Unknown Adriano Martins Has Chance To Make A Big Splash At UFC on FOX 10

By Adam Martin

You may not have heard of Adriano Martins, and that’s understandable, as he’s had only one fight in the UFC, and it was on Facebook. But this weekend at UFC on FOX 10, the Brazilian lightweight is being given an opportunity to make a big splash on American network television.

The 31-year-old takes on fan favorite Donald Cerrone in a three-round lightweight bout that occupies one of four main card television spots on this weekend’s FOX card. Considering that the majority of the fights that have aired on FOX over the promotion’s first nine events on the national network have involved big-name fighters and popular veterans, it’s somewhat shocking that the unknown Martins is being given such a big opportunity after just one fight in the UFC.

Let’s face it, when you look at the eight fighters on the FOX card this weekend, Martins stands out like a sore thumb as by far the most unknown fighter getting a push on the UFC’s biggest stage. But when you consider how dominant he looked against Daron Cruickshank in his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 32, it’s obvious UFC matchmaker Joe Silva likes this guy a lot, and he wants to see him tested against a top-10 fighter right away. That’s how high Silva is on Martins, and I totally understand it.

Against Cruickshank, Martins — who is a BJJ black belt who has captured numerous medals and awards on the world BJJ circuit — showed that he has strong stand-up skills as well as a strong ground game, as he was able to use his long punches to knock Cruickshank down in round one despite the fact most figured Cruickshank was the superior striker heading into the bout. Then, in the second round, Martins was able to use his superior size and strength to bully Cruickshank to the floor and submit him soon after with a beautiful straight armbar to capture the $50,000 bonus for “Submission of the Night.”

In the fight with Cruickshank, Martins was a much bigger fighter who was able to push Cruishank around with ease. However, against Cerrone, the Brazilian will actually be at a slight height and reach disadvantage, and I think that’s the most intriguing part of this matchup as this weekend, as we’ll see if Martins can compete with someone his own size, not just beat up a blown-up lightweight like Cruickshank.

When I first heard this fight between Marins and Cerrone was announced, I was very much against it because “Cowboy” is a top-10 fighter and I thought he should have gotten a fight with another top-10 fighter. And I didn’t feel that Martins, who is only 1-0 in the UFC, was deserving of a fight against someone as highly-ranked as Cerrone.

But just last week, Cerrone admitted he is having money problems and it was he who asked Joe Silva to book an opponent for him just over two months from the date of his last fight, a fantastic submission victory over Evan Dunham at UFC 167. According to Cerrone, Silva said he had a matchup with Martins available if he wanted to take it, and despite not knowing who Martins was, Cerrone accepted the bout offer because he didn’t care who it was, he just wanted a fight so he could make some money.

The fact that Cerrone’s primary motivation for this fight is money — and not first and foremost getting a win that will get him closer to a rematch with UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis — scares me, because we all know that despite Cerrone’s physical talents, his mental game has lacked at times. So I actually feel like Martins is catching Cerrone at a good time here, and I’m honestly not going to be shocked if the Brazilian scores an upset victory as the underdog.

Should Martins win, he will immediately jump “into the mix” at 155 pounds, and join fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Michael Johnson, and Myles Jury in the tier of lightweights just beneath the elite of the division like Pettis, Gilbert Melendez, and Benson Henderson. And that’s a good spot for Martins to be in in 2014, as the UFC continues to hold more and more shows in his native Brazil. This weekend, if Martins beats Cerrone on FOX and it comes in exciting fashion, don’t be surprised if he headlines a fight night card in Brazil this year.

For a fight that I originally didn’t like, I’m now a lot more intrigued about this matchup in the days leading up to it, and the bout is now my pick for “Sleeper Fight of the Night” at UFC on FOX 10.