Terry L. Martin (born October 10, 1980) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

who most recently competed in the

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

division. A professional MMA competitor since 2003, he has formerly competed for the

UFC 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 TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

, Affliction,

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games *Strike Force (video game), ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *''Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *''Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *' ...

, the MFC,

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock Jr. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstre ...

, and

Adrenaline MMA Adrenaline MMA was a mixed martial arts organization that operated primarily in North America. It was formerly part of M-1 Global but became independent in October 2007 with Monte Cox as its head. History Foundation In October 2007, Sibling E ...

Early life

Martin grew up on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois. Joining a street gang by the age of 10, Martin was nearly killed at the age of 15 in the summer of 1996, when he was caught in a drive-by shooting and hit by five bullets in his legs, chest and back. After recuperating, Martin turned his back on gang life and focused on his education, becoming the first member of his immediate family to earn his high-school diploma. Since graduating from high school, Martin has additionally attained a Bachelor of Science degree, a master's degree, and he is currently enrolled at the Adler School of Psychology's Chicago campus as a doctoral candidate. He wrestled while at

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded as "Northern Illinois State Normal School" in 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, initially to provide the state with c ...

. Martin has also begun to use the fame that mixed martial arts has given him to speak to inner-city children about his life and accomplishments, urging them to stay in school.

Boxing career

Martin made his professional

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

debut on April 12, 2008,http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/04/10/terry-martin-trading-in-his-mma-gloves-for-boxing-gloves . Fiveouncesofpain.com. and defeated Ricardo Upchurch by knockout in 40 seconds. Martin won his next four bouts via knockout or technical knockout. On November 21, 2012 Martin suffered his first loss as professional boxer when he was TKOed in the third round by Dimar Ortuz.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Martin made his professional MMA debut in 2002, a decision loss to

Stephan Bonnar Stephan Patrick Bonnar (April 4, 1977 – December 22, 2022) was an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. Bonnar competed as a Light Heavyweight in the UFC for most of his career. Bonnar was the runner-up on The Ultimate Fig ...

, before winning his next ten fights. Martin was then signed by the

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Martin made his UFC debut on August 20, 2005 at UFC 54 against former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion James Irvin. After dominating the first round of the fight, Martin was knocked out by a flying knee nine seconds into the second round. Martin had two appearances in

, both finishes, before returning at UFC 59 against

Jason Lambert Jason L. Lambert (born September 23, 1977) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2001 until 2013, he competed for the UFC, WEC, Bellator, King of the Cage, and AFC. He is the former WEC light heavyweight champion. Mi ...

. Martin lost via second-round TKO. Martin bounced back, winning another two fights in outside promotions before returning to face Jorge Rivera at UFC 67 in Martin's Middleweight debut. Martin knocked out Rivera 14 seconds into the first round. He then fought

Ivan Salaverry Ivan E. Salaverry (born January 11, 1971) is a Canadian mixed martial arts fighter and instructor. He is a member of Tito Ortiz's Team Punishment, and is known for his well-rounded skills. Salaverry is a middleweight veteran of the Ultimate Figh ...

UFC 71 ''UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place on Saturday, May 26, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was the rem ...

, winning again via first-round TKO with a

suplex A suplex is an Offense (sports), offensive move used in Wrestling, sport wrestling as well as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. It is a throw that involves lifting the opponents and Bridge (grappling), bridging or rolling to slam the ...

and punches. Martin then fought

Chris Leben Christian Cyrus Leben (born July 21, 1980) is an American former mixed martial artist, referee, and bare knuckle boxer. A professional MMA competitor from 2002 until 2013, he most notably competed in the UFC in the Middleweight division, compiling ...

UFC Fight Night 11 ''UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs. Florian'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 11'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007, at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada ...

. Martin lost via knockout late in the third round. Martin next faced

Marvin Eastman Marvin Lee Eastman (born June 8, 1971) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. A professional MMA competitor from 2000 until 2013, he competed in K-1, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), World Fighting Alli ...

UFC 81 ''UFC 81: Breaking Point'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held on February 2, 2008, by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip. Background The main event featured Tim Sylvia and Ant ...

, who defeated him via unanimous decision. After his second consecutive loss, Martin was released from the UFC.

Post-UFC

After leaving the UFC, Martin made his next big appearance at Affliction: Banned against

Vitor Belfort Vítor Vieira Belfort (; born 1 April 1977) is a Brazilian professional boxer and retired mixed martial artist who competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, and Middleweight d ...

. Martin was knocked out in the second round. Martin next made his

debut against Cory Devela on September 20, 2008. Martin won via third-round KO. However, Martin would go on to lose via knockout to Scott Smith only 24 seconds into the fight at Strikeforce: Destruction.

Independent promotions

Since losing to Smith, Martin has gone 5-5 in his last ten fights.

Championships and accomplishments

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

** Knockout of the Night (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 23–12 , Erick Lozano , KO (flying knee) , KOP 59 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:11 ,

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

, United States , Catchweight bout of 191 lbs; Martin missed weight. , - , Win , align=center, 23–11 , Jason Ramos , Decision (majority) , MaxxFC 33 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Bayamon, Puerto Rico , Won MaxxFC Middleweight Championship. , - , Loss , align=center, 22–11 ,

Matt Horwich Matthew Peter Horwich (born October 2, 1978) was an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Horwich has fought in BAMMA, Strikeforce, Bellator, the UFC, and for ...

, TKO (punches) , KSW XXI , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:08 ,

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, Poland , Catchweight bout of 191 lbs. , - , Win , align=center, 22–10 , Allen Hope , TKO (punches and elbows) , MFC 31: The Rundown , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:13 ,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, Canada ,

bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 21–10 ,

Douglas Lima Douglas Lima (born 5 January 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions. He formerly competed for Bellator MMA, where he is a former three-time Bellator Welterweight Champion. He is al ...

, TKO (punches) , MFC 29: Conquer , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:14 ,

Windsor, Ontario Windsor ( ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from the U.S city of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Esse ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 21–9 , Josh Martin , TKO (punches) , Nemesis Fighting: MMA Global Invasion , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:27 ,

Punta Cana Punta Cana is a resort town in the easternmost region of the Dominican Republic. It was politically incorporated as the "Verón–Punta Cana township" in 2006, and it is subject to the municipality of Higüey (La Altagracia Province). According ...

, Dominican Republic , , - , Win , align=center, 20–9 , Jorge Ortiz , Decision (split) , Powerhouse World Promotions: War on the Mainland , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, planned city in central Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was named in 1888 for the landowner James Irvine. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–9 , Ted Worthington , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC: Turbulence 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin The Town of Lac du Flambeau is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,004 at the 2000 census. The land base of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is located within the town and also consists of a ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–9 , Julio Paulino , KO (punch) , Arena Rumble II , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:40 ,

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–8 ,

Zak Cummings Zacharry "Zak" Michael Cummings (born August 2, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2007, he has also for ...

, Decision (unanimous) , XCF: Rumble in Racetown , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Daytona, Florida Daytona Beach is a coastal resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropo ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7 , Scott Smith , KO (punch) , Strikeforce: Destruction , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:24 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–6 , Cory Devela , KO (punch) , Strikeforce: At The Mansion II , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:08 ,

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...

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

, KO (punch) , Affliction: Banned , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:12 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

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

Daiju Takase is a Japanese mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He has fought as a middleweight and welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and PRIDE Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career PRIDE Fighting Championships A representative of ...

, DQ (groin kicks) , Adrenaline MMA: Guida vs Russow , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:35 ,

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

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

, KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:56 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 ,

, TKO (suplex and punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:04 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–3 , Jorge Rivera , KO (punches) , UFC 67 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:14 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–3 ,

Jason Guida Jason Guida (born August 4, 1977) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who last competed for Bellator. A professional competitor from 2003 until 2014, he also fought for EliteXC, the WEC, KSW, Adrenaline MMA and World Extre ...

, KO (punch) , XFO 13: Operation Beatdown , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:08 ,

Hoffman Estates, Illinois Hoffman Estates is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 52,530. The village previously served as the headquarters for Transform Holdco L ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3 , Keith Berry , TKO (punches) , WEC 24: Full Force , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:52 ,

Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 252 ...

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

, TKO (punches) , UFC 59: Reality Check , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:37 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 , Trevor Garrett , KO (punch) , KOTC: Redemption on the River , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:40 ,

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in the 2020 census, it is the largest city in Rock Island County and the List of municipalities in Illinois, ninth-most populous in Illinois outside ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 , Ron Fields , Submission (guillotine choke) , KOTC 64: Raging Bull , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–2 , James Irvin , KO (flying knee) , UFC 54: Boiling Point , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:09 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Jerry Spiegel , TKO (punches) , Combat: Do Fighting Challenge 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:55 ,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 ,

Homer Moore Homer Moore (born November 12, 1971) is an American retired former professional mixed martial artist who competed as a Light Heavyweight for the UFC, WEC, and Chicago Red Bears of the IFL. Background Moore won the 1992 National Junior Colleg ...

, TKO (submission to punches) , WEC 14: Vengeance , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:14 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Jerry Spiegel , TKO (knee) , Combat: Do Fighting Challenge 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:09 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 ,

Chael Sonnen Chael Sonnen (; born April 3, 1977) is an American submission grappling promoter, mixed martial arts (MMA) analyst, and retired mixed martial artist. Beginning his MMA career in 1997, Sonnen competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship ...

, TKO (corner stoppage) , Xtreme Fighting Organization 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

McHenry, Illinois McHenry is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is located about 46 miles northwest of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 27,135. McHenry was at one time the county seat of McHenry County, which once included adj ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Jeff Gerlick , Submission (guillotine choke) , Combat: Do Fighting Challenge 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:58 ,

Cicero, Illinois Cicero is a town in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the population was 85,268, making it the 11th-most populous municipality in Illinois. The town is named after Marcus Tullius Cicero, a R ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , William Hill , KO (punches) , Xtreme Fighting Organization 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:19 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , William Hill , KO (punches) , IHC 7: The Crucible , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:57 ,

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Located along Lake Michigan, it is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the Li ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Greg Franklin , Submission (americana) , Extreme Challenge 54 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:27 ,

Lakemoor, Illinois Lakemoor is a village in Lake and McHenry counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Per the 2020 census, the population was 6,182. Geography Lakemoor is located at (42.3401437, -88.2031240). According to the 2010 census, Lakemoor has a total ar ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Ron Fields , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Extreme Challenge 51 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 10:00 , St. Charles, Illinois, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Rob Smith , Decision , Silverback Classic 16 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Canton, Illinois Canton is the largest city in Fulton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,242 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 14,704 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The Canton Micropolitan Statistical Ar ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Maximum Fighting Challenge , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 10:00 ,

, United States ,

Professional boxing record

, - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="8", 5 Wins (5 knockouts, 0 decisions), 1 Loss , - style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Res. , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Record , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Opponent , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Type , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Rd., Time , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Date , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Location , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Notes , - align=center , Loss , 5–1 , align=left, Dimar Ortuz , TKO , , 3 (6), 2:27 , November 21, 2012 , , Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana, United States , , Cruiserweight , - align=center , Win , 5–0 , align=left, Thomas Boose , KO , , 1 (4), N/A , November 23, 2011 , , The Belvedere, Elk Grove, Illinois, United States , , Heavyweight , - align=center , Win , 4–0 , align=left, Rodelle Bolar , KO , , 1 (4), 1:21 , February 20, 2010 , , Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana, United States , , Cruiserweight , - align=center , Win , 3–0 , align=left, Jadell Wells , TKO , , 3 (4), 2:59 , November 20, 2009 , , Lumiere Casino, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, , Cruiserweight , - align=center , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Rayvon Wilson , KO , , 2 (4), 2:31 , August 21, 2009 , , Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana, United States, , Cruiserweight , - align=center , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Ricardo Upchurch , KO , , 1 (4), 0:47 , April 11, 2008 , , The Odeum, Villa Park, Illinois, United States, , Cruiserweight , - align=center

References

External links