Jean Matsumoto suffered his first MMA loss when he fought veteran bantamweight Rob Font on short notice this past February at UFC Seattle, but considers his record to be 17-0, not 16-1.<\/p>\n
He returns to the octagon this Saturday to face Miles Johns in the main card of UFC Vegas 109, and does so looking for a definitive finish to avoid another heartbreak.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo me, I won that fight. So, to me, I\u2019m still undefeated,\u201d Matsumoto told MMA Fighting. \u201cOf course, that fight didn\u2019t go as we planned, we had some issues, but it\u2019s a fight, right? It\u2019s not like a soccer match where you score 3-0, and it\u2019s hard to turn the score with five minutes left.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fighting, any second can decide a fight, and I believe the loss came at the right time. I saw that I\u2019m capable of competing at the highest level. I fought the No. 9 in the ranking, he wasn\u2019t a nobody. We can\u2019t cry over what\u2019s in the past. What I can control is today. I don\u2019t know how tomorrow is going to be, so I\u2019ll try to give my best today and let everything happen naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matsumoto revealed at the time that the UFC promised to treat him as the winner going forward, and eventually announced he was returning to face Johns at the UFC APEX. Johns won six of his 10 octagon appearances, but dropped a decision to Felipe Lima in his most recent one in December.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first I wanted someone ranked,\u201d Matsumoto said. \u201cBut then I talked to my team and we thought it would be better to wait a little bit and come back to the winning track, which I think is very important. The UFC knows the best path.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe Miles Johns is a good fight for me,\u201d he continued. \u201cHe was going to fight Cody Garbrandt before he dropped off the fight, and fought Felipe Lima instead at [featherweight], so he\u2019s very dangerous at 135. A win over him puts me back on track for the ranking, I believe.\u201d<\/p>\n
A former LFA champion with only two defeats in bantamweight matches under the UFC banner, one of those being a 2020 loss to Mario Bautista, Johns was only finished twice in 19 bouts. Matsumoto, soon to be 26, scored stoppages in nine of 16 MMA victories.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s very experienced, has a lot of fights in the UFC, but I think I have more tools to win,\u201d Matsumoto said of Johns. \u201cOf course, can\u2019t underestimate anyone, only the best of the world are in the UFC, but I believe I\u2019m more complete than him. He\u2019s a wrestler that likes to trade \u2014 but when he\u2019s getting beat, he goes back to what he does best, wrestling. I\u2019m used to that game already. Since my first UFC fight, these are the guys they\u2019re bringing me. I believe that, with the right strategy, hurting him on the feet, he will try to hold me down, and I\u2019m ready for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matsumoto\u2019s last three finishes were guillotine chokes, tapping out Luan Matheus in the Brazilian circuit, choking out Marlon Bas\u00edlio in LFA \u2014 to earn a ticket at Dana White\u2019s Contender Series \u2014, and then his sole UFC stoppage over Dan Argueta in April 2024.<\/p>\n
He has the same move ready in case Johns shoots for a takedown this weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s probably training to defend because it\u2019s something I like very much,\u201d Matsumoto said. \u201cBut if he keeps his neck out there, I won\u2019t think twice. I will always try to finish the fight, but I\u2019m a smart fighter too, I know it\u2019s dangerous. Leaving with my arms raised is the most important, regardless of how it goes, but rest assured that I\u2019ll seek the finish as early as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n