Jake Matthews Wants to Lead The Way For Australian MMA

Jake Matthews spoke with MMAjunkie ahead of his fight with Andrew Holbrook at UFC Fight Night 101. Some highlights are below:

On representing Australian MMA: “Not that I want to be in the limelight and be the poster boy for Australian MMA; I just want to lead the way. It’s just about growing the sport here in Australia. I think that’s why (Robert Whittaker) came back from over in the states to train in Australia. That’s why I’ve stayed here. For me, it’s just about staying 100 percent purebred Australian fighter. I think that means staying here and training here. Even though it’s harder, it’s just the way to make it work and show other people you don’t need to go overseas and train. Even though it’s good, you can make it work here.”

On his loss to Kevin Lee at TUF Finale 23: “We knew he was a wrestler. We thought he would try to stand up and stay away from my ground gam. Then he started bombarding me with double legs, and it really just threw me off. I didn’t know what was going on. I got back up, and I thought he would stand up. Then he shot again and shot again. This time I’m going in with an open mind. We know what Holbrook’s strengths are, what he weaknesses are, but we’re ready for anything.”

On his fight with Holbrook: “I definitely know I’m going to win this fight; I’ve never lost in Melbourne before. I think using my speed and explosiveness are definitely going to shock Andrew. I don’t think he’s fought anyone that’s as fast as I am. He’s a pretty big lightweight – I’m bigger. I don’t think he’s used to fighting people bigger than him. I’m going to shut down his wrestling, keep it on the feet, and the ultimate would be to get a first-round knockout.”