UFC veteran Lucas Martins signed with International Combat League forward of the promotion’s inaugural season in 2025, however admits that the stress of main the brand new era of the game at Staff Lucas Mineiro is heavier than getting into the cage to commerce punches and kicks.
“Mineiro” went 4-3 below the UFC banner between 2013 and 2016, together with a uncommon stretch of three stoppage victories in a row in three totally different weight lessons with two bonuses received. Since leaving the UFC, he 36-year-old captured the Courageous CF belt and has received seven of 11 MMA bouts.
Whereas he waits for GFL to disclose the date and opponent for his promotional debut, he enters the UFC APEX this Saturday as a head coach for Andre Lima and Kevin Vallejos, who battle Daniel Barez and Seung Woo Choi at UFC Vegas 104, respectively.
“I’ve a giant accountability over my shoulders once I’m preventing, however it’s manner greater once I’m there as a coach,” Martins advised MMA Combating. “Andre has greater than 150 kickboxing and boxing matches within the Brazilian circuit, so he has a ton of expertise going into the UFC. And he’s a jiu-jitsu black belt. We’re going for our fourth win within the UFC, and I hope it takes him to a different stage within the UFC, possibly within the high 15 already.”
“Kevin could be very proficient, his fingers are heavy, and he’s very good,” he added. “He got here right here to evolve as an athlete and I’m assured he’ll get an incredible victory this weekend.”
The newest member of his workforce to hitch the promotion was Tallison Teixeira, who made noise in his debut with a devastating 35-second beatdown of Justin Tafa at UFC 312 in February. “Xicao” is 8-0 with eight first-round stoppages within the sport. Martins believes he’s championship materials, however received’t rush him to the highest.
“He’s very proficient, a jiu-jitsu again belt with phenomenal boxing,” Martins stated. “He left the Contender Collection and went straight to the UFC towards a man who had greater than 10 fights within the UFC with a number of knockouts. It was an enormous stress, however he was centered. He’s younger and has every little thing to be on the high, however we’re in no hurry. He’s solely 26, now we have loads of time, however we’ll have nice performances like that each time he steps into the octagon.”
Martins expects his strawweight protégé Lany Silva to hitch them within the UFC after a viral head-kick KO earlier this 12 months through which she knocked Rose Conceicao out chilly to say the LFA championship. The 7-1 expertise is hoping to be a part of Dana White’s Contender Collection this season to earn a take care of the corporate.
“That was one of the crucial brutal knockouts all time in ladies’s MMA,” Martins stated. “She’ll proceed to work onerous and hopefully we’ll get an opportunity on the Contender Collection—or possibly go straight to the UFC.”
