Alex Martinez edged past Clay Collard by split decision in his final 2022 PFL regular season outing on June 17.
The 28-year-old Martinez, based in Grande Prairie, Alberta, has steadily built momentum throughout the 2022 PFL lightweight division, and his latest triumph locked him into the upcoming playoff bracket.
Despite taking home the win, Martinez admitted the contest pushed him harder than expected.
"His pressure, man—relentless from the opening bell. I'm a fighter who tends to settle into fights as they progress. As you saw, I started finding my rhythm later on, getting more aggressive and stepping forward. But Collard applied constant, suffocating pressure from the moment the fight began and never let up," Martinez told MMA Empire in a post-fight interview.
"There was a stretch in the first round where I genuinely felt like I was drowning. I thought to myself, 'Holy crap, he might actually finish me.' That's what ran through my head. I had to quickly assess what game plan I'd drilled with my team and lean heavily on my coaches. I reached a point mentally where I couldn't execute on my own, so I depended on them to guide me to the win. Collard is an elite-level fighter—high volume, high pressure, relentless. That intensity starts the second the bell rings. He's a genuinely unique competitor. I truly appreciated Collard. We had a nice conversation right after the bout. He's a great guy. I genuinely respect him."
Martinez now turns his attention to a first-round PFL playoff match against fellow Canadian Olivier Aubin-Mercier on Aug. 5.
