Ten years ago, Jake Matthews was in his early 20s and considered one of the best prospects in the UFC. Well, Francisco Prado believes that label belongs to him now, and wants to show that he’s the future and Matthews a thing of the past.
The 22-year-old welterweight Argentine brawler takes on Matthews (20-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC) in the opening bout of the pay-per-view main card of UFC 312 (pay-per-view, ESPN2/Disney+, ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Prado (12-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is eager for this opportunity and plans to make the most of it.
“He’s a fighter that’s been in the UFC for a long time, and maintaining yourself at that level is not easy, so you have to respect,” Prado told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “I respect him a ton. I think he’s a very complete fighter with a good base in striking. I think this fight is going to be enjoyed by a lot of fans. I like moving forward.
