UFC Adelaide results: Tony Martin scores technical submission of Jake Matthews in third round

Over the first two rounds of their UFC Adelaide welterweight fight, Tony Martin and Jake Matthews engaged in fierce flurries, with Matthews more often than not getting the best of the exchanges.

In the third, though, Martin wasn’t having any more of that. Martin dropped Matthews early, then got him into a deep anaconda choke, putting him out for a technical submission at 1:19 of the third round on Saturday night at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

“I took the fight on six weeks [notice],” Martin said. “Thirty-hour flight and I said ‘I’m not coming here to lose. I fought a monster in Jake Matthews but I proved I’m a real contender in this division.”

Matthews and Martin engaged in a methodical opening round, until the final minute, that is, when Matthews pushed forward and started landing overhands with reckless abandon. Matthews dropped Martin and got a guillotine choke, but Martin managed to escape.

The second round had the same energy level as the first round’s closing minute, and the third appeared to be heading toward the same, but Martin expertly maneuvered into the anaconda choke. Matthews’ right arm went noticeably limp before referee Jim Perdios caught on and waved the bout off.

After the bout, Martin called for a the UFC to add a 165-pound weight class, and had some interesting words for new signee Ben Askren.

“F*ck Ben Asken,” Martin said. “Build ’65 around me. They need another division ... I’m here to stay and I’m here to make an imprint and prove I’m a contender.

Martin (15-4), a Minnesota native, has now won six of his past seven. Matthews (14-4), of Sydney, had a three-fight win streak snapped.