Seattle, WA — Undefeated Brazilian bantamweight Jean Matsumoto steps into UFC Seattle on short-notice, in a high profile match-up with Rob Font that will be held at a 140lb catchweight.
The circumstances, from the outside, are unfortunate: Matsumoto is replacing Dominick Cruz in the fight, who was forced out due to injury. Cruz later announced his retirement; Matsumoto, who was supposed to face Chris Gutierrez at UFC 313 in March, was pulled forward.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime that we couldn’t pass up,” Matsumoto (16-0) noted during Wednesday’s UFC Seattle media day.
“Rob Font is very experienced, I understand that. He’s a guy that brings a lot to the table, I’ve watched all his fights, I understand that,” he added while speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press ahead of the UFC’s first Seattle event in over a decade. “But I’ve been training since I was 10 years old. And I believe I can stand with him, I can definitely go to the ground with him, and it’s an opportunity that I do embrace, it’s a challenge. And I will say if he’s been finished once, maybe there’s an opportunity to finish [him] twice.”
The only fighter to finish Font was Pedro Munhoz, who submitted the New England native back in 2017.
This Saturday’s UFC Seattle card will see Jean Matsumoto fighting in front of fans for the first time since signing with the UFC. That is something that he views as very good news. “I was actually really anticipating it. We were ready to fight on [UFC] 313, and now this opportunity comes in. I really want to do that, I think I do fight better with a crowd. Regardless of if it’s in favour or against me, I fight better with a crowd.”
Watch the full UFC Seattle media day appearance by Jean Matsumoto above.
