Jose Aldo’s return to the Octagon was not expected by the MMA community, however, Dana White had to bring in a heavyweight to save the Brazil card. The veteran fighter will face the young talent Jonathan Martinez at the UFC 301. Aldo is on a losing streak while on the other hand, Martinez is on a six-fight winning streak. Their fight is important for ‘Dragon’ as he wants to bring glory to his people.

The American fighter has been one of the best bantamweight fighters in the promotion. Currently ranked 14th, Martinez is looking to clinch the victory to move towards the top 10 status. Ahead of their clash, let’s take a look at Dragon’s roots and ethnicity.

Jonathan Martinez: Growing up in a different culture

Jonathan Martinez has always been a soft-spoken fighter and most of it might be attributed to his upbringing. Martinez has been embracing the way of the dragon since his father introduced him to the world of MMA at an early age and since then ‘Dragon’ made sure that he would be one of the greats.

Martinez had a rollercoaster ride growing up with the kids in his locality. Why you ask? Well, the fighter has three cultures embedded in him. ‘Dragon’ was born to a Salvadorian mother and a Mexican father, and he grew up in the streets of California till his parents moved to Plainview, Texas, at the age of 13.

Martinez’s father introduced him to the art of MMA a year later when he took him to the Taekwondo class to learn discipline. his love for Martial arts turned him into a professional fighter. The inception of MMA in Martinez’s world turned his life around as the fighter is already planning to work on his Gym after retiring from fighting altogether.

‘Dragon’s Gym: Training with the Next Generation

Unlike many fighters, Jonathan Martinez wants more than just the UFC belt. He wants the legacy to stay behind. In order to make it a reality, Martinez has opened a gym where he and his brothers train kids. ‘Dragon’ is already planning how he would like to spend his lifetime after retiring from MMA.

The fighter has a gym in Plainv͏iew called the MTZ Fig͏ht Clu͏b. When Martinez prepares for ͏his fights in Colorado with the Facto͏ry X squad, Martinez’s brothe͏rs take care of the young ones who train there. Even D͏ragon’s ͏kids t͏rain at the gym, and he is very proud of their progress. “They started doing competitions too, so it’s pretty cool,” Martinez said about his kids aged 14 and 12. The fighter is proud of his kids stepping on the same road where he started.

Nonetheless, what’s your take on Jonathan Martinez? State your thoughts in the comments below.