David Martínez is one of the UFC’s newest names, drawing attention in 2025, as part of a generation of fresh talent entering the Octagon. He is proof that UFC is always on the lookout for prospects who can deliver, regardless of their professional background. With Martinez particularly, he comes forth with a storyline that inspires the whole wide world. 

He isn’t just another prospect climbing the bantamweight rankings; he carries a background that makes his story uniquely compelling. And as his career continues to build momentum, the question becomes: what makes David Martínez stand out from the rest? 

Where is David Martinez from? Ethnicity & nationality

David Martinez hails from Ecatepec de Morelos in the State of Mexico, and currently lives in Mexico City. Representing the Mexican tricolor, the 27-year-old trains at Bonebreakers.

Like most fighters, his reason to enter the fighting world was just “because I liked to fight.” His religious inclinations are still a mystery, but given that he’s from Mexico – a Catholic-majority nation – if we had to make an educated guess, he could be Christian. That’s one aspect of his life outside the Octagon. But there’s another – something that is far more intriguing and uncanny for an MMA fighter. 

David Martinez’s background & life as a doctor

As per UFC.com, the Mexican bantamweight contender stated, “I am a doctor, and in the sport, I am a kickboxing world champion.” Outside his fighting career, he’s a certified orthopedic surgeon by day. Talking to MMA Junkie, ‘Black Spartan’ revealed that he has an early morning at the hospital at 7 am. Sometimes, when the surgeries and OPD cases pile up, he’s had to stay after-hours at the hospital. 

After wrapping up his duties as a medico, he trains at Bonebreakers. But as per the memo, balancing two of the most demanding jobs isn’t easy. He’s had to choose between the two on multiple occasions. In fact, his fighting career even had him put his medical career on hold. He said, “I stopped the medicine career for a little time, because I want to put all my focus, all my time in this opportunity, because I know this opportunity is the biggest opportunity and the biggest league in the world.”

The human body gets slower as it ages – the risk of injuries becomes high, and the rate of recovery significantly slows down. That’s why many fighters begin their professional career early and retire after crossing the age of 35. And David Martinez had exactly that in mind when he decided to quit his medical practice for a while. He stated, “For medicine, we have a lot of time. For this sport, it’s a very short career.”

Now, let’s move on to a more pressing question, given that he’s fighting this weekend. How has the doctor fared in his MMA career? 

Davis Martinez’s UFC & MMA record

The Mexican doctor began his fighting journey at Xtreme Kombat in 2016. Martinez continued to rock the canvas at Combate Global and even won the bantamweight championship title twice, defending it once. In 2024, he got the chance of a lifetime and stepped in to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series. He won against Xavier Franklin via a unanimous decision and thus secured a UFC contract. 

Since then, David Martinez has fought only once, against Saimon Oliveira, and secured a first-round KO win with a counter straight right to ground punches. That got him the Performance of the Night bonus at UFC Mexico City, back in March 2025. With that, he pushed his MMA record to 12 wins and one loss, with an eight-fight winning streak. 

Now, Martinez is preparing to take the fight to Rob Font at the 2025 Noche UFC. Initially, he was supposed to fight Raul Rosas Jr., but after the young man’s rib injury, Font had to step in and replace Rosas Jr. on short notice. Can the medico execute his surgical precision in San Antonio this Saturday? We’ll just have to wait for Fight Night to find out.