Nurmagomedov had the speed advantage early and landed the bigger shots in the first, but Martinez displayed otherworldly toughness and tenacity, staying stuck to his Russian foe throughout, keeping the fight close and competitive. When one would have a good moment, the other would respond in kind, with neither gaining a clean, definitive advantage at any point over the course of the three-round clash.
The judges were called upon to determine the winner, and when the 10s and nines were totalled, it was Martinez that came out ahead, earning 29-28 scores on all three cards. That gives the 28-year-old Factory X representative five straight victories, seven wins in his last eight starts, and nine wins in a dozen appearances over the course of his UFC career. | Official Scorecards