Jean Matsumoto can name at least one ranked fighter he’d love to fight.
Despite losing a split decision to Font in February 2025, Matsumoto still felt undefeated, but thinks he will only be able to truly move on from that close defeat if he gets to face the veteran bantamweight a second time.
Back in the win column following a split decision win over Miles Johns, Matsumoto re-enters the cage Saturday to take on Farid Basharat at UFC Vegas 113 and is looking for a win good enough to convince UFC matchmakers to give him another opportunity.
“Rob Font already has a fight booked but I’ll always insist on this,” Matsumoto told MMA Fighting. “He was the only guy who managed to defeat me inside the octagon, so as long as he’s in the top 15, that’s a fight I want. If he drops out of the top 15, I’m not that interested, but while he’s there, I’ll keep pushing to fight him. He’s set to fight Raul Rosas now, they re-booked it. I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but if it doesn’t, or if he wins and stays in the top 15, I’d like to fight him.”
Font lost to David Martinez in his only match since the Matsumoto fight and now faces Rosas at UFC 326. The numbered event goes down March 7 in Las Vegas, and Matsumoto expects his past nemesis to leave the cage with another defeat.
“I think Raul Rosas is going to mess up his game a bit because of his grappling,” Matsumoto said. “I personally felt more comfortable in the grappling exchanges with him. Raul Rosas does that very well, so I believe it’s going to complicate things for Font. But [Font] is dangerous on the feet too, right? Raul Rosas has some deficits in the striking, so it should be a fun fight to watch.”
Despite the setback, the young Brazilian said spending 15 minutes inside the octagon against a man that has faced former champions in Jose Aldo, Cody Garbrandt, and Deiveson Figueiredo was a big lesson learned.
“It was an important year for me,” Matsumoto said. “Unfortunately I had my first loss came on paper, but I realized that I’m at the level to be on the top shelf, to break into the top 15 and even the top 10. That was something I had a lot of doubts about before because I hadn’t faced anyone from there yet. So for me it was really positive, even coming out with a loss. I learned a lot.”
“My last fight I ended up holding back a little bit, maybe because of the fear of losing my contract or something like that,” he continued. “It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it is what it is. And thank God I came out with the win. That’s what matters. I learned that in the Rob Font fight. I thought I won but that doesn’t really matter much, so what matters is leaving with your hand raised.”
No longer feeling under pressure to win and keep his job, Matsumoto vows to deliver and entertain in a “war” against “a very well-rounded” Basharat to have a name next to his number among the elite of the bantamweight class.
“I think this last win gives me some room to breath and allows me to be more relaxed,” Matsumoto said. “I believe I need to go out there and put on a show for the fans. Not have a boring fight, right? We know the UFC doesn’t like that. I’m going in there to put on a show, to trade punches, and if God willing, secure another win. Do what I know how to do without fear of winning or losing. Just go in there and give everything I have.”
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