“I don’t want to risk getting sick, not at this time,” said Martinez of the switch from hill to dreadmill during prep for a fight that has a lot of importance attached to it after he dropped his first two UFC bouts to Alexandr Romanov and Don’Tale Mayes. So while every fight is a must-win at this level, this is a must must-win.
“One hundred percent, that’s all I’m thinking,” Martinez said. “It’s kill or be killed. I’m willing to put it all on the line, and absolutely whatever it takes to win and put on a show, that’s how I feel going into this fight.”
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Win and put on a show. The way the 35-year-old has always operated is that the two go hand-in-hand, and it’s why he’s built a following among the hardcore followers of the sport. So while a win is preferable against Parisian, an exciting win is even better, and among the heavyweights, one win is often all it takes to make folks forget about an 0-2 start.