in the world,” Martinez said. “I know that at this level everybody is a really good fighter. Alice is obviously coming off a loss in her fight, so she's probably going to be eager to win, as well. I think both of us are going to be giving 100%. I think this is going to be really entertaining for the fans.”
In terms of strategy and gameplan, Martinez has it ready to go. She said implementing a strategy was a big focus during this camp, and in the two years since her debut, she really focused on the physical aspects of the game, in addition to the mental aspects. The strawweight understands that MMA is a complete sport and believes she has leveled up her game in a variety of aspects.
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She isn’t underestimating what Ardelean may bring to the table, but overall, she thinks she has more weapons and tools to get the job done.
“I do understand what I need to do and what I need to do to actually make the strategy happen,” Martinez said. “We've been working a lot on this and making the strategy work to win the fight. I do think that there's an advantage for me on the speed side. I think I'm quicker than her and I think I'm going to take advantage of that.”
Every fighter that steps in the Octagon dreams of getting their hand raised for the first time and every time after that. For Martinez, it would be more than just a win.
“If I do my job, that means that we're going to come out with a win. It'll be really important for myself, for my team and for my family, but also for Mexico, too, for my country, because I'm very proud to represent my country.”
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