Anthony "Tony" Rocco Martin (born December 11, 1989) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who competed in the

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

and

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

divisions of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Background

Born in

Palos Heights, Illinois Palos Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a southwest suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 12,068. Geography According to the 2021 census gazette ...

, Martin moved to

Worth, Illinois Worth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 10,970. Geography Worth is located at (41.688827, -87.792659). According to the 2010 census, Worth has a total area of , o ...

, before settling in Wisconsin during his junior high school years. After graduating high school, where he played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, Martin attended college and briefly played football at North Dakota State University before dropping out. After dropping out Martin began training in

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

and mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts career

Martin made his professional mixed martial arts debut on January 7, 2012, when he faced Bruce Johnson at Cage Fighting Xtreme 30. He won the fight via first round rear-naked choke. Following the quick win, he compiled a record of 8–0, including a notable win over UFC veteran

Phillipe Nover Phillipe J. Nover (born February 3, 1984), is a retired American mixed martial artist. He is best known for making it to the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir. He is a former Ring of Combat lightweight champion. Early li ...

at Dakota FC 14, before being signed by the

in late 2013.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In his official UFC debut, Martin faced fellow newcomer

Rashid Magomedov ) Brazilian Killer, Mr. Humble , image = , image_size = 200px , alt = , caption = , birth_name = Rashid Magomedgadzhievich Magomedov , birth_date = , birth_place = Makhachkala, Dagestan AS ...

UFC 169 ''UFC 169: Barão vs. Faber 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on February 1, 2014, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event was released on DVD on May 6, 2014. The DVD was distributed by the label ''Anchor Bay Entertainment ...

on February 1, 2014. Though he had Magomedov in trouble early with a deep armbar, Magomedov rallied back and Martin lost the fight via unanimous decision. Martin then faced

Beneil Dariush Beneil Khobier Dariush (born May 6, 1989) is an Assyrian-American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 24, 2022, he is #4 in the UFC lightw ...

at UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos on August 23, 2014. Martin lost the fight via rear-naked choke in the second round. For his third fight with the promotion, he faced

Fabrício Camões Fabrício dos Santos Camões (; born December 23, 1978) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Camões's primary style in the cage is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Cam� ...

in a catchweight bout (both fighters missed weight) at

UFC 179 ''UFC 179: Aldo vs. Mendes 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on October 25, 2014, at Ginásio do Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background The event was headlined by a Featherweight Championship rematch between the current champ ...

on October 25, 2014. He won the fight via first round kimura lock, getting his first UFC win in the process. Martin next faced Leonardo Santos on March 21, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 62 ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 62'') was a mixed martial arts event held on March 21, 2015, at the Ginásio do Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background After hosting a PPV event at the venue a ...

, as a replacement for an injured

Matt Wiman Matthew Charles Wimanhttp://boxing.nv.gov/2011%20Results%20Web/07-02-11%20MMA.pdf (born September 19, 1983) is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed as a lightweight. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background ...

. He lost the fight via submission in the second round. Martin faced promotional newcomer Felipe Olivieri on January 30, 2016 at

UFC on Fox 18 ''UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 18'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 30, 2016, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background The event was headlined by a potential UFC Light Heavyweight C ...

. Martin earned a come from behind victory as he submitted Oilveiri in the third round. Martin was expected to face

Michel Prazeres Michel Richard Cunha dos Prazeres (born July 25, 1981) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who fights in the Welterweight division. He most notably fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Mixed martial arts career Early MMA caree ...

on July 23, 2016 at

UFC on Fox 20 ''UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 20'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 23, 2016, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Background The event was headlined b ...

. However, Martin pulled out of the fight in early July citing a neck injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer J.C. Cottrell. Martin was expected to face

Erik Koch Erik Jon Koch (born October 4, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2007, he formerly competed for the WEC. Background Koch wa ...

on January 15, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 103 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However, Koch pulled out of the fight on December 12 citing an injury and was replaced by Alex White. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Martin faced

Johnny Case Johnny Case (born June 28, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Lightweight division of RIZIN. A professional since 2007, he formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Professional Fighters Leagu ...

on June 25, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 112 ''UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 112'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on June 25, 2017, at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Background The ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Martin faced

Olivier Aubin-Mercier Olivier Aubin-Mercier (; born February 23, 1989) is a Canadian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Professional Fighters League. He formerly competed for the UFC until October 2019 when he became a free agent. A pr ...

on September 16, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 116 ''UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 116'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on September 16, 2017 at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Backg ...

. He lost the back-and-forth fight via split decision. Martin faced

Keita Nakamura is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and grappler currently competing in the Welterweight division of RIZIN. A professional competitor since 2003, he has formerly competed for the UFC, World Victory Road, Pancrase, Shooto, DREAM, ...

in a welterweight bout on April 21, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 128 ''UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 128'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on April 21, 2018, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Backgroun ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Martin faced

Ryan LaFlare Ryan LaFlare (born October 1, 1983) is a retired American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the UFC's Welterweight division. Background LaFlare was born and raised in Lindenhurst, New York, attending Lindenhurst High School where he ...

on October 6, 2018 at

UFC 229 ''UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor ''was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that was held on October 6, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United St ...

. He won the fight via knockout in the third round after dropping LaFlare with a head kick and following up with punches. This victory marked Martin's first professional victory by way of knockout. Martin faced Jake Matthews on December 2, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 142 ''UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 142'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on 2 December 2018 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Sou ...

. He won the fight via an anaconda choke in round three. Martin faced

Sérgio Moraes Sérgio Ricardo de Moraes (born July 23, 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the welterweight and middleweight division's for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was a competitor on '' The Ultimat ...

on March 9, 2019 at

UFC Fight Night 146 ''UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 146'' or ''UFC on ESPN+ 4'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 9, 2019 at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, ...

. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Martin faced

Demian Maia Demian Maia (born 6 November 1977) is a Brazilian professional submission grappler and mixed martial artist. He competed in both the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Maia is regarded as one ...

on June 29, 2019 at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos. He lost the fight via majority decision. Martin faced

Ramazan Emeev Ramazan Dadaevich Emeev (russian: Рамазан Дадаевич Эмеев; born May 20, 1987 in Dagestan) is a Russian mixed martial artist. He is Combat Sambo World Champion who currently fights in the Welterweight division. He is a former M ...

on November 9, 2019 at

UFC on ESPN+ 21 UFC Fight Night: Magomedsharipov vs. Kattar (also known as UFC Fight Night: Zabit vs. Kattar, UFC Fight Night 163 and UFC on ESPN+ 21) was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 9, 201 ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Martin was scheduled to face

David Zawada David Zawada (born ) is a German mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional since 2010, he has formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW), and Respect ...

on April 25, 2020. However, on April 9 the promotion indicated that the pairing had been scrapped as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. As the last fight of his prevailing contract, Martin faced

Neil Magny Aoutneil "Neil" Jacques Magny (born August 3, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Magny ...

on June 6, 2020 at

UFC 250 ''UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 6, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ...

. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. Martin and the UFC parted ways after the completion of his most recent contract allowing him to negotiate with other promotions.

Post UFC

Martin made his first appearance since leaving the UFC headlining against Tim Bazer at CES 68 on May 6, 2022. He won the bout via brabo choke in the second round.

Legal incidents

Martin was arrested on November 23, 2021 for one count each of battery and lewd/dissolute conduct in a public place in Las Vegas for allegedly urinating in a hallway at

Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks. Caesars P ...

and punching a security officer in the throat after he was confronted. Martin was released later and is expected to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on January 19, 2022

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 18–6 , Tim Bazer , Submission (brabo choke) , CES 68 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:05 ,

West Fargo, North Dakota West Fargo is a city in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. It is, as of the 2020 census, the fifth largest city in the state of North Dakota with a population of 38,626, and it is one of the state's fastest growing cities. West Fargo wa ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Magomedsharipov vs. Kattar , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–5 ,

, Decision (majority) , UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4 , Jake Matthews , Technical Submission (anaconda choke) , UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:19 ,

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 ,

, KO (head kick and punches) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 , Alex White , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Penn , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3 , Felipe Olivieri , Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:02 ,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 ,

, Submission (kimura) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:16 ,

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–2 ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:38 ,

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.La Crescent, Minnesota La Crescent is a city in Houston and Winona counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 5,276 at the 2020 census. La Crescent is located in the northeast portion of Houston County; the northern edge of the city falls into Winona ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Tyler Hellenbrand , Decision (unanimous) , Dakota FC 15 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 ,

, Decision (majority) , Dakota FC 14 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Ted Worthington , Submission (kimura) , CFX: Cage Fighting Xtreme , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:58 ,

Maplewood, Minnesota Maplewood is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 42,088 at the 2020 census. Maplewood is ten minutes' drive from downtown Saint Paul. It stretches along the northern and eastern borders of Saint Paul. Maplewo ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Jay Ellis , Submission (guillotine choke) , Cage Fighting Xtreme 39 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:51 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Jonathan Knutson , Submission (kimura) , Throwdown at the Crowne 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:10 , St. Paul, Minnesota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Kuchlong Kuchlong , Submission (inverted triangle choke) , Cage Fighting Xtreme 33 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:19 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Bruce Johnson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Cage Fighting Xtreme 30 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:15 ,

St. Cloud, Minnesota St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 68,881 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 12th-largest city. St. Cloud is the county seat of Stear ...

, United States ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Anthony Rocco 1989 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu People from Palos Heights, Illinois Mixed martial artists from Illinois American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters