Heavyweight Roque Martinez (15-5-2) has a lot to be happy about. He won his most recent fight in RIZIN after two back to back losses. He just celebrated his 34th birthday. Now the brawler from Guam is throwing his hat in the business side of MMA. He is helping fund the new promotion, Brawl. Martinez talked with MMASucka about his fight in RIZIN, starting up a new promotion, and the unique rules that will be in Brawl.
RIZIN 21
Roque Martinez delivered two devasting soccer kicks to his opponent to end the fight. Photo courtesy of RIZIN FF.
Martinez was paired against MMA fighter, pro wrestler, and former police officer Hideki “Shrek” Sekine (7-4). Martinez finished Sekine in 4:04 in the first round by TKO. As soon as the fight started, it was clear who was the superior fighter. Martinez finished the fight after knocking down Sekine with an overhand right and delivering devasting soccer kicks to his downed opponent. “I was happy the way it went and with the win,” he said. “I really practiced [soccer kicks] for this fight camp and I love soccer kicks now!”
As of this printing, Martinez said he doesn’t have a future fight set for RIZIN but he is looking to get back in the ring as soon as possible. He is also the DEEP openweight champion and is hoping to defend that belt again.
To see the full fight between Roque Martinez vs. Hideki Sekine, click the video below. Full results of RIZIN 21 can be found here.
Brawl’s First Show
Brawl fights can only end in a finish. No judges needed. Photo courtesy of Roque Martinez.
Guam had one of the premier regional MMA promotions, Pacific Xtreme Combat. Unfortunately, like many regional promotions, it seemingly disappeared in the combat sports void, having its last show in 2017. Fighters like Martinez, Yusuke Yachi, and Ray Cooper III all had stints in the promotion.
Martinez is hoping Brawl can fill that MMA void in his country. “So the concept of Brawl was created by my partner Melchor Manibusan. He then reached out to me and asked if I wanted to invest a little and be a part of the ownership,” he said.
Brawl isn’t going to be like any other MMA promotion. The promotion will follow PRIDE rules with elbows and have two rounds. First-round will be 10 minutes and the second will be 5 minutes. The fights will have a referee but no judges. The fight must end in a finish or the contest will be ruled a draw. The match that earns fight of the night will earn both fighters a contract for DEEP. The fights will be conducted in a square cage.
“So our team came up with these rules and concepts of no judges and following the old school Japan PRIDE rules with elbows,” Martinez said. “We think it will produce some awesome fights!”
The finalized card for Brawl’s inaugural show. Photo courtesy of Roque Martinez.
The first show is planning to showcase a lot of up and coming local and foreign talent. You can expect a lot of the fighters to bring their A-game for this major opportunity.
“Guam has a lot of talent but they haven’t had a chance to showcase it since there hasn’t been an MMA event in Guam. We’re looking to get these fighters some exposure with our event,” he said. “I hope [fans] get a whole bunch of exciting fights to watch throughout the night!”
To see Brawl’s first show, click here.
