Jake Matthews returned to the win column in impressive fashion, but the victory was not without some drama.
On the prelims of UFC 291 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Matthews (19-6 MMA, 12-6 UFC) was engaged in a hotly contested battle with Darrius Flowers (12-6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who made his debut on short notice. After a controversial kick landed in the second round, Matthews ended up submitting Flowers at 2:37.
In the opening moments of Round 2, Matthews landed a front kick just above Flowers’ shorts that folded him to the canvas. The top of Matthews’ foot appeared to land clean, but the bottom half also appeared to make contact below the belt line. That’s the story Flowers told to the referee who treated the kick as a low blow.
UFC commentators Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier believed the kick should have been legal considering where the foot first made contact. Regardless of the legality of the strike, the fight continued after Flowers was given a few minutes of time to recover. Ultimately, the contentious moment would not matter for the outcome of the fight.
Soon after the fight resumed, Matthews took top position on the canvas, transitioned to full mount, and submitted Flowers with a rear-naked choke.
THE CELTIC KID GETS THE TAP! @JakeMatthewsUFC secures the submission over Flowers in Round 2! #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/dcf9eMaQoe
— UFC (@ufc) July 30, 2023
During his post-fight interview, Matthews acknowledged the front kick he landed was lower than what he typical aims for, but had to go with how the referee ruled the strike.
The win marked a return to the win column for Matthews, who competed in his first bout of 2023 after a pair of prior cancellations. On the other side, Flowers, who made his debut on short notice, sees his four-fight win streak come to an end.
The up-to-the-minute UFC 291 results include:
- Jake Matthews def. Darrius Flowers via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:37
- Uros Medic def. Matthew Semelsberger via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 2:39
- Miranda Maverick def. Priscila Cachoeira via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 2:11
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
