Jake Matthews (28, Australia), who has a respectable record of 11 wins and 5 losses in the UFC, will meet Matthew Semmelsberger (30 USA) at welterweight.
The 28-year-old Matthews is 23 years old for his age and has a wealth of track record and experience. Matthews, who came to the cage in 2012, announced the emergence of a new star by winning 9 consecutive victories, but was blocked by James Vick and Kevin Lee. His total record is 18 wins and 5 losses, with 5 KO wins and 7 submission wins out of 18 wins. He is a well-rounder type fighter with strengths in both punching and grappling.
Matthews conducted an interview with this magazine ahead of the confrontation with Semmelsberger. “Semmelsberger is tough, but I know his weaknesses,” Matthews said. He will avoid his strengths and exploit his weaknesses to win by KO,” he said confidently of victory.
The following is a Q&A with Jake Matthews.
-It has been almost 9 years since you entered the UFC. He was a teenager back then, but now he’s a 28-year-old player in his prime. Looking back on your journey, what do you think?
I think it was the kind of journey you would expect for someone who first entered the UFC at the age of 19. I obviously got into the UFC at a very young age. Looking back, when a young fighter enters the UFC, you have to think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. You will learn a lot, especially in the field. that’s the way i look at it It takes a lot of trial and error. this takes quite a while Now we feel like we’re doing everything right, from training to fight week to matches. It will take almost 10 years to get everything to the level we want. It was a long process. But now we’ve come this far.
-I heard you played Australian football for 9 years. How did you get started in MMA ?
I played Australian football when I was young. He performed at a fairly high level. That’s why I wanted to stay fit when the season was over. So in the off season, I went to a kickboxing gym, and then I got into jiu-jitsu and MMA. I trained for about 3 months, and two days before the match, the coach asked me if I would like to go to an amateur match. I was 16 at the time and my partner was 24. In the end, I received a match and won with a head kick KO. After winning the game like that, the desire to pursue this career grew. It was a choice between football and MMA and I think I made the right decision.
-I heard that your father served as a coach while preparing for the UFC. I wonder if your father also practiced martial arts?
My father trained in martial arts all his life. But he never forced me to do martial arts. So once I found something, I decided if I wanted to do it. So I did kickboxing. But after I started my career as a professional fighter, my father took on the role of a coach in earnest. From then on, my father stopped working and sacrificed many years helping me achieve my goal of going to the UFC. In the end, thanks to that sacrifice, I came to the UFC.
-In the UFC, you worked as a lightweight at first, then came to welterweight and overpowered great fighters such as Li Jing-liang and Andre Pialu, and are doing better. What is the difference between when you competed in the lightweight division and now?
Back when I was 19, I was still growing up at the time. So it was much easier to hit the lightweight weight. In fact, he competed at welterweight before coming to the UFC. Then he went to lightweight, then back to welterweight. It’s going to spin one round. As I got older, I matured, and as I grew up, it became more and more difficult to hit the lightweight weight. Then, at the end of my lightweight days, it got to the point where I had health problems. Kidney failure was coming, and while he was losing weight, he suffered a seizure. So I am a strong advocate for fighters to fight without losing too much weight. Excessive weight loss is considered very bad for health. And if you fight in a weight class close to your natural weight, everyone thinks your performance will be better. I’m doing it now, and I’ve been doing very well at welterweight. It’s easy to lose weight, but I don’t feel that my opponents are too big. I still think I can do better at welterweight. Health comes first. I looked at it that way, and in the end I succeeded.
– What is your usual weight?
I weigh in at 77kg, but 83kg is my usual weight. The largest weight is 84 kg. It’s pretty much the same weight as your normal competition weight. I came in at 83 kg during Fight Week and lost a little bit. Only 2 ~ 2.5 kg of water loss (sauna, etc.) separately. You lose water naturally during training, so don’t lose too much water. I feel much healthier since I went up in weight class, and I feel much better in competition.
-I wanted to fight a ranked opponent like Santiago Ponzinibio, but the match didn’t go well.
I think it’s a dangerous match for them because I’m not a ranker. Obviously I am a good fighter and a threat to them. There’s a pretty good chance I’ll beat them, and if that happens, they’ll lose their ranker spot. That’s why rankers always try to fight only with rankers. Except when you’re on a losing streak. If that happens, you will be forced to fight against players outside the rankings. They try to stay in the rankings. I had a little chat with Vicente Luque on Instagram, and he said he would be happy to fight me soon after his medical suspension was over. If that happens, it will be my first time fighting an opponent who is a ranker. But I understand. I don’t think rankers are afraid of me. Just act strategically and smartly. Like I said, if I beat them, they lose their ranking, so they’re trying to hold on as long as possible.
-What is the special reason you want to fight Ponzinibio?
Because he is known as one of the best strikers in the welterweight division. I believe I am the best striker at welterweight and I believe I have the best boxing skills. I want to prove that. As I climb the rankings, I want to beat the best strikers. If someone thinks he’s the best striker, I want to fight him. The moment will come when I have to fight grapplers and wrestlers. You can do a rematch with Belal Muhammad or Sean Brady. But for now, I want to show off my striking skills and show that I am the best striker at the welterweight division.
-This week I got into a fight with Matthew Semmelsberger. It wasn’t the ranker opponent you wanted, so how did you feel when you received the offer for the first time?
he was excited I’m always excited when I get an offer. If I had waited until the UFC Perth tournament, I think I could have gotten a ranked opponent. But I’m also realistic. It’s not easy to get a chance to fight rankers, and I always want to stay active. For me, staying active is more important than winning ranker opponents. As Sean O’Malley said, we get paid the same whether we’re fighting a top-15 opponent or an under-ranked player. I don’t want to wait eight months between matches. So I want to fight often. And all UFC fighters are strong opponents. There are no easy opponents in the UFC. That’s why I get excited when I get someone’s name and location.
-What kind of fighter do you think Semmelsberger is?
he’s tough He also has several early KO wins. He’s tough and quite well round. I think he’s going to have a slugfest with me. But when I start hitting, everyone tries to take me down. That’s why we’re ready for a grappling match. But he’s a tough opponent. He has a few good wins. But we think we know his weakness, and we’ll attack that area. And I’ll avoid his strengths. 스포츠토토
-The UFC will be held in Perth, Australia on February 12 next year. I wonder if he will ask to play after this game.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see Because you only have 6 weeks. Like I said, I got this game to stay active and I didn’t want to wait 8 months. So we’ll have to see what happens. Worst case scenario, I just go and watch the competition. Then you will be able to intuit the UFC for the first time. I’ve never seen UFC in an arena. Was it once always had to fight. But as long as I’m in the UFC, I’m happy. Whether I’m just watching the tournament or fighting myself, I’ll go and spend a week hanging out with the fans. But who knows. We won’t know until the match is over. I never overlook any opponent. That’s why I only have the next match in mind.
– Please say hello to Korean fans.
I want to say thank you so much for cheering me on, to the Korean UFC fans who are watching me. It’s always fun to meet fans from other countries. I am really thankful that they support not only their own players, but also players from other countries. Stay tuned for the game this Sunday. I’m aiming for another big KO win.