Jean Matsumoto Archives - Cageside Press

Jean Matsumoto Survives Scare, Outlasts Almakhan at UFC Baku

Eddie Law — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 14:09:52 +0000

Jean Matsumoto had to survive the biggest shot of the fight before taking over the rest of it.

After getting dropped by a thunderous right hand in the opening round, the Brazilian rallied behind relentless pressure, nonstop volume, and a relentless pace to wear down Bekzat Almakhan and earn a hard-fought unanimous decision victory at UFC Baku on Saturday.

Round 1 – Almakhan took the center of the cage right away while Matsumoto stayed on the outside, circling away from the power hand. Almakhan pumped a few jabs to the body, stalking the Brazilian with his right hand loaded up, waiting for the perfect opening.

When he found it, he let his hands fly. A flurry capped off by a big right hand had Matsumoto firing back, but Almakhan’s lunging attacks did a good job of disrupting the Brazilian’s kicking game.

Then Almakhan landed a huge right hand that dropped Matsumoto. Instead of chasing the finish on the ground, he let Matsumoto back to his feet and went right back to work. The Brazilian tried to answer with pressure and big punches before shooting for a takedown, but Almakhan easily stuffed it.

As the round went on, Almakhan’s right hand kept finding a home, forcing Matsumoto to rely more on his wrestling. His first couple of takedown attempts went nowhere, but he stayed with it. Finally, Matsumoto got underneath Almakhan, lifted him into the air, and slammed him to the mat to close out the round.

Round 2 – Matsumoto came out with a little more urgency in the second, opening the round with a quick combination. Almakhan stayed patient, continuing to stalk him and waiting for another chance to uncork that dangerous right hand.

Matsumoto looked for takedowns early, but Almakhan did a good job keeping his legs out of reach. Instead, it was the Brazilian who started applying the pressure, flipping the script after spending most of the first round backing up.

Almakhan still found success with a nasty right hand that appeared to wobble Matsumoto for a moment, but the Brazilian kept coming. He was throwing more volume, mixing his strikes well, and making Almakhan work every second of the round. Another takedown attempt came up short, but Matsumoto never let off the gas.

He ripped a hard knee to the body, followed it with a head kick, and it looked like Almakhan was starting to slow down. Even with a nasty cut over his left eye, Matsumoto refused to back off. If anything, he got even more aggressive, throwing flying knees, head kicks, and looping hooks from every angle.

He closed the round in style with a wild combination that started with a spinning backfist, flowed into a flurry of punches, and ended with a head kick, stealing the momentum heading into the third.

Round 3 – Matsumoto’s corner spent most of the break worrying about the nasty cut over his left eye, repeatedly telling him he couldn’t afford to take another clean shot there.

The Brazilian didn’t let it slow him down.

He came out applying pressure again, ripping shots to the body and mixing in head kicks. One of those kicks appeared to drift low, and Almakhan immediately called for a timeout. The replay didn’t offer much evidence of a foul, but after a brief break, the action resumed.

Matsumoto picked up right where he left off, walking Almakhan down and forcing him onto the back foot. Almakhan still landed the harder shots, but Matsumoto was winning the numbers game, piling up volume with punches and kicks.

After the halfway point, both fighters started trading combinations in the middle of the cage. Matsumoto mixed things up with a takedown, but Almakhan popped right back to his feet.

Back in striking range, Almakhan fired off another combination before Matsumoto changed levels again. He quickly abandoned the takedown, went back to striking, and ripped more shots to the body.

With 10 seconds left, Almakhan tried to wave Matsumoto into one final exchange, but the Brazilian wasn’t interested. He stayed disciplined, saw out the final seconds, and made it to the scorecards.

Official Result: Jean Matsumoto def. Bekzat Almakhan via Unanimous Decision (29-28×3)

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What’s Next: UFC Vegas 113 Losers

Jay Anderson — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:31:38 +0000

Saturday’s UFC Vegas 113 marked the promotion’s first Fight Night event of the Paramount+ era, and took place at the freshly rebranded Meta Apex.

Thankfully, the new and improved Apex comes with more than a new name. There’s seating for fans, and while limited, it’s nice to have an actual cheering section in the building. It certainly made a difference in the broadcast, though it’s worth noting that as with every other UFC card, half the fans didn’t turn up until the back half of the night.

Four finishes peppered UFC Vegas 113, with two coming on the main card portion of the event. That included the main event, which saw bantamweight contender Mario Bautista submit Vinicius Oliveira.

What comes next for the losing half of UFC Vegas 113? With Bryson Hester down (but not out) with the flu, I’m filling in this week. Time to shake off the match-maker rust!

Vinicius Oliveira

The big story coming into UFC Vegas 113 was Vinicius Oliveira’s weight. A week out from the fight, he claimed to be 30 pounds heavy. That’s a lot of weight to lose in just days. Credit to his dedication, Oliveira did make weight for the fight, but he also gassed early. For a fighter in his first main event, claiming he’d fight for the bantamweight title inside of a year, it wasn’t a good look.

Oliveira noted during his media day appearance that he won’t be long for 135lbs and will move up to featherweight at some point. Honestly, he might want to consider that sooner than later. Arriving off the Contender Series in 2023, the now-30-year old took the long road to the UFC, with a 20-3 record when he made his promotional debut. He’s in his prime, and if the cut to 135 is that draining, he needs to move up now and get on a proper run.

It’s hard to justify a ranked opponent for Oliveira after Saturday’s showing, but since he’s coming off a main event, how about #15-ranked David Onama for a featherweight debut? Onama himself is coming off a loss to Steve Garcia. This probably works as a co-main event on another Apex card.

Oliveira’s next fight: David Onama, at featherweight

Amir Albazi

Flyweight Amir Albazi’s toughest opponents thus far have been injury and consistency. Oh, and Kyoji Horiguchi and Brandon Moreno.

Honestly, Albazi can take a mulligan on this one. He was out-worked by a savvy veteran with a speed advantage. Horiguchi, frankly, is a top three flyweight in the world, whatever his UFC ranking might be. He’s held gold in multiple major promotions, and is back in the UFC hunting the last title to have eluded him. Albazi, meanwhile, was yanked from a fight last year, not medically cleared, and had been out over a year when he stepped into the cage on Saturday.

What he needs is a reasonable turnaround, and honestly, a tune-up style fight. He’ll drop a bit back from his #6 ranking this week, but someone hovering around the #10 spot could work. Alex Perez, coming off a win over Charles Johnson in which Perez missed weight, holds that #10 ranking, and fits the bill.

Albazi’s next fight: Alex Perez

Jailton Almeida

With all due respect to the fighters, who no doubt put in hard training camps, there were no winners in Rizvan Kuniev vs. Jailton Almeida. Stepping in on short notice to replace the unranked Ryan Spann, Almeida, who holds the #6 spot at heavyweight, fought with a puzzling lack of urgency. When Kuniev held him against the fence, Almeida chose to more or less stand and wait for the ref to restart the action. Which he did, several times, but it led to a rather tepid fight that had fans at the Meta Apex raining down jeers.

Just a year or so ago Almeida was being looked at as a potential future champion. A former light heavyweight, he has speed and power, but he sometimes seems to forget just how good he is. All the tools needed to smash through an opponent like Kuniev, but he just couldn’t pull the trigger. You could blame the short-notice nature of the bout, but then he did choose to take the fight after all.

Almeida has now lost two straight, but that won’t hurt him much in the heavyweight division, which is so shallow that Gable Steveson, yet to fight in the UFC, is being looked at as the possible savior of the division. England’s Mick Parkin, ranked #12, is coming off the first loss of his career (to Marcin Tybura), and is 4-1 in the UFC. It’s hard to see that one going the distance. Just what the doctor ordered.

Almeida’s next fight: Mick Parkin

Marc-André Barriault

Canada’s “Power Bar” is about as fan-friendly a middleweight as you’ll find. Three straight post-fight bonuses. Two straight Fight of the Nights. Unfortunately, he was on the losing end of both of those. Still, his bank account is happy, and the UFC isn’t about to cut the Quebec Bonus Machine.

A former TKO double champ, Barriault is 1-5 in his last six fights however. He needs a win, stat.

Enter Sedriques “SD” Dumas. “The Reaper” has practically harvested his own soul during his UFC run, with inconsistent results and multiple arrests for shenanigans outside of the octagon. It’s rather impressive that he still has a job; Dumas must have dirt on someone at the UFC. All joking aside, Dumas literally had to pull out of UFC 317 because he couldn’t get a judge to sign off on removing his ankle monitor in time. Dumas has two losses and a No Contest (accidental foul) in his last three assignments. Barraiult might finally send him packing from the UFC.

Barriault’s next fight: SD Dumas

Jean Matsumoto

Bantamweight Jean Matsumoto fell to 1-2 in his last three with a loss to Farid Basharat at UFC Vegas 113.

Brazil’s Matsumoto started his UFC run with a couple of quick wins, then landed a short-notice fight with Rob Font when Dominick Cruz pulled out and retired. It’s hard to count that loss against him, but the Basharat loss will stall his momentum a little more (in between those setbacks, he earned a split decision win over Miles Johns).

Next up? TUF winner Ricky Turcios needs an opponent after Cameron Smotherman collapsed at the UFC 324 weigh-ins, cancelling their bout. That’s as solid a match-up as any.

Matsumoto’s next fight: Ricky Turcios

Julius Walker

The “Juice Box” Julius Walker fell to 1-2 in the UFC on Saturday, after being stopped by Dustin Jacoby. Gutsy effort, but the light heavyweight is now in a tough spot. He was originally supposed to face Uran Satybaldiev at the event, and if that fight can be rebooked, it makes the most sense.

Walker’s next fight: Uran Satybaldiev

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Farid Basharat Pushes for Rankings Respect and Deiveson Figueiredo Fight

Eddie Law — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:11:44 +0000

Winning has never been the issue for Farid Basharat. After defeating Jean Matsumoto at UFC Vegas 113, the undefeated bantamweight added another line to his resume, and another reason to question why his name still isn’t appearing next to a number in the UFC rankings.

“Firstly, it’s the media that makes the rankings yeah? Anybody here have votes? No? Definitely after the last one I thought I would be ranked,” Basharat told Cageside Press among other reporters at his post-fight scrum.

“If you look at the bantamweight rankings, 15, 14 and 13 are all coming off losses. Then you got someone here who’s coming off five wins in the UFC, 14-0. Surely you’d think I’d get a ranking.”

Basharat (15-0), rather than letting that fuel resentment, said his mindset has shifted toward patience and performance.

“I used to get a little bit annoyed, but now it’s like control what I can control, put on the best performances I can, beat the next best guy,” he said.

“Matsumoto, somebody in my opinion, he beat Rob Font. He could have easily been ranked out there. I mean I would be shocked if I’m not ranked now.”

Inside the Octagon, Basharat called out Deiveson Figueiredo as his next potential opponent. While Figueiredo is coming off a loss, his name still carries significant weight and would represent a major resume booster.

“What I like the most is he’s got name value. I’m 6-0 in the UFC, all very tough guys, but what I want is a marquee name in there. Not to take anything away from the six guys. I think I fought six really, really tough guys,” he said.

“But unfortunately they just didn’t have the same name value. Otherwise I would be ranked in the top 10. There’s guys out there with two-fight win streaks who are in the top 10, top 12 somehow. Figgy’s he’s there towards the end of his career, and he’s been champion. He’s headlined some big fights, and I really think I put a clinic on him.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Farid Basharat above.

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UFC Vegas 113: Farid Basharat Takes Narrow Decision Over Jean Matsumoto

Brett Cagle — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 02:10:16 +0000

After his brother Javid fought earlier on the card, Farid Basarat was next up at UFC Vegas 113, taking on Jean Matsumoto in bantamweight action.

Basharat remained a perfect 14-0 in MMA to start the night, and entered off a win over Chris Gutierrez. Matsumoto was 3-1 under the UFC banner, with his lone loss coming to Rob Font. He’d bounced back from that setback with a victory against Miles Johns.

Matsumoto pressured early in round one almost running into a spinning backfist from Basharat. A good straight right hand landed from Basharat, with Matsumoto initiating the clinch. Leaking blood down his face Matsumoto had a significant cut under his right eye. Basharat shot a takedown of his own but was stuffed and reversed in the clinch by Matsumoto. With a minute left in the round Matsumoto landed a takedown, but Basharat quickly returned to his feet. This was a highly competitive round between two world class competitors. Basharat landed a straight left hand with ten seconds left that may have swung him the round.

In the second, Matsumoto again pressed the fight to the fence but was quickly reversed. Basharat separated and returned to the center of the cage where he landed a solid shot that made Matsumoto back pedal. The cut on Matsumoto had reopened from the previous round but he continued to march forward. Matsumoto forced the fight to the fence, looking to transition to back control. Landing a takedown, Matsumoto got overly aggressive on the ground and Basharat reversed position to get on top. This was a high paced fight between two of the UFC’s best unranked fighters. With a minute remaining Matsumoto shot in on another takedown landed it briefly against the fence. At the twenty second mark Matsumoto landed a solid knee to right hand combination before the round ended.

With the fight possibly one round a piece each fighter’s corner explained that the needed the third round to win. Matsumoto landed a good combination to start the third before transitioning to the clinch. A well timed takedown by Basharat found him on top with three minutes to go. Both fighters scrambled to their feet where they would exchange a few kicks. Matsumoto landed a good straight right hand but was looking worse for wear with his cut. Trading shots in the pocket each fighter threw caution to the wind in the final minute. Matsumoto marched forward looking for a takedown, securing one against the cage. Matsumoto landed multiple big shots on the break, but then Basharat landed a takedown of his own.

A masterpiece of a fight that showcased technical skill and physical toughness was headed to the judges scorecards with varying opinions online. The judges had this fight a split decision with Sal D’mato as the leaning vote going to Basharat. Staying undefeated Farid moved his UFC record to 6-0 with the win. Basharat called out a top ten opponent in his next fight eyeing former flyweight champion Deiveson Figuereido. With his brother winning earlier on the card it was a successful night for the Basharat brothers.

Official Result: Farid Basharat def. Jean Matsumoto by split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)

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What’s Next: UFC Vegas 109 Winners

Mathis Desjardins — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:14:05 +0000

UFC Vegas 109 was headlined by a middleweight clash between two fighters at the edge of the top 10. Roman Dolidze and Anthony Hernandez were on a combined ten-fight win streak entering this contest in the hopes that a victory would secure a shot at the top five. In the co-main event, former title challenger Steve Erceg was looking to finally get his hand raised again, while the feature bout offered a meeting between two ranked strawweights. With another event behind us, let’s look ahead to what potential matchups we could be looking forward to.

Anthony Hernandez

Winner of now eight straight, Anthony Hernandez looked as polished as ever on Saturday when he dominated Roman Dolidze on his way to a fourth-round submission. With that rear-naked choke, “Fluffy” became the first fighter to finish Dolidze. While the performance was impressive and so was the result, unfortunately for him, middleweight isn’t lacking in contenders right now. Reinier de Ridder has all the wind in his sails as he just broke into the top5, there’s a title eliminator going down in Paris a month from now, and big names like Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya are always lurking. Could Hernandez call out and get one of those two former champions? It’s possible, but not probable.

I believe the winner of the Paris main event between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho will be awarded the next title shot. With so many consequential bouts in the near future, we sometimes forget that the losers of those bouts will also need opponents. That’s why I had RDR matched up with the loser of next week’s title fight when he won in Abu Dhabi. With Adesanya and Strickland seemingly in no hurry to book their next one, that leaves Fluffy with the loser of the Paris main event. I thought about Robert Whittaker, but I think Bobby Knuckles will take a break, while Fluffy appears to want to get to the belt as soon as possible.

Hernandez’s next fight: Imavov/Borralho loser

Steve Erceg

Seventeen months removed from his last victory, Steve Erceg finally got back in the win column at UFC Vegas 109, earning a hard-fought unanimous decision win over Ode’ Osbourne. Yes, Osbourne had lost three of his last four coming in and took the fight on short notice, but getting a win of any kind was an encouraging sight for the Australian. This win shouldn’t propel him back with the top dogs of the division, but it should be enough to just re-book the original Alex Perez matchup. Perez and Erceg are two fighters who fans know are very skilled and much better than their records would indicate of late. Let’s see which one of the two can get back in the mix.

Erceg’s next fight: Alex Perez

Iasmin Lucindo

The youngster Lucindo had been impressive in her UFC run thus far, until she ran into Amanda Lemos in March. Lucindo wasn’t able to use her athletic gifts against the equally athletic, but much more experienced Lemos. She looked completely outmatched in her last outing, but this was a nice bounce back performance over the litmus test of the division in Angela Hill. Another fighter who looked promising until she ran into a top five opponent was Tabatha Ricci. Ricci had posted a very good 6-1 record at strawweight before she hit a roadblock against Yan Xiaonan. Ricci then rebounded nicely against Amanda Ribas, another one of those gatekeeping types. Why not match Ricci with Lucindo to see which of the two can string two wins together and earn a second crack at the top five?

Lucindo’s next fight: Tabatha Ricci

Andre Fili

The savvy veteran “Touchy” Fili has been juggling wins and losses for years, now. While he has failed to win consecutive fights since 2019, he always shows impressive levels of ability against a very respectable strength of schedule. With this split decision win against a Christian Rodriguez seven years his junior, could Fili stop another young prospect in his track? Let’s say, someone like wrestling powerhouse Isaac Dulgarian. It’s often ill-advised to take MMA math at face value, but to the extent that it offers any sort of relevant information, his latest win would tell us that Fili has a good chance to beat Dulgarian.

Fili’s next fight: Isaac Dulgarian

Jean Matsumoto

Matsumoto came within a hair of defeating Rob Font in February and breaking into the rankings at just 25 years of age. He lost a split decision that some people thought could have gone his way. Same story, different result this time around, as he won a split decision in a fun scrap at UFC Vegas 109 that could have gone against him. Miles Johns was a proper opponent for the youngster coming off that Font fight and he passed the test. There are quite a few names within that tier that Matsumoto could face next such as Davey Grant, Brady Hiestand or Da’Mon Blackshear, but I went with Victor Henry, who I think is equally tricky on the feet as he in on the ground.

Matsumoto’s next fight: Victor Henry

Christian Leroy Duncan

Even though he was victorious in his last outing, it still felt like CLD needed a “bounce back win” this weekend against Eryk Anders. He’s had a couple of nice finishes in the UFC, but his last fight in March was such a stinker that this first-round KO was exactly what the doctor ordered for the Englishman. Anders has had a decent career in the promotion, but Duncan showed how much of a difference being eight years younger can make. The exciting parts of CLD’s game can be quite entertaining, so why not put him up against someone who will bring the best out of him? Someone like Brazilian striker Marco Tulio, who’s had two knockouts so far in his rookie year.

Leroy Duncan’s next fight: Marco Tulio

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UFC Vegas 109: Jean Matsumoto Wins Decision Over Miles Johns, Wants Font Rematch

Brett Cagle — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:12:14 +0000

Bantamweights Miles Johns and Jean Matsumoto faced off as part of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 109 main card, with the promotion back at the UFC Apex for the second week running.

Both men were looking to bounce back from single losses that snapped win streaks, though in the case of Matsumoto, it was a 16-fight win streak to start his pro career that had been halted by Rob Font last time out.

The opening minutes of the fight saw Johns press forward landing quality punches on the inside. After connecting with a flush right hand Johns shot in on a well timed takedown that forced the fight to the floor. After a few minutes Matsumoto was able to return to his feet where he ate a clean left hook on a counter from Johns. Matsumoto landed a good kick to the body and attempted a flying knee that allowed Johns to press the fight to the cage. Johns landed a good body shot against the fence, and defended against a takedown by Matsumoto. After the first five minutes, Johns had jumped ahead to an early lead.

In the second round, Johns pressed forward landing a good double jab on Matsumoto. After a few moments, Matsumoto started to put the pressure on Johns landing a good kick to the body. The explosive style of Matsumoto was on display midway through the second, with the Brazilian prospect landing multiple dynamic kicks on Johns. Coming forward with a knee, Matsumoto left an opening for Johns to grab his leg and drag him down. Johns seemed to be tiring and could not keep Matsumoto on the ground. Both fighters exchanged massive hooks on the inside, as Johns was ahead on strikes 52-39 with a minute left in the round. Matsumoto continued to march forward looking to even the fight at a round a piece. Johns won the first round, but this second frame was far more competitive and could have been scored for Jean Matsumoto.

A big low kick from Matsumoto floored Johns momentarily in the first moments of the round. Fighting back well, Johns landed a good shot to the body and seemed to be walking well on the leg. Johns started to find a second wind in the fight, coming forward looking to land a big overhand shot. Matsumoto countered with a flush uppercut that rocked back the head of Johns.

After a multitude of calf kicks Johns leg was starting to swell, but he continued to be the aggressor, taking the fight down again with a minute remaining. His third takedown of the fight may have been his biggest yet, as he held control until the final fifteen seconds. Matsumoto shot in on a takedown attempt of his own that was stuffed by Johns. This was a very close and competitive contest that could have gone in either direction.

Following 15 minutes of action, the judges were split. The first going with Johns, the second with Matsumoto. The final judge, Sal D’amato, scored the fight for Jean Matsumoto who earned his third victory in the UFC. In his post-fight interview, Matsumoto called out former opponent Rob Font for a rematch in Brazil later this year.

Official Result: Jean Matsumoto def. Miles Johns by split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)

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What’s Next: UFC Seattle Losers

Bryson Hester — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 02:32:32 +0000

UFC Seattle brought fight fans plenty of MMA action! Three of the five fights on the main card went to pretty close decisions. Contrastingly, on the undercard, all seven bouts ended with a finish.

All in all a fantastic card. Unfortunately, the main event was extremely anticlimactic as the most accredited man in combat sports, Henry Cejudo, made his return to the sport at 38 years old just to suffer a technical decision defeat thanks to an eye poke from Song Yadong. In the co-main event, it was a rematch over seven years in the making as Anthony Hernandez grinded out Brendan Allen in an extremely entertaining grappling affair. Some high-ranking fighters and upcoming prospects, especially for a fight night card, on this edition of Losers.

Henry Cejudo

Henry Cejudo lost a technical decision to Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Seattle after he could not continue due to a double eye poke. Despite taking the entire five minutes of allotted injury time, Cejudo informed the ref and doctor that he could not see out of one eye triggering the end of the fight. It was a disappointing outcome for Cejudo as he has now lost three fights in a row beginning with losing his belt to Aljamain Sterling in May of 2023.

Cejudo entered the bout ranked at #7 in the UFC’s bantamweight division while his opponent was ranked at #8. While one wouldn’t say that running this one back would be the only thing that makes sense in this situation, it certainly makes the most sense. Especially hearing Song’s immediate reaction to the outcome of the fight in his post-fight octagon interview. If Song’s down for the immediate rematch, this would still be the fight to make, as the scrap was competitive up until the fouls were committed. Dana White doesn’t like it, but he’s changed his mind before.

Cejudo’s next fight: Song Yadong rematch

Brendan Allen

Brendan Allen lost a back-and-forth unanimous decision to Anthony Hernadez in a fight that saw the southern-bred fighter gain the upper hand in virtually every striking exchange. It was Allen’s second loss in a row after dropping a unanimous decision to Nassourdine Imavov in last September. Before that, Allen was riding high on a seven-fight win streak that featured five finishes. He was eyeing a title shot. Not anymore.

Allen entered the fight ranked at #9 in the UFC’s middleweight division while “Fluffy” was ranked at #12. These two first met back in January of 2018 at LFA 32 for the middleweight championship. That bout actually went eerily similar to this (except it was five rounds) as Hernandez wore down Allen on the ground, winning a decision.

Brendan should take on Roman Kopylov in his next fight. Kopylov is ranked at #14 and riding a two fight win streak including Allen’s most recent victory, Chris Curtis. Roman’s most recent loss was also opposite of “Fluffy” as well. Though Kopylov lost by submission in the second round instead of going the distance. This would be an interesting one as Allen’s striking looked good Saturday while Kopylov is known for his dynamic striking.

Allen’s next fight: Roman Kopylov

Jean Matsumoto

Jean Matsumoto suffered his first defeat in professional MMA career Saturday, when Rob Font stunned the youngster stealing a split decision nod. Matsumoto, a 2023 Contender Series alum had scored two victories with the UFC since joining the promotion a couple years ago. Matsumoto submitted Dan Argueta in his promotional debut before snagging a unaimous decision over Brad Katona last October.

Undoubtedly, this wasn’t the outcome Jean was hoping to have for a big fight at UFC Seattle. But the 25-year-old had an excellent showing on short notice (stepping up for an injured and now retired, Dominick Cruz) against the #9 ranked bantamweight, having more than a few moments in the fight. But the veteran turned it up in the final round out damaging Jean to steal the fight. A huge favor done for the promotion and a banger fight.

Matsumoto, who entered the fight unranked, is worthy of another shot of earning a ranking next to his name, especially if someone in #10-15 range is available and the timing makes sense. A fight against a guy like Jonathan Martinez could make sense. Martinez has lost his last two fights- both against ranked opposition in Jose Aldo and Marcus McGhee. Before that, he was on a six-fight winning streak featuring two finishes. Jonathan is dangerous, established in the promotion at 10-5, and has a little bit of a name. So, the winner of this bout could easily be looking at a matchup against someone in the rankings.

Matsumoto’s next fight: Jonathan Martinez

Melsik Baghdasaryan

Melsik Baghdasryan was dropped and finished by Jean Silva in the first round of their bout on the main card of UFC Seattle. The finish was brutal and Melsik had been out of action since July of 2023, tearing his labrum and having three fights cancelled in that time period.

Baghdasaryan, a 2020 season Contender Series alum, is now 3-2 with the UFC. But those two losses have come in his past three fights. Melsik is an accredited striker with pro kickboxing and boxing experience despite his rather green, 8-3 pro MMA record. A good matchup for Melsik would be another fighter who lost on Saturday, Andre Fili. Andre was submitted in the first round of his first against Melquizael Costa, and has lost three of his last five. Fili is a UFC featherweight staple with a 12-11, 1 NC with the UFC in his 12+ years tenure with the promotion. Andre’s victories in that time were a first-round finish against Lucas Almeida and most recently a split decision fight of the night against Cub Swanson last June.

Fili is always game for a scrap and more than competent standing. Couldn’t see any way that a fight between these two would not be a back-and-forth affair that has equal chances of going the distance or come to a sudden and brutal stoppage. Winner would be right in the middle of the featherweight traffic moving upwards with two or three wins away from getting a ranked fight.

Baghdasaryan’s next fight: Andre Fili

Julius Walker

Julius Walker dropped a split decision to #15 ranked light heavyweight, Alonzo Menifield, to kick off the UFC Seattle main card on Saturday. It was Walker’s debut in the UFC as the former Synergy and Peak Fighting light heavyweight champion competed on the regional scene as recently as December.

The 25-year-old light heavyweight is still extremely early on in his career at 6-1. Walker’s barnburner with Menifield earned him fight of the night honors. Fans should keep tabs on this fighter as 205lbs continues to struggle to find new, young, and exciting talent.

Walker should take on another fighter who lost last night, Ibo Aslan. Ibo lost to UFC vet Ion Cutelaba by first round submission. Aslan is 2-1 with the UFC since coming off the Contender Series in 2023. Back then, he was an 11-1 fighter that had faced just three opponents with winning records. Aslan has more than proven himself since then, stopping his first two opponents including an undefeated 11-0, Raffael Cerqueira. Aslan also had his first fight with the organization win fight of the night honors. A fight like that has the potential to be a nail bitter for fans.

Walker’s next fight: Ibo Aslan

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UFC Seattle: Rob Font Wins Razor-Thin Split Decision Over Jean Matsumoto

Jay Anderson — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 03:29:50 +0000

Rob Font, as is well known by now, was supposed to face Dominick Cruz at UFC Seattle, in what would have been Cruz’s retirement fight.

Instead, the former bantamweight champ was forced out due to injury and subsequently retired, opening the door for Jean Matsumoto to step into the bout.

The catchweight contest (Matsumoto coming in on short notice saw the fight shift to 140lbs) started fast and furious. That was helped, if you look at it that way, by Matsumoto faking a glove touch off the opening bell. He bullied Font up against the fence, but Font had soon reversed, and began to press forward. After a bit of a messy clinch, Font went to his back, looking to throw up a submission or two, including an omoplata and later a kimura.

Neither was there, and Font couldn’t sweep with the kimura; instead, Jean Matsumoto stayed heavy on top. Font would try to scramble free in the final minute, only for Matsumoto to block his escape care of a guillotine attempt. That turned into Matsumoto landing punches to the stomach and head before Font finally stood back up with just under twenty seconds to go – only to be slammed back down.

Another strong round from Jean Matsumoto followed in the second. His wrestling served him well, and at times he was able to trap Font along the fence. Font worked to defend a late takedown with a whizzer, but as he had been at the end of the first, the American found himself slammed to the canvass. He did get up, again pressing forward, and forcing Matsumoto to chuck a couple of punches to fend him off. Matsumoto finished the round firing a head kick that was partially blocked.

Rob Font opened round three of his UFC Seattle bantamweight bout with Jean Matsumoto going on the attack. Matsumoto fired a kick to the thigh and had the more varied arsenal, while Font focused on his hands, and doing a little head hunting. An elbow opened up a cut along the hairline on Matsumoto, shortly after, in a clinch, Font fired a knee at his opponent’s head. The blood now streaming down the face of Brazil’s Matsumoto was a potential factor with the judges, and seemed to have breathed new life into Font, who uncorked a big uppercut. Matsumoto didn’t seem to be any worse for the wear despite the wound, however, and continued to battle back.

With 90 seconds left on the clock (and in the fight) Font clinched up and worked the body. He’d almost certainly done enough to win the round, but might very well be in need of a finish. With the crowd roaring, Font went on the attack in the final 30 seconds, looking to end things early. He could not, though they’d trade toe-to-toe to the final bell, bringing fans to their feet.

Official Result: Rob Font def. Jean Matsumoto by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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Rob Font May Have Jinxed His Fight Against Dominick Cruz

Gabriel Gonzalez and Eddie Law — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 03:36:09 +0000

Seattle – UFC bantamweight Rob Font went from fighting a legend of the sport to taking on a young up-and-coming Jean Matsumoto just a couple of weeks before his fight at UFC Seattle.

Former two-time UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz suffered a bad shoulder injury that not only took him out of the fight, but pushed him to retire with just weeks left before the fight.

“I hope I didn’t jinx myself. I knew about it, we had an idea that we were going to get offered Cruz, and then the moment I got the contract I was like, ‘alright I just hope he doesn’t get injured. I hope he makes it through a camp’,” Font told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“Then, obviously, he gets injured. He retires. I’m happy for him. Excited to see what he does next, but it sucked. I didn’t get to fight another legend. A guy I kind of grew up watching. When I first got into MMA I was watching more WEC. He was one of the main guys out there.”

Font (21-8) had to pivot quickly towards a new opponent. After being offered a couple of options they settled on Matsumoto for the fight in Seattle.

“They initially offered (Raul) Rosas Jr,” he said.

“I’m not sure what happened. We said yeah, but the fight didn’t happen. Then Chris Gutierrez threw his name into the mix. I don’t think the UFC liked that idea at first, but they were like let’s throw Matsumoto at him. We accepted.”

It’s a change of opponent and style, but one Font didn’t mind making.

“This is a dangerous guy, but it’s a good matchup. If you look at his style, it’s completely different from Cruz, but it’s going to be a fun fight,” said Font.

“He’s throwing big hands, big left hooks, and a lot of head kicks. He’s looking for takedowns as well. Little more straight forward than what Cruz would be doing. I like the matchup, but then again in the UFC all these matchups are tough. If I had to choose it would have been him over the rest of the monsters out there.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Rob Font above. He takes on Jean Matsumoto at UFC Seattle on Saturday night.

The post Rob Font May Have Jinxed His Fight Against Dominick Cruz appeared first on Cageside Press.

UFC Seattle’s Jean Matsumoto Fights Better In Front of Fans

Gabriel Gonzalez and Jay Anderson — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:02:56 +0000

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.

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