Fighting someone like Matthews is the perfect matchup to draw that out of him. He knows Matthews is going to bring it, just as he did in his most recent victory over André Fialho.
“He’s a scary dude. He’s got power in his hands, he’s knocked people out, he’s super experienced, and even from a young age he’s been in the UFC,” Semelsberger said. “When I signed for this fight and I got the news of it and I got the offer for it, I was like ‘Yes!’ But then when I signed, I was like, ‘You know who you’re about to fight, right?’
“That’s juicy to me, but it’s also very scary to think about.”
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It’s no wonder why the UFC matchmakers chose to pair Semelsberger and Matthews, as both welterweights have some incredible finishes and bring a complete arsenal to the Octagon.
“You see the finishes from both me and Jake. We are capable of devastatingly finishing fights, so when you got two finishers in the Octagon it’s always an interesting bout to watch,” Semelsberger said. “They see these two finishers and these two beasts and they’re like, ‘What happens if we drop them both in the same place?’”
So, what would an epic win over Matthews do for Semelsberger’s UFC career grade so far?
“Boost me to a C plus,” Semelsberger laughed.
And by the time your UFC career is done?
“Oh, we are going for an A, man, 4.0.”
