Martinez edges Font on the cards in San Antonio
A tight three-rounder ended with clean scorecards and a messy final image. David Martinez defeated Rob Font by unanimous decision, with all three judges turning in 29-28, at Noche UFC 3 on September 13, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. Referee Dan Miragliotta worked the bout.
The scoring tells you what kind of fight it was: competitive, with one round each likely clear and a swing frame that decided it. While the official round-by-round wasn’t released at cageside, the 29-28s across the board suggest Martinez did the better work in two frames, nudging ahead on effective striking and pressure. Font, a seasoned technician known for his jab and straight right, had his moments, but judges appeared to side with Martinez’s forward march and cleaner connections in the tighter exchanges.
This event sits inside the UFC’s Mexican Independence Day series, which has grown into a reliable showcase of high-pace striking matchups. San Antonio brought the noise, and the fight matched it—right up until the horn, when a late sequence overshadowed the result.
Late punches after the horn spark officiating debate
As the final bell sounded, Martinez kept throwing and appeared to land a rapid flurry—roughly 15 punches—after time had expired. Miragliotta rushed in to separate the fighters. Font shelled up during the barrage, then turned to his corner as order was restored. The crowd roared, half in shock, half in anger, as teams and officials swarmed the cage to settle things down.
Under the Unified Rules, the bell ends the round immediately, and any intentional punches after the horn are fouls. Referees can issue warnings, deduct points, or even declare disqualifications when warranted. Because the scorecards read 29-28 with no deductions noted, any in-cage penalty wasn’t applied, and the result stood. Post-fight, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees combative sports in the state, can review the incident and impose fines or suspensions. As of press time, no formal disciplinary action had been announced.
From a judging perspective, three identical 29-28s hint at a fight that was close but not confusing. Martinez likely banked the frames where he pressed Font to the fence and let go in combinations. Font’s best stretches looked like they came when he got the jab working early and disrupted the rhythm at mid-range. That push-pull defined the tempo: Martinez trying to collapse the space, Font trying to create it.
The result nudges Martinez forward in a crowded field and hands Font another hard, decision-heavy night. For Martinez, this is the kind of gritty win that earns tougher assignments and bigger billing. For Font, a veteran of main-card battles, the tape will matter: cleaning up defensive resets, reinforcing the clinch exits, and reasserting the jab as the table-setter. Neither fighter took a beating, so turnaround times could be reasonable—pending any commission review of the late shots.
Pre-fight odds and betting analysis were not immediately available from our usual sources, so it’s unclear how the market viewed this matchup going in. What is clear is how it will be remembered: a hard-fought 29-28 trio of cards and a closing burst that crossed a line, placing officiating and fighter responsibility back in the spotlight.
What to watch next:
- Whether the Texas commission opens a formal inquiry into the after-the-horn punches.
- If the UFC issues any internal discipline or guidance to reinforce end-of-round protocols.
- Who Martinez draws next after a high-visibility win on a themed card.
- How Font retools to turn competitive rounds into clear ones in his next outing.