Jake Matthews

Overview

Jake Matthews has been fighting in the UFC since 2014, and six of his 16 UFC wins are submissions. Four of his eight losses are submissions too.

"The Celtic Kid" is a welterweight from Preston, Australia, with a 16-8 UFC record and a 23-8-0 professional record across all promotions. He debuted on June 27, 2014 and has stayed on the roster for more than a decade. Eight of his UFC wins came by finish and eight went to the scorecards. He carries a one-fight win streak into his next fight.

Longevity, not a title run. That's the story here.

UFC Career

Matthews opened his UFC run with back-to-back submissions: Dashon Johnson in round 3 of his debut, then Vagner Rocha in round 2. The first loss came against James Vick, a submission in round 1 at 4:53. Our model rates Vick a strong opponent. A knockout of Akbarh Arreola and a submission of Johnny Case followed, but he then dropped three of four, including a first-round TKO loss to Kevin Lee.

The middle of his career was steadier. Between 2017 and 2020 he went 6-1, with decision wins over Li Jingliang, Rostem Akman, Emil Meek and Diego Sanchez, plus a first-round submission of Shinsho Anzai. The one loss in that stretch was a round 3 submission to Anthony Rocco Martin.

Since then it has been a trade of wins and losses. Sean Brady submitted him in round 3, and Michael Morales took a decision; our model rates both as strong opponents. In between he beat Andre Fialho by TKO and Darrius Flowers by submission. His most recent run includes decisions over Phil Rowe and Francisco Prado, and a submission of Chidi Njokuani in round 1 at 1:09, his fastest finish in the UFC.

A loss to Neil Magny, another strong opponent, came by submission in round 3. A unanimous decision over Carlston Harris followed.

He has no wins over elite-tier opponents in the UFC, and his longest win streak is three. Steady, not spectacular.

Fighting Style

Matthews is a tough target on his feet. He is hard to hit and takes far less damage per minute than most fighters, and he is just as hard to take down. His own striking output and takedown attempts sit around the UFC average, but he hunts for submissions more than most.

That submission focus shows in how he finishes. Six of his eight finishes are submissions, spread evenly across all three rounds, with two in round 1, two in round 2 and two in round 3. His two knockout wins both came in round 2.

The submission game is also where he gets caught. Four of his eight losses ended that way. Three more went to the scorecards, and one was a first-round TKO.

Notable Wins

• Neil Magny is not on this list, but Li Jingliang is: unanimous decision, round 3, UFC 221 (2018)
• Johnny Case — submission, round 3, UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Mir (2016)
• Chidi Njokuani — submission, round 1, UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Teixeira (2025)
• Diego Sanchez — unanimous decision, round 3, UFC 253 (2020)

Quick Facts

• Division: Welterweight
• UFC record: 16-8
• Professional record (all promotions): 23-8-0
• UFC debut: 2014
• Stance: Orthodox
• Reach: 73"
• Team: XLR8 Traning Centre, Epping, Victoria, Australia
• Born: Preston, Australia