UFC on ESPN 72: Miles Johns vs Jean Matsumoto Preview & Prediction

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Miles Johns vs Jean Matsumoto facts

What time are Miles Johns and Jean Matsumoto expected to walk out?

Where is UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez? UFC Apex, Enterprise, USA

Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC on ESPN 72

What TV channel is UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+

Where can I stream UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass

UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez main card

Roman Dolidze vs Anthony Hernandez (Middleweight)

Steve Erceg vs Ode' Osbourne (Bantamweight)

Iasmin Lucindo vs Angela Hill (Women’s Strawweight)

Andre Fili vs Christian Rodriguez (Featherweight)

Miles Johns vs Jean Matsumoto (Bantamweight)

Eryk Anders vs Christian Leroy Duncan (Middleweight)

UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez prelims

Julius Walker vs Raffael Cerqueira (Light Heavyweight)

Elijah Smith vs Toshiomi Kazama (Bantamweight)

Joselyne Edwards vs Priscila Cachoeira (Women’s Bantamweight)

Uros Medic vs Gilbert Urbina (Welterweight)

Gabriella Fernandes vs Julija Stoliarenko (Women’s Flyweight)

Cody Brundage vs Eric McConico (Light Heavyweight)

Miles Johns: “Chapo” looks to defy the odds against one of bantamweight’s more intriguing prospects

A stalwart of the UFC 135 pound division since 2019, Miles Johns (15-3, 1NC) is poised to make his 10th walk to the Octagon. The stocky bantamweight can perhaps best be described as a fire hydrant given human form and dressed in UFC shorts; Johns may seem somewhat flatfooted at times, but he has an iron chin and hits ridiculously hard for the weight class. Had the former LFA champion not popped for turinabol against Dan Argueta in 2023, “Chapo” would have been on a four fight win streak before running into Felipe Lima in his most recent appearance. A one-off fight at featherweight, Johns found himself on the wrong end of a unanimous decision defeat against the streaking Brazilian.

Jean Matsumoto: Fresh off a controversial defeat to Rob Font, Matsumoto enters this contest with a point to prove

One of the more exciting additions to the bantamweight division in recent memory, the sky would appear to be the limit for Jean Matsumoto (16-1). A nuanced grappler with sneaky power in his hands, the well-rounded Brazilian arrived in the UFC with a shiny 13-0 record after beating Kasey Tanner on DWCS, taking out Dan Argueta and Brad Katona in his first two Octagon appearances. His reward was a colossal step up in competition against perennial 135 pound contender, Rob Font, coming out on the wrong of a split decision in February. However, Matsumoto arguably exceeded expectations, hanging tough with one of the division’s gamest contenders in a scrap that many felt he was unlucky not to get his hand raised in.

Miles Johns vs Jean Matsumoto prediction

Facing a considerable step down in overall quality from his last opponent, this fight would appear to be Matsumoto’s to lose.

Johns is dangerous and could conceivably upset the applecart here. It’s decidedly not out of the realms of possibility that he catches his Brazilian dance partner with something murderous as Matsumoto shoots in for a takedown. However, while “Chapo” is credited with multiple Performance of the Night winning one-shot KOs in his UFC tenure, they have come against far inferior levels of competition than his latest foe.

By contrast, Matsumoto seems to have an advantage everywhere this fight could go. While this is only his fourth UFC appearance, the Brazilian’s polished grappling and feint-heavy strike game appear tailor made for an opponent like Johns, a fighter approaching veteran status who has clearly started to regress as the years take their toll on him. Throw in the fact that he arguably beat Rob Font in his last appearance, and it is difficult to see how Johns wins here.

There’s a chance that Matsumoto gets the American out of here before the final bell. However, there’s an even stronger likelihood that he emphasizes victory over style points following his first career defeat last time out, choosing to rely on his grappling to safely ride his way out to a unanimous decision victory.