Jean Matsumoto suffered his first MMA loss when he fought veteran bantamweight Rob Font on short notice this past February at UFC Seattle, but considers his record to be 17-0, not 16-1.
He returns to the octagon this Saturday to face Miles Johns in the main card of UFC Vegas 109, and does so looking for a definitive finish to avoid another heartbreak.
“To me, I won that fight. So, to me, I’m still undefeated,” Matsumoto told MMA Fighting. “Of course, that fight didn’t go as we planned, we had some issues, but it’s a fight, right? It’s not like a soccer match where you score 3-0, and it’s hard to turn the score with five minutes left.
“In fighting, any second can decide a fight, and I believe the loss came at the right time. I saw that I’m capable of competing at the highest level. I fought the No. 9 in the ranking, he wasn’t a nobody. We can’t cry over what’s in the past. What I can control is today. I don’t know how tomorrow is going to be, so I’ll try to give my best today and let everything happen naturally.”
Matsumoto revealed at the time that the UFC promised to treat him as the winner going forward, and eventually announced he was returning to face Johns at the UFC APEX. Johns won six of his 10 octagon appearances, but dropped a decision to Felipe Lima in his most recent one in December.
“At first I wanted someone ranked,” Matsumoto said. “But then I talked to my team and we thought it would be better to wait a little bit and come back to the winning track, which I think is very important. The UFC knows the best path.”
“I believe Miles Johns is a good fight for me,” he continued. “He was going to fight Cody Garbrandt before he dropped off the fight, and fought Felipe Lima instead at [featherweight], so he’s very dangerous at 135. A win over him puts me back on track for the ranking, I believe.”
A former LFA champion with only two defeats in bantamweight matches under the UFC banner, one of those being a 2020 loss to Mario Bautista, Johns was only finished twice in 19 bouts. Matsumoto, soon to be 26, scored stoppages in nine of 16 MMA victories.
“He’s very experienced, has a lot of fights in the UFC, but I think I have more tools to win,” Matsumoto said of Johns. “Of course, can’t underestimate anyone, only the best of the world are in the UFC, but I believe I’m more complete than him. He’s a wrestler that likes to trade — but when he’s getting beat, he goes back to what he does best, wrestling. I’m used to that game already. Since my first UFC fight, these are the guys they’re bringing me. I believe that, with the right strategy, hurting him on the feet, he will try to hold me down, and I’m ready for that.”
Matsumoto’s last three finishes were guillotine chokes, tapping out Luan Matheus in the Brazilian circuit, choking out Marlon Basílio in LFA — to earn a ticket at Dana White’s Contender Series —, and then his sole UFC stoppage over Dan Argueta in April 2024.
He has the same move ready in case Johns shoots for a takedown this weekend.
“He’s probably training to defend because it’s something I like very much,” Matsumoto said. “But if he keeps his neck out there, I won’t think twice. I will always try to finish the fight, but I’m a smart fighter too, I know it’s dangerous. Leaving with my arms raised is the most important, regardless of how it goes, but rest assured that I’ll seek the finish as early as possible.”
