Jake Matthews
Age: 23
Nationality: Australian
MMA Record: 13-3
UFC Record: 6-3
Notable Wins: Li Jingliang, Bojan Velickovic
Notable Losses: Kevin Lee, James Vick
Last Fight: Decision win over Li Jingliang
Fighter Profile: One of the youngest fighters in the UFC welterweight division, Matthews has kept up an active schedule since his stint on TUF Nations and has had success at both 155lbs and 170lbs in the UFC. The big, young Aussie is a very well-rounded young fighter who has used his size and wrestling ability to defeat opponents inside the Octagon. He was cutting too much weight when he fought at lightweight and looks newly-energized now that he’s at welterweight. He has finished a number of fighters in the Octagon proving his ability to finish the fight. Matthews has huge potential and will be in the UFC for a long time.
Shinsho Anzai
Age: 32
Nationality: Japanese
MMA Record: 10-2
UFC Record: 2-1
Notable Wins: Luke Jumeau
Notable Losses: Alberto Mina
Last Fight: Decision win over Luke Jumeau
Fighter Profile: An ultra-aggressive fighter out of Japan, Anzai has had a bit of success in the UFC as of late as he’s won back-to-back fight following a KO loss to Alberto Mina in his debut. The win over Jumeau that he got in his last fight looks really good on paper now that Jumeau is winning fights in the UFC. Anzai is an aggressive fighter and has finishing ability with his strikes, though his defense is lacking, His biggest enermy so far in his career has been health as Anzai has only fought three times since making his UFC debut in 2014. He’s a fun fighter to watch, but it’s possible he has hit his ceiling already.
Fight Breakdown: This should be a pretty good fight and in my opinion should have been on the main card. Matthews has looked really good since moving up to welterweight and while Anzai is on a winning streak himself, he just hasn’t fought the level of opposition that Matthews had. Matthews has shown his ability to be a well-rounded mixed martial artist as he has good wrestling to go along with striking and submissions, whereas Anzai is primarily just a striker. I just feel like Matthews is going to be too fast, too strong, and too tenacious for Anzai, and I feel like his cardio will hold up better over a three-round fight. Anzai is pretty durable and may be able to survive the full three rounds, but I feel like Matthews will outwork him here for a hard-fought victory.
Prediction: Jake Matthews by decision
