Video: 'Formiga' vs. Martinez

The man widely considered to be the best 125-pound fighter in the world, Jussier “Formiga” da Silva, made a successful North American debut Thursday, earning a unanimous decision over Danny Martinez at Tachi Palace Fights 7 in Lemoore, Calif.

The unbeaten Brazilian flyweight positionally dominated Martinez for much of the opening two rounds, locking up body triangles and pecking away at the Arizona native from Martinez’s back while hunting for a rear-naked choke. “Formiga” survived a scare in the final frame, which saw Martinez gain top control and attempt to attempt to inflict damage with hard elbow strikes, but the round would end the same as the first two. All three judges scored the bout 29-28.

Da Silva seems to have enjoyed his time in the States, as the Natal native has already booked a return visit: less than 24 hours after his win, “Formiga” agreed to square off against WEC veteran Ian McCall in February at Tachi Palace Fights 8.

“I heard he’s a tough fighter. He fought in WEC against Dominic Cruz. It’s also his first fight at 125, but I’m pretty sure he’ll come prepared,” Da Silva tells Sherdog.com. “I’ll train a lot to be a much better fighter than in my last fight, and hopefully I can win again and put on a show for everybody. I have to thank Jeremy [Luchau] and Richard [Goodman] for this opportunity, and they won’t regret it.”