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The MMA world was left speechless when Adrian Luna Martinetti and Mark Vologdin clashed in this season of Dana White Contender Series. So much so that many fans are already labeling it as “Fight of the Year.”
Martinetti (17-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Vologdin (12-4-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) went to war for 15 minutes in hopes of impressing the UFC brass to get a contract with the promotion. It was a special bout that had multiple momentum shifts, but in the end, had Martinetti taking home the win by unanimous decision.
The fight was an absolute war. Both fighters were immediately transported to the hospital due to the nature of the fight, but they each left with UFC contracts and $25,000 bonuses – something that’s unprecedented in DWCS.
“It was incredible,” Martinetti told Hablemos MMA in Spanish, reflecting on his win. “Like I’ve told people, I had asked God, ‘God, whatever you’re going to do with my career, so be it, but I just want to be able to give it my all at this moment. I want to live this,’ and I feel like he tripled it for me. He gave me something much bigger than what I had asked for – the bonus, making history. It was all incredible, and I feel very grateful.”
Unlike most participants of DWCS, Martinetti and Vologdin didn’t have to wait till the end of the show to see if they were getting a contract with the promotion. Martinetti was told immediately that he was now with the UFC. News he had longed for, but the high of the fight and the moment was much bigger.
“I basically was let known right when I got off the cage,” Martinetti said when he found out he got a contract withthe UFC. “But I was just more excited, I actually didn’t mention the bonus until I got home after the hospital, that’s when it hit me. But to be honest, what I had in mind was just grateful like, ‘Wow, I feel so incredible I gave it my all.’ That’s what was on my mind the entire time. I feel incredible, having given it my all. That’s what I mainly thought of.”
After getting medically cleared, Martinetti went back to the hotel in Las Vegas where the DWCS fighters were staying, and as expected, the adrenaline wore off.
“I was exhausted, I was truly exhausted,” Martinetti said. “The first thing I did was talk to my family, eat pizza, and go to sleep. Since, I have just been recovering little by little, and I’m spending time with my family. I’m also working on a few projects I have. I’m recovering well.”
Martinetti can’t wait until he makes his UFC debut. He feels the war against Vologdin was transformative, and he’s excited about how he’s going to grow and evolve from the experience.
“This just made me much more sure of myself,” Martinetti said. “I gave it my all, and I know I will come in next time, a lot more confident and with more tools.”
