Lucas Martins Not Sure Why He Was Released From UFC After Win

Lucas Martins spoke with MMAjunkie about being released from the UFC following his win over Robert Whiteford at UFC Fight Night 86. Some highlights are below:

On what happened: “To tell you the truth, I didn’t understand what took place. I am coming off a victory. Maybe the fact that I won by points was a factor.”

On where he goes from now: “It was the last fight on my contract. I felt a little lost at first. But I’m fine now. I’m moving forward. I’ll keep putting in the work. I know I did a lot in the UFC, more than a lot of folks who are in there who haven’t done half of what I have. I’m OK in regards to that. I’ll continue training and fighting so I can get back to what is the best promotion.”

On his split-decision win over Whiteford: “I felt I clearly won. I moved forward more. I knocked him down. He was rocked. It wasn’t a bad fight, but if the UFC had told me that I needed a knockout to keep my job, I would have done it. This was the first fight I won in the UFC by decision. That’s why I say I did a lot more than other people. I’ve fought and won in three different weight divisions. I’ve won a bonus for one of my knockout wins. I also won ‘Fight of the Night.’ I’m already receiving proposals from other promotions. But my goal is to go back to the UFC. It’s a great promotion. It’s my dream. I’d like to win two or three fights in Brazil, in smaller organizations, so I can showcase my work and return to the UFC before year’s end. That’s my goal.”

On his future: “I’m very young. At age 23, I threw my first punch. By 24, I was already in the UFC. I had to learn on the job. I will be back.”