Martin Day's Unforced Evolution

The last 20 months have been frustrating for Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight Martin Day. Since his UFC debut in November 2018, “The Spartan” has had three bouts cancelled due either to injuries or the global pandemic. However, the Hawaiian did not rest on his laurels during that time. He made use of his forced hiatus by adjusting several facets of his training, and he believes the fighter that enters the Octagon at UFC 251 on July 11, will be far more evolved than the one fans may remember.

“One thing that I really wanted to work on was my strength and conditioning program. As far as my strength and explosiveness, that has improved so much since my last fight. I was able to put on more muscle and a little bit more mass. Also, I really wanted to work on my grappling and wrestling. And that definitely improved as well. When you’re not focusing on a particular opponent, your opponent is yourself. So when your opponent is yourself, you’re constantly breaking yourself down and finding out the weak points, and being able to get better at those. That’s what I’ve been able to do the last 20 months. And I definitely know you’ll see a different ‘Spartan’ on July 11.”

In his discussion with Sherdog, the 31-year-old elaborated on his bad luck over the last two years and whether not being able to compete had any impact on his personal finances. He also spoke about his upcoming bout with Davey Grant on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates, the potential for the bout to hit the mat, all the traveling he will have to do before he even reaches “Fight Island,” and preparing to compete under hotter than normal conditions.