This Saturday in Las Vegas, the featherweight match at UFC Vegas 81 Fight Night will feature Sodiq Yusuff vs. Edson Barboza as the main event. However, this is not the only matchup fans will have their eyes on, as several intriguing matchups are on the card, including Jonathan Martinez vs. Adrian Yanez. Ahead of their matchup, InsideSport had the opportunity to interview Martinez. During the interview, Martinez, who is on a 5-match winning streak, spoke about his inspiration, former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre. Let’s dive in to learn more.
UFC Star Says Georges St-Pierre, the Driving Force Ahead of Barboza vs Yusuff Showdown
Martinez, with a solid five-year tenure in the company, flaunts an impressive record of 9 wins out of 12 fights within the organization. His recent victory against Said Nurmagomedov not only broke the latter’s winning streak but also showcased Martinez’s fighting prowess. During a recent interview with InsideSport, when asked about the fighter he looks up to and admires the most, Martinez wasted no time in expressing his deep admiration for GSP.
He stated, “One of my favorite fighters, I gotta go with GSP. One of my favorite fighters, I’m just a big fan growing up I used to watch him. I liked his gears. I would like to meet him one day. Yeah I learned a lot I know he trains with different stuff and I also used to watch many of his motivational stuff to watch how his career started it’s pretty cool.” Check it out below.
There is no doubt that GSP is one of the all-time greats. His last appearance in the octagon was in 2017, where he secured his second UFC title with an impressive victory against Michael Bisping in a different weight division. However, after claiming the title, health concerns led him to step away from the sport, and he officially retired from MMA in 2019.
During his illustrious career, he made numerous superstars and fans fall in love with the sport, gaining admirers like Martinez, who himself is on a path to become a UFC champion given his winning streak and the trajectory of his career.
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Now, it will be intriguing to see how the GSP fan, Martinez, will fare against Yanez in his match at UFC Vegas 81. The question arises: will he be able to continue his winning streak as he aims to become a champion within the next two years, as he stated in the InsideSport interview? We’ll get to know in the future.
Watch UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs Barboza on 15th October 2023 from 4:30 AM onwards LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu).