Think of Australian athletes and your mind tends to focus on the nation’s famous cricketers, rugby players, maybe tennis stars and of course the odd golfer or two. Australians are not famous for combat sports, aside from a few boxers over the years like Lionel Rose in the 1960s and more recently, Kostya Tszyu, who dominated the light welterweight division around the millennium.
All that has started to change over the past few years, as Australia has got into MMA at grass roots level with more enthusiasm. For some reason, boxing was always seen as a chore to be endured by youngsters down under, but the more nuanced athleticism behind MMA has captured Australian imaginations. This is a nation with a skill for identifying and nurturing sporting talent, which is why it challenges at the highest level despite having a population of only 25 million. These fighters are ensuring Australia is firmly on the MMA map.
Jake Matthews is just hitting his prime
Melbourne fighter Jake Matthews made his MMA debut at Australian regional level in 2012 having just turned 18. He rapidly compiled a 7-0 record before making his UFC debut two years later. In the intervening years, he has recorded some impressive wins against such names as Diego Sanchez, Li Jingliang and Emil Weber Meek.
Matthews was scheduled to face Miguel Baeza at UFC 291 last month, but Baeza pulled out and was replaced by Darrius Flowers. Matthews won the bout quite easily in the second round and there is a sense that he is just hitting his prime.
