Jake Matthews left no room for doubt regarding his superiority at UFC Macau.
Returning to the octagon after a previous setback, the Australian welterweight showcased one of the most complete performances of his career. Matthews thoroughly controlled Carlston Harris across all three rounds, earning a unanimous decision victory on Saturday at Galaxy Arena.
From the opening moments, Matthews established dominance with precise boxing and consistent forward pressure. He consistently landed cleaner shots than Harris during exchanges, skillfully connecting with combinations while effectively evading counter-attacks. Despite Harris landing some leg kicks, he struggled to keep pace with Matthews’ relentless offensive output throughout the first round.
The second round highlighted another facet of Matthews’ skillset. After successfully defending an early takedown attempt, the 31-year-old Australian quickly transitioned to dominant positions on the ground. He advanced through side control and mount, threatening with multiple submission attempts. Matthews came close to securing both an arm-triangle choke and a kimura, forcing Harris into a defensive posture for a significant portion of the round.
Any hopes of a comeback for Harris faded early in the third round. Jake Matthews landed a powerful strike that sent Harris to the canvas, and Matthews immediately seized top position. He maintained suffocating control for the remainder of the fight, relentlessly pursuing submissions while delivering damaging ground-and-pound.
The final bell confirmed the one-sided nature of the bout. Two judges scored the fight 30-27, while a third judge awarded a 30-25 scorecard in favor of Matthews.
This victory ends Jake Matthews’ recent losing streak and improves his UFC record to 16 wins and 8 losses. His professional record now stands at 23 wins and 8 losses, with four victories in his last five Octagon appearances.
English Translation:
Jake Matthews Crushes Carlston Harris with Near-Flawless Performance at UFC Macau
Jake Matthews left little doubt about who was the superior fighter at UFC Macau.
Returning to competition after a setback last year, the Australian welterweight delivered one of the most complete performances of his career. Matthews dominated Carlston Harris across all three rounds, securing a unanimous decision victory on Saturday at the Galaxy Arena.
“The Celtic Kid” established control from the opening bell with sharp boxing and relentless forward pressure. Matthews consistently beat Harris to the punch during striking exchanges, landing clean combinations while expertly avoiding most of the counter-offense. Although Harris found some success with leg kicks, he struggled to match Matthews’ pace and output throughout the first round.
The second round showcased another dimension of Matthews’ game. After stuffing an early takedown attempt, the 31-year-old Aussie quickly found himself in dominant positions on the mat, advancing through side control and mount while threatening with multiple submissions. Matthews came close to securing both an arm-triangle choke and a kimura, forcing Harris into a defensive shell for much of the round.
Any hopes of a late comeback disappeared moments into the third. Jake Matthews connected with a powerful strike that sent Harris crashing to the canvas before immediately taking top position. From there, he controlled the remainder of the fight with suffocating grappling, hunting for submissions while mixing in damaging ground-and-pound.
When the final horn sounded, the result was never in question. Two judges scored the contest 30-27, while a third turned in a 30-25 scorecard in favor of “The Celtic Kid.”
The victory snaps Jake Matthews’ losing skid and improves his UFC record to 16-8. He now owns a professional record of 23-8 and has won four of his last five outings inside the Octagon.