Fresh off the biggest win of his career, Jake Matthews wants to test his striking against one of the division’s best.
Matthews (17-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) put on a performance of a lifetime when he took out Andre Fialho at UFC 275, displaying his much-improved striking. Winner of seven of his past nine, Matthews wants to capitalize on his momentum by eyeing top welterweight contender Santiago Ponzinibbio.
He took to Instagram to call the Argentine out.
“PLEASE SHARE AND SPREAD THE WORD @sponzinibbiomma It would be an honour! Let’s stand toe to toe for the fans!”
Matthews, who earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his finish of Fialho, even is offering Ponzinibbio (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) half his bonus money if the pair engage in the type of fight he’s expecting.
Matthews cashed in as a big underdog in his most recent win and wants to prove that his performance was no upset.
Ponzinibbio is coming off back-to-back split decision losses to Geoff Neal and, most recently, Michel Pereira in the UFC Fight Night 206 co-main event in May. In an interview with MMA Junkie, Ponzinibbio expressed frustration with his recent results, in which he thought he was wronged by the judges in both losses.
Despite joining the UFC roster in 2014, Matthews still is only 27. After he was submitted by Sean Brady in March 2021, Matthews returned from a layoff of more than a year to defeat Fialho this past Saturday.
