UFC Fight Night 28's Lucas Martins: 'There will be some violence'

In the rough-and-tumble world of professional fist-fighting, Lucas Martins is relatively straightforward about what his profession calls for later today.

Martins (13-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), one of many Brazilians on the UFC Fight Night 28 card, meets fellow bantamweight Ramiro Hernandez (13-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in a FOX Sports 1-televised preliminary-card bout at Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

And his prediction?

“There’s one thing I know for sure: There will be some violence,” he told MMAjunkie.com. “If he stands, I’m going to hit him standing. If he tries a takedown, I’ll defend and hit him just the same. I’ll be imposing my game, making him eat punches and kicks.”

Martins regained such confidence after his May knockout of Jeremy Larsen at UFC on FX 8. A bout prior, he suffered his first career loss, a knockout defeat to lightweight notable Edson Barboza. For a fighter used to dishing out stoppages (he’s got 12 in 13 career victories), being on the receiving end was a new experience for Martins.

“My UFC debut was a learning experience,” said Martins, who eventually forged a friendship with Barboza after the fight. “I’m a fan of his, even to this day. With that fight, I took a step back but 10 steps forward.”

The progress was on display against Larsen. Despite weighing in at just 153 pounds for the lightweight bout, Martins earned a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus for his performance. And had Vitor Belfort not kicked Luke Rockhold senseless in the headliner, Martins likely could have earned a $50,000 “KO of the Night” award, too.

The extra money was nice, but according to Martins, nothing was sweeter than getting a UFC victory his home country.

“It was a unique sensation, to win in the UFC, in Brazil,” he said. “I’m in this game to win, and no one is taking that away from me, come hell or high water.

With his camp based in Brazil, including at Chute Boxe and Macaco Gold Team, he feels he has a home-cage advantage over the Miletich-trained Hernandez, a well-rounded fighter on a 6-1 run. Martins has experienced the worst, successfully rebounded from it, and proven to himself that he’s a UFC-caliber fighter.

At UFC Fight Night 28, that knowledge fuels his confidence against Hernandez. He expects violence, of course, but in many ways, it’s just another day at the office.

“My anxiety and fear are gone now,” he said. “Now all that’s left is to get ready for war. I’m like a worker in any business. After a few months, I already know what I’m doing.

“But as far as I’m concerned, this will be a great fight, and, God willing, neither of us with come out injured.”

For the latest on UFC Fight Night 28, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.