Jean Matsumoto's Quiet Perfection

To the extent that it’s possible to quietly go undefeated in the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion, Jean Matsumoto is doing it. The 25-year-old Brazilian is a sterling 15-0 as a professional in the wake of his successful UFC debut against Dan Argueta in April, yet while he is rightly seen as a promising bantamweight prospect, he has thus far eluded the bright glare of the spotlight that shone on unbeaten up-and-comers such as Ian Garry or Muhammad Mokaev after a single fight in the UFC.

However, that appears to suit Matsumoto just fine, as he approaches his budding career with a calm and maturity that belie his young age. Speaking to Sherdog.com ahead of his matchup with Brad Katona on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 245, Matsumoto summed up his professional trajectory to date.

“I got started in MMA as an amateur,” Matsumoto said. “I actually fought twice as an amateur, but only one of those bouts is on my Sherdog record. I won the first one by submission. Then I lost at Thunder Fight [to Willian Prado]. From there, I moved to professional. I’m now 15-0. Thankfully, it’s been a balanced career with knockouts, submissions, and decision wins. I believe that my most important bout was at Contender Series [against Kasey Tanner]. It’s when I landed my UFC contract.”

“My first martial art was muay thai,” he added. “I was a chubby six-year-old. My parents sought out a sport for me. They tried soccer but I didn’t enjoy it. Then my father had me try capoeira. I would go but wasn’t passionate about it. It turns out that my father had practiced muay thai some years prior, before he moved to Japan, which is where my mother became pregnant with me before they came back to Brazil. He took me to an introduction. I loved it from the first time and had no desire to skip classes. It was my first martial art. Later, when I was 10, I started watching UFC fights when Globo TV started broadcasting them in Brazil. I told my father that I wished to fight in the UFC. My father found me a jiu-jitsu academy, so I started to train in both sports. I didn’t like jiu-jitsu as much, at first, but as my father kept encouraging me, I learned to enjoy it.”

In addition to aiming for a well-rounded skill set from the beginning, Matsumoto has also enjoyed a level of family support that is uncommon among young fighters. “Both of my parents have always supported my life in martial arts,” he said. “Since early on, they’ve been my biggest fans, always providing the support I needed. In Brazil, it’s not easy due to the lack of sponsorships. My parents helped me get this far.” That support allowed the younger Matsumoto to transition seamlessly from adolescence to adulthood within combat sports. “Around age 15 or 16, I worked a few small jobs to purchase things for myself. But my parents always provided for my needs. I went to college for physical education. It was a fallback plan in case fighting didn’t work out. Later, my coach, Munil Adriano, opened an academy where I started teaching martial arts. I haven’t stopped since. I teach and train at the same academy.”

About his upcoming foe, Katona, Matsumoto speaks frankly. He clearly respects the Canadian’s experience and skills, while also addressing his limitations. “Brad Katona is very experienced,” he said. “He’s a two-time ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ champion. I believe he was let go by the UFC on his first tenure because his fights were boring. He likes to tie up his opponents. I had been following him since he was on his most recent TUF season [The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler]. He’s a balanced fighter who prefers to go to decision. He’s very good. I think it’s a good fight for me to have more visibility in the UFC. I believe that I have a clear advantage when standing up. I think he’ll do what he does best – drag things out until they go to decision. I’m training hard. If he manages a takedown, my jiu-jitsu is strong enough to allow me to sweep him and submit him or get back to my feet and continue striking. I believe I’ll win by KO or submission on the second round. He’ll start giving me openings by then.”

Matsumoto has been training for the specific challenges he believes Katona will present, even spending some time outside his longtime gym, Inside Muay Thai, in search of suitable training partners to mimic his opponent. “My preparation has been topnotch. We put a lot of time into my boxing, as well as combos including kicks. The goal is to keep hurting him. One of my strong suits is my kicks. So, I can’t neglect that. We’ve also been working on my takedown defense. And, if necessary, I’ll take him down myself and get top position. I’ll do all I can to get my hand raised in the end. I do my work at the Inside academy. Our work there is complete. We’re also getting some help from the Babuino Gold Team academy. They have a good selection of sparring partners who can simulate Brad Katona’s game.”

While Matsumoto has to some extent snuck up on the UFC bantamweight division so far, he recognizes that if he goes 16-0 on Saturday, those days may be numbered. He welcomes the attention, while maintaining his one-step-at-a-time mentality. “I believe that, with this win, I’ll be even more on the UFC’s radar,” he said. “I want to have hard fights so I can solidify myself in our weight class and start to feel more comfortable in the cage. Then I’ll aim for the top 10. I’m taking it one step at a time. I wish to keep climbing up, on my way to the belt.

“You can expect great fights from me,” Matsumoto concluded. “I’ll always give my best, win or lose. Be sure that Jean Matsumoto is always someone who never stops looking for the win, even if only five seconds are left in the final round. I aim to always get my arm raised, and to represent Brazil in the best possible way.