Matthews vs Abdullayev: Well-Rounded Veteran Faces a Ground-First Welterweight
Jake Matthews has been fighting in the UFC since June 2014. Tahir Abdullayev made his Octagon debut in June 2026. The welterweights meet in Doha on Nov. 21 at UFC Fight Night: Prochazka vs Stirling at ABHA Arena, and the 12-year gap in UFC tenure is only one of the contrasts in this matchup.
Matthews, the 32-year-old Australian known as "The Celtic Kid," is 23-8 and about as well-rounded as records get: six wins by KO/TKO, eight by submission, nine by decision, with four first-round finishes. His UFC averages are steady rather than flashy. He lands 3.36 significant strikes per minute at 44% accuracy and absorbs 2.58, avoids 61% of incoming significant strikes, and mixes in 1.36 takedowns and 0.71 submission attempts per 15 minutes. He stops 67% of takedown attempts, and his fights average 11:29.
Abdullayev, 29, nicknamed "Tank," represents Azerbaijan and arrives at 20-3 with a finisher's résumé: 11 knockouts, seven submissions, just two decisions and 10 first-round finishes. Inside the Octagon, though, he has shown a grinding side. More than half of his significant strikes (51%) have landed on the ground, he averages 2.07 takedowns per 15 minutes, and he has stopped every takedown attempt against him so far, a 100% mark. Overall, he lands 2.56 per minute at 43% accuracy while absorbing 2.42, with 51% striking defense. The sample is small — 37 significant strikes landed in all — so treat these numbers as an outline rather than a verdict.
That sets up a real dilemma. Matthews lands 72% of his significant strikes standing and holds the edge there in both volume and defense. In the UFC, Abdullayev's path to victory has run through the mat, but that is exactly where Matthews owns eight career submission wins, while Abdullayev has yet to attempt a submission in the UFC. The key question: does Abdullayev chase takedowns against a man who is dangerous on the floor, or does he trade on the feet, where the numbers lean toward Matthews?
The night starts at 6 p.m. local time, with the main card at 9 p.m. Get your seat: Matthews vs Abdullayev tickets for Nov. 21.