#1 ranked featherweight in New England, Connor "The Controller" Matthews (7-1) got his 2nd shot at a UFC contract tonight as he flew to Las Vegas to compete on Dana White's Contender Series at the UFC Apex.
Matthews was a taking on a tough undefeated Brazilian fighter in Jair Farias (10-1) who had a 5 inch height and reach advantage. They were both battling for one of the most sought after accomplishments in the sport - a UFC contract.
"The Controller" came in as a slight underdog in the fight, but he had the experience edge over Farias when it came to fighting at the Apex and under the bright lights. The fight was a banger from the get-go. Both Matthews and Farias landed solid strikes during the first round with some grappling mixed in as well. Connor's boxing looked crisp and he landed some solid punches to the much longer Farias. A close 1st round, but I had it scored 10-9 in favor of the Massachusetts native.
Matthews seemed to be the much fresher fighter in the second round as he took it to the Brazilian on the feet and also secured a number of takedowns in the round. Easily a 10-9 round for the New England Cartel product, and one could even argue that a 10-8 was in the periphery.
Farias seemed to be gassing in the 2nd round, but he came back with evengencce in the 3rd and showed much better cardio, landing solid punches as Matthews moved forward. Matthews dug deep in the 3rd and ended up securing a unanimous decision victory over a very difficult stylistic matchup in Farias. Both guys showed talent, heart, and the ability to compete at the highest level of the sport in the world.
This marks a massive accomplishment for one of the most talented and hard-working fighters in the region. It's a well-deserved reward for someone who has devoted his life to competing at the highest level of the sport and should be celebrated by Connor, his family, friends, and teammates, but there's no rest for the wicked. It's hard to get to the UFC and it's even harder to stay there. Keep an eye out for "The Controller" to be gracing your screens in the very near future on the sports biggest stage.
