UFC Fight Night: Bekzat Almakhan vs Jean Matsumoto Preview & Prediction
Two of the better bantamweights outside the rankings collide on the prelims, with Bekzat Almakhan poised to throw down against Jean Matsumoto at 135 pounds.
Bekzat Almakhan vs Jean Matsumoto facts
What time are Bekzat Almakhan and Jean Matsumoto expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres? National Gymnastics Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 280
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres main card
Rafael Fiziev vs Manuel Torres (Lightweight)
Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Michel Pereira (Middleweight)
Nazim Sadykhov vs Matheus Camilo (Lightweight)
Asu Almabayev vs Charles Johnson (Flyweight)
Ikram Aliskerov vs Brunno Ferreira (Middleweight)
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs Michal Oleksiejczuk (Middleweight)
UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres prelims
Farman Hasanov vs Eric Nolan (Welterweight)
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev vs Julius Walker (Light Heavyweight)
Nursulton Ruziboev vs Andrey Pulyaev (Middleweight)
Kaan Ofli vs Javier Reyes (Featherweight)
Daniil Donchenko vs Theodor Berggren (Welterweight)
Bekzat Almakhan vs Jean Matsumoto (Bantamweight)
Tahir Abdullayev vs Jefferson Nascimento (Welterweight)
Bekzat Almakhan: "The Turan Warrior" aiming to prove his worth in the bantamweight shark tank
Taking on Umar Nurmagomedov, in his first appearance with the promotion, few fighters have had quite such a test in their debut as Bekzat Almakhan (12-3). Remarkably, he came within inches of causing a stratospheric upset after dropping the Russian early, but Nurmagomedov recovered and battered him on the ground in recompense to earn a lopsided decision. Since then, “The Turan Warrior” scored a first round KO over Brad Katona in his sophomore appearance, before dropping a clear cut decision to Aleksandre Topuria last time out. A heavy-handed, fast twitch kickboxer, Almakhan has 10 wins by KO, a tally he will looking to be add to this weekend.
Jean Matsumoto: Can Matsumoto rebound from another razor close loss in his last bout?
Posting a UFC record of 3-2 since joining the promotion as an undefeated prospect, Jean Matsumoto (17-2) could well be 19-0 were it not for razor close, controversial decision losses to Rob Font and Farid Basharat. A well-rounded combatant who particularly excels in the grappling department, the Brazilian has alternated wins and losses since debuting with a submission victory over Dan Argueta in 2024. At just 26 years old of age, Matsumoto remains one of the better bantamweights outside the rankings on the roster, with plenty of room to grow and improve as he chases a spot in the Top 10.
Bekzat Almakhan vs Jean Matsumoto prediction
Facing another highly touted bantamweight here, Almakhan really has been thrown to the wolves since joining the promotion. Outside of Brad Katona, who he KO’d in less than a round, “The Turan Warrior” has fought Umar Nurmagomedov and Aleksandre Topuria; the current No. 2 ranked contender and one of the more hyped prospects in the entire division. As such, while his record stands at an unimpressive 1-2, he’s decidedly no scrub.
The primary concern here is his takedown defense. Matsumoto is capable of shooting and landing takedowns at an extremely high clip, with Almakhan’s takedown defense standing at a measly 41%. While the Brazilian isn’t impervious to being grounded himself, that doesn’t figure to be much of a factor against the Kazakhstani fighter; Almakhan has yet to shoot a single takedown in three UFC fights.
“The Turan Warrior” is probably the more dangerous striker in this matchup, but Matsumoto has proven capable of hanging tough on the feet across five UFC fights and has never been finished throughout his professional career. If this one comes down to what wins between Almakhan’s KO power and Matsumoto’s well-rounded skillset, it likely pays to go with the more proven commodity. Matsumoto holds his own in the striking exchanges while mixing in takedowns to earn the judges' nod.
Prediction: Jean Matsumoto to win by decision
