After a three-round bantamweight war, Jonathan Martinez defeated surging contender Said Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov faced Martinez on the main card of

UFC Vegas 71. Both athletes came into the fight with momentum, but the 14#ranked bantamweight Nurmagomedov was the favorite due to his all-roundedness. Despite predictions favoring the Russian, Martinez clutched the victory in stunning fashion.

The 30-year-old Russian came into the fight, having won four out of his last five. He was also riding a four-fight win streak. His opponent, the 28-year-old Martinez, was also riding a four-fight win streak, with four wins from his last five.

Nurmagomedov walked in with a 6-1 record in the UFC with notable wins over Ricardo Ramos and Cody Stamann. As for “Dragon” he boasted an 8-3 UFC record with his last win coming against UFC veteran Cub Swanson. Both fighters were fighting for a fifth straight win and a spot on the UFC bantamweight rankings.

Fans react to Said Nurmagomedov vs. Jonathan Martinez at UFC Vegas 71

Nurmagomedov started the fight with a strong first round. However, Martinez wasted no time matching Nurmagomedov’s offense with his own. While Nurmagomedov hunted for submissions, Martinez found a home for his heavy elbows multiple times.

While Nurmagomedov seemed to have had a strong first round. Martinez matched Nurmagomedov on the feet and on the ground to earn a hard-fought victory. The 28-year-old had all three judges score the fight 29-28 in his favor. The American also landed a heavy strike across Nurmagomedov’s face in the clinch that affected the Russian’s performance thereafter.

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Fanson Twitter reacted to that win in ecstatic fashion.

After the win, Martinez asked for a high-profile opponent along with a spot in the top 15. He name-dropped former champion Dominick Cruz and former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, who is supposedly planning to move up to 135 lbs.

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What did you think of that Jonathan Martinez performance? Do you agree with the judges’ call? What do you see next for these young bantamweights? Let us know in the comments below.