Terry Martin (fighter) facts for kids

Terry L. Martin (born October 10, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist. He has competed in the Middleweight division. Terry Martin has fought in many big organizations. These include the UFC, Affliction, and Strikeforce. He started his professional MMA career in 2003.

Terry Martin's Early Life

Terry Martin grew up in Chicago, Illinois. When he was 15, he had a very serious accident. After recovering, he decided to make big changes in his life. He focused on his education. Terry was the first person in his family to finish high school.

After high school, Terry continued to study. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a master's degree. He also studied to get a doctoral degree. While at Northern Illinois University, he was a wrestler. Terry now uses his fame from mixed martial arts to talk to young people. He encourages them to stay in school and work hard.

Terry Martin's Boxing Career

Terry Martin also had a professional boxing career. His first boxing match was on April 12, 2008. He won that fight by knockout in just 40 seconds. Terry won his next four boxing matches by knockout too.

On November 21, 2012, Terry had his first loss as a professional boxer. He was stopped in the third round by Dimar Ortuz. Overall, Terry Martin had 5 wins and 1 loss in his boxing career. All his wins were by knockout.

Terry Martin's Mixed Martial Arts Career

Terry Martin started his professional MMA career in 2002. His first fight was a loss to Stephan Bonnar. After that, he won his next ten fights in a row! This impressive winning streak led him to sign with the UFC.

Fighting in the UFC

Terry Martin's first fight in the UFC was on August 20, 2005, at UFC 54. He fought James Irvin. Terry did very well in the first round. However, he was knocked out early in the second round.

After this, Terry fought twice in another organization called King of the Cage. He won both of those fights. Then, he returned to the UFC at UFC 59. He fought Jason Lambert and lost in the second round.

Terry then won two more fights outside the UFC. He came back to the UFC again at UFC 67. This was his first fight in the Middleweight division. He knocked out Jorge Rivera in just 14 seconds of the first round. This win earned him a "Knockout of the Night" award. Next, he fought Ivan Salaverry at UFC 71. Terry won again in the first round with a TKO.

Terry's next fight was against Chris Leben at UFC Fight Night 11. He lost this fight by knockout in the third round. His last UFC fight was at UFC 81 against Marvin Eastman. Terry lost this fight by decision. After two losses in a row, he left the UFC.

After the UFC

After leaving the UFC, Terry Martin continued to fight in other big promotions. He fought Vitor Belfort at Affliction: Banned in 2008. He then made his Strikeforce debut on September 20, 2008. He won that fight against Cory Devela.

However, Terry then lost to Scott Smith in a very quick fight at Strikeforce: Destruction.

Independent Fights

Since his fight with Scott Smith, Terry Martin has continued to compete. He has fought in many different independent promotions. He has had a record of 5 wins and 5 losses in his last ten fights.

Achievements

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Knockout of the Night (One time)

See also

In Spanish: Terry Martin para niños

• List of male mixed martial artists