GOIANIA, Brazil — Lucas Martins almost didn’t enter the Octagon on Saturday night to face Mirsad Bektic.
“Mineiro”, finished Bektic in Goiania, Brazil, told the media after the fight that he suffered a big cut above the eye 10 days before the featherweight bout, but never considered pulling out of the card.
“I accepted the fight on one month’s notice and I was a bit scared because I suffered an injury in training,” Martins said. “I had a big cut above my eye 10 days before the fight and didn’t quit. I knew that it would be open with a punch. He landed a punch, and I started worrying more about the cut than the fight.”
Martins, who needed eight stitches to close the cut, dropped to 3-3 in the UFC following his TKO loss to Bektic.
“I’m still young and have a lot to learn and grow,” he said. “I’m on the right way. Losses come to make you learn.”