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The 28-year-old made his promotional debut in March, earning a first-round stoppage win over Saimon Oliveira to make he and his sister Melissa the second brother-sister tandem to each earn UFC victories, joining Mizuki and Naoki Inoue. A member of last year’s stellar Dana White’s Contender Series graduating class, Martinez has won eight straight overall, six by stoppage, and his lone professional setback came by split decision against rock-solid regional standout Gianni Vasquez. 

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Font represents a massive step up for the talented “Black Spartan,” as he has as many wins inside the Octagon as Martinez does in his career (12) and enters this weekend’s contest on a two-fight winning streak. The 38-year-old Massachusetts native appears to have course corrected in two fights since shifting his training to Tristar Gym in Montreal, steering out of a 1-4 run with consecutive wins over Kyler Phillips and Jean Matsumoto.

While the disparity in experience is vast, stylistically, this is an interesting matchup, as Font is a technical boxer with one of the best jabs in the sport and solid wrestling in his back pocket, but has struggled at times with aggressive, pressing strikers, which is where Martinez is at his best. As he was already scheduled to compete this weekend, there are no concerns about a condensed camp for such a critical opportunity, which means we should see the best version of Martinez when he makes the walk on Saturday night.

Alessandro Costa

It’s been 16 months since we last saw Costa compete in the Octagon, but he returns this weekend with designs on inserting himself into the chase in the flyweight division as he squares off with short-notice newcomer Alden Coria.

A teammate and training partner of headliner Diego Lopes, the 29-year-old Brazilian earned a victory on Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series, edging out Juan Andres Luna by split decision in the opening week, which is better known as the “Be Joe Pyfer!” Week. After another regional circuit win, “Nono” was called up on short notice to face Amir Albazi, giving a good account of himself before getting stopped in the third, and has been on the roster ever since. He’s gone 2-1 over his last three fights, sandwiching a decision loss to Steve Erceg between stoppage wins over Jimmy Flick and Kevin Borjas to elevate his record to 14-4 overall.

Costa is one of those fighters whose talents far exceed what his UFC record may otherwise suggest, as a quick glance shows you a .500 fighter, but losing to a pair of Top 10 mainstays — including one that gave the champ a real run for his money last year — speaks volumes about his overall skills and place in the divisional hierarchy.

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Coria steps up to replace Edgar Chairez, carrying a 10-3 record with one no contest and a four-fight unbeaten streak into his promotional debut on Saturday in San Antonio. He trains out of the 4oz. Fight Club in Houston, home base for UFC veteran Daniel Pineda and top flyweight contender Joshua Van, so you know he’s had some quality rounds in preparation for this moment.

Things feel more wide open in the flyweight division at the moment than they have in a while, and Costa has an opportunity to make a further push towards the rankings if he can add another victory to his resume this weekend in Texas. We’ve seen a host of names force their way into the Top 15 over the last year and a third win in four outings might just be enough to get Costa into position to face someone with a number next to their name next time out.

Daniil Donchenko

Though he’s had to wait almost a month to finally step into the Octagon for the first time, Donchenko remains someone to watch as he faces off with Rodrigo Sezinando in the finals of the Ultimate Fighter 33 welterweight tournament.

The 24-year-old Ukrainian was the second welterweight selected by Daniel Cormier this past season (Sezinando was first) and after earning a two-round decision win over Richard Martins in the quarterfinals, Donchenko punched his ticket to the finale with a first-round stoppage win over Matt Dixon, though there was some controversy as the bout was momentarily paused after the Team Cormier fighter landed a couple stray elbows to the back of Dixon’s head.

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What was impressive about Donchenko’s game during his two-fight stint on the long-running reality TV competition is how he prioritizes damage and blows that leave an impression. In tight, he often led with elbows, looking to bust up and bloody his opponents, understanding that it not only resonates with the judges, but also has a bit of a psychological impact on some fighters. Though he can be a little loose with his technique and too happy to wade into the fray, he looked good in working his way to the finale and has gone 12-2 overall as a professional, so clearly he’s doing something right.

Sezinando leaned on his grappling to land opposite his fellow Team Cormier member, grinding out wins over Diego Bianchini and Jeff Creighton to advance. The Brazilian, who resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, was the super lightweight champ under the BFL banner and won the Samourai MMA welterweight title in his final bout before departing for Las Vegas, and carries a five-fight winning streak into this one.

Regardless of how this one plays out, Donchenko feels like someone to keep tabs on going forward, as his all-action style has already endeared him to UFC CEO and President Dana White, and as he continues to develop, I could easily see him establishing himself as a popular must-see brawler in the welterweight ranks.