While Jake Matthews has not yet turned the corner from prospect to contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, time appears to still be on his side.
The 27-year-old Australian welterweight finds himself on the rebound ahead of his confrontation with Sanford MMA’s Andre Fialho on the UFC 275 undercard this Saturday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Matthews has pieced together six wins across his past eight outings. However, he has not fought since he submitted to an arm-triangle choke from the undefeated Sean Brady in the third round of their UFC 259 pairing on March 6, 2021.
As Matthews prepares for his first assignment in nearly 500 days, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. He was something of a prodigy.
Matthews made his professional mixed martial arts debut as a wet-behind-the-ears 18-year-old when he shut down Sam Fiamatai with punches in the second round of their Sept. 15, 2012 encounter under the Shamrock Events banner in Dandedong, Australia. He went on to post an 8-0 record prior to turning 20.
2. Reality was not kind to him.
“The Celtic Kid” was cast on “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” in 2013, only to be undercut by an unusually difficult draw. Matthews was eliminated when he lost a unanimous decision to Tristar Gym’s Olivier Aubin-Mercier, an eventual finalist, in the qualifying round.
3. He makes his living on the mat.
Matthews hold the rank of black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Carlos Vieira and does what he can to maximize those skills inside the cage. He has delivered seven of his 17 career victories by submission, having victimized Shinsho Anzai, Johnny Case, Vagner Rocha and Dashon Johnson since he became a full-time member of the UFC roster a little less than eight years ago.
4. His skills have provided him with supplemental income.
“The Ultimate Fighter Nations” alum has been on the winning side of a “Fight of the Night” in the UFC on two occasions, pocketing a total of $100,000 in bonuses. Matthews submitted the aforementioned Case with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 85 pairing on March 19, 2016 and took a unanimous decision from Jingliang Li in their UFC 221 clash on Feb. 10, 2018.
5. He stacks up favorably with his countrymen.
Matthews has made more appearances (15) in the UFC than any other Australian fighter in history. He ranks ahead of Alexander Volkanovski (11), Tai Tuivasa (11), Tyson Pedro (seven), Jessica-Rose Clark (seven) and Jimmy Crute (seven). Matthews has the second-most wins among Aussies behind only Volkanovski’s 11.