Former UFC fighter Mallory Martin’s European excursion has continued to be a success.
Martin held onto the OKTAGON Strawweight Championship on Saturday night, going the distance against France’s Eva Dourthe for a unanimous decision win in the Czech Republic.
Early in the bout, it looked as if the 115-pound fighters were in for a competitive 25 minutes of action, as the bout was tied on a pair of official scorecards after two rounds. However, as the fight moved into deeper waters, it became clear that Martin was en route to a comfortable scorecard win.
Martin got ahead early, nabbing the first round after seemingly having the edge in the striking and then pulling off an impressive sweep on the ground to secure a fair amount of ground control time. The fight became even on the scorecards after two, as activity in the striking department from Dourthe, both on the feet and on the mat, allowed her to snag the round.
However, past that point, it became Martin’s fight. The Colorado-based fighter got on the back of Dourthe early in the third, allowing her to spend most of the round chipping away at her with punches to the head. After Dourthe finally escaped the position, Martin closed out the round with yet another takedown.
In what looked to be the best shot of the fight, a right cross from Martin stunned Dourthe halfway through the fourth round. While Dourthe looked to recover afterward with a takedown, Martin was able to reverse the attempt and take top control as the round ran out of time.
Boxing combinations continued to land for Martin in the final round, with a backpedalling and defeated Dourthe not offering much on the counter.
It was a no-doubter that Martin had won after five rounds.
“I’m a champ,” an emotional Martin said in her post-fight interview. “Now I can call myself a champ. You can’t call yourself a champ until you defend the belt.”
Martin has now pieced together four wins in OKTAGON, which has become her home since exiting the UFC roster in late 2021. She put an end to German star Katharina Dalisda’s title run a few months prior, overcoming her on scorecards last October.
This weekend offered Dourthe a second chance at becoming OKTAGON champ. She previously came up short in early 2024 against former champ Dalisda, not being favored in a five-round tilt. Her title bout this weekend emerged after a bounce-back victory earlier this year in her home country of France.
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