Jonathan Martinez is set to face Jose Aldo, a fighter he admired growing up, at UFC 301, marking the third time he’s gone up against a fighter he used to look up to.
“Never meet your heroes,” they say. But what about throwing punches at them?
This Saturday, UFC 301 is the stage. Jonathan Martinez is set to face a third fighter he idolized growing up. This time, it’s Jose Aldo in the co-main event. When he first got the offer, Martinez was taken aback. He didn’t immediately realize he was up against the Jose Aldo. After all, Aldo had hung up his gloves back in 2022.
Then it clicked. He was about to face arguably the greatest featherweight in history. A consistent contender among the best fighters at 135 pounds. Martinez’s focus shifted. He was going to beat Aldo. The situation felt eerily similar to his past UFC bouts with Cub Swanson and Thomas Almeida.
“I used to watch [Jose Aldo] back in eighth, ninth grade,” Martinez confessed to MMA Fighting. “Same with Cub Swanson. I’d sit on the couch with my folks, my brother, watching those fights. Never thought I’d be in the ring with them. Yet, here we are.”
Martinez’s journey with UFC forced him to switch from fan to opponent early on. He had to face one of his favorite fighters.
“This is my third time going against [someone I admired],” Martinez said. “First time was Thomas Almeida. I was a huge fan. I remember posting on Instagram that he’d be a world champ one day. He was just beating guys up in Legacy [FC].”
“When his name came up, it was a short-notice fight. I told my coach we’d take it. I went out there and I beat him. After that, I was like, ‘That was pretty cool.'”
Martinez beat Almeida by decision. Two years later, he took down Swanson with leg kicks and earned a Performance of the Night bonus.
Now, he’s looking to add Aldo to his win column at UFC 301. He respects “The King of Rio,” but Martinez knows it’s his time to shine.
“I’m going out there to make a statement,” Martinez said. “Maybe get some of his fans too. He had his chance. Now it’s my turn.”
“This is going to be real good. Excited I got this opportunity to fight and it’s even better to fight someone in their town. I like that feeling.”
As for the matchup, Martinez is keeping his strategy under wraps. But there’s been some buzz about watching him exchange leg kicks with Aldo.
Aldo, during his rise to fame in the WEC and UFC, was notorious for brutalizing his opponents with leg kicks. He once left Urijah Faber with so many bruises, it looked like Faber was wearing purple pants.
Martinez, on the other hand, has stopped two of his past three opponents with leg kicks. This sets the stage for a potential lumberjack showdown with Aldo.
But Martinez is quick to remind everyone that he’s not just about leg kicks. Don’t expect him to start swinging those just to prove a point because he’s fighting Aldo.
“I’m going to try to mix everything up,” Martinez said. “He’s really good everywhere. I’m going to try to do everything. It’s mixed martial arts. Some fights I throw kicks, some fights I don’t. We’ll see.”
More than anything, Martinez wants to keep climbing the bantamweight ranks. Facing a legend like Aldo helps. He admires the legendary Brazilian, but Martinez has no problem playing spoiler to Aldo in his home country. Especially if it’s likely to be Aldo’s final UFC appearance.
“I am excited for that,” Martinez said. “Just to show my skill and prove I belong in the top five. If I can get him out of there, it’s going to bring a lot of eyes. So that’s my goal — to get him out of there.”