Miami, FL- David “The Black Spartan” Martinez wanted to compete in Copa Combate, but his studies came first.

Martinez is one of Combate Global’s homegrown talent, having been with the promotion since 2018 when he was just 20 years old. It would only be fitting that he be part of the Combate Global’s biggest event of year, Copa Combate.

“I was trying really hard to be a part of Copa Combate this past December; however, I couldn’t get permission from my professors,” said Martinez, who is a medical student at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). “Sometimes it does get a little difficult to balance studying medicine and my MMA career; however, professors are often flexible, and I recently completed my residency.”

Martinez has used this newfound time to train about two to three times per day, splitting sessions between strength and conditioning at Animal Motion, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with the well-regarded Mario Delgado, and the rest of the time, the gym he has called his home for years, Bonebreakers.

The /Mexican has racked up five impressive wins, four of them coming by knockout. Martinez last fought in May of 2021 when he became champion of an eight-man bantamweight tournament where he defeated UFC and WEC veteran Franciso Rivera Jr. by KO.

Martial arts are an essential part of the Martinez household as David’s mother “met [his] father through Karate lessons. Years later, they formed their own academy”. “It obviously comes to no surprise that I started practicing Karate- Kyokushin, that is, which allows for more contact than traditional point karate. The next progression was kickboxing, and at the age of 15, I competed in my first MMA bout.”

Martinez is not alone in his MMA ventures. Even his grandparents are avid supporters on social media, and his sister, Melissa “Super Melly” Martinez, is also a Combate Global fan favorite.

“My sister and I are only 11 months apart. We have the same friends. We often corner each other. We even compete with each other. In tournaments, we would sometimes make bets with each other that we couldn’t surpass each other within our [respective] bracket.”

He will be in action at an upcoming fight card when the 2022 Combate Global season kicks off March 24 airing on Univision and Paramount Plus.