Bantamweights
NR | Jonathan Martinez (13-3, 4-2 UFC) vs. NR | Davey Grant (12-4, 3-3 UFC)Martinez did not come into the UFC with much hype, but the “Dragon” has put together a solid string of performances that made him a prospect to watch. Martinez has proven to be a building fighter over the course of his appearances, as his best moments often come in the later rounds. Still, most of his UFC career has been marked by an overabundance of caution. He did not get much done leading up a third-round knockout of Pingyuan Liu, and his willingness to stay at range cost him a decision against Andre Ewell. However, Martinez has pressed the issue a bit more in his recent fights and enters the cage on the heels of a breakthrough win against Thomas Almeida in October, which saw him look sharp both leading and countering. Given that performance, it was surprising to see him take a step back here against Grant, though “Dangerous Davey” should still be a solid challenge. Grant’s UFC career has been marred by inactivity. The Englishman made it to the final of “The Ultimate Fighter 18” at the tail end of 2013, but injuries kept him out of the cage until 2016 and also caused him to miss all of 2017. When he makes it to the Octagon, Grant is a reliably entertaining fighter. He is willing to set a pace and can hold his own on the feet and on the ground, but he is not a particularly controlling fighter. Grant’s wrestling and grappling make this a bit of an interesting style matchup, given that Martinez’s takedown defense is not overly reliable. Even if Grant can find some success, Martinez should be able to find his way back to his feet and have a winning performance. The pick is Martinez via third-round stoppage.
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