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UFC Bantamweight

Bekzat Almakhan VS Jean Matsumoto

National Gymnastics Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan

Tale of the Tape

12-4-0 Record 18-2-0
28 Age 26
170 cm Height 168 cm
173 cm Reach 174 cm
orthodox Stance orthodox
92% Finish rate 50%
83% KO rate 17%
8% Sub rate 33%

Result Summary

Jean Matsumoto def. Bekzat Almakhan Decision (unanimous) · R3 5:00

Jean Matsumoto defeated Bekzat Almakhan by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in a three-round bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Torres in Baku on June 27, 2026. Almakhan dominated the first round with cleaner, more precise striking and dropped Matsumoto with a sharp one-two combination off a low kick. Matsumoto absorbed the knockdown, responded with a takedown and ground-and-pound elbows before the round ended, and shifted the fight's momentum in his favor over the final two rounds by escalating his pace and output. All three judges sided with Matsumoto, who improved to 4-2 in the UFC and cemented his standing as a fighter to watch at bantamweight.

Fight Overview

Bekzat Almakhan's 83% finishing rate and one-shot KO power — including a 64-second UFC debut stoppage — make him a genuine threat anywhere the fight starts standing, but a recent decision loss exposed real grappling vulnerabilities. Jean Matsumoto has never been stopped in 19 fights, owns six submission wins led by a sharp guillotine, and has proven he belongs at this level despite two narrow split-decision defeats, setting up a clean striker-versus-submission-grappler collision.

Keys to Victory

Bekzat Almakhan

  1. Use feints and angles to create distance before committing, preventing Matsumoto from closing the gap for clinch entries.
  2. Target the body and legs early to slow Matsumoto's takedown setups and discourage him from pressuring forward.
  3. If the fight hits the ground, scramble immediately to vertical rather than engaging Matsumoto's guard where his guillotine and anaconda are live.

Jean Matsumoto

  1. Close the distance behind a high guard and smother Almakhan's power shots before they reach full extension.
  2. Shoot for takedowns off Almakhan's striking combinations, where his weight is committed and his sprawl defense is slowest to reset.
  3. Once in top position, advance to side control or back mount rather than staying in guard, limiting Almakhan's ability to create space and stand.

Last 5 fights

Bekzat Almakhan

  1. L Aleksandre Topuria Decision · R3 5:00 · 21 NOV 2025
  2. W Brad Katona KO · R1 1:04 · 10 MAY 2025
  3. L Umar Nurmagomedov Decision · R3 5:00 · 2 MAR 2024
  4. W Yan Ferraz TKO · R3 4:58 · 18 NOV 2023
  5. W Mateus Rodrigues Gloria KO · R1 0:07 · 22 JUL 2023

Jean Matsumoto

  1. L Farid Basharat Decision · R3 5:00 · 7 FEB 2026
  2. W Miles Johns Decision · R3 5:00 · 9 AUG 2025
  3. L Rob Font Decision · R3 5:00 · 22 FEB 2025
  4. W Brad Katona Decision · R3 5:00 · 19 OCT 2024
  5. W Dan Argueta Submission · R2 4:59 · 6 APR 2024

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AI-generated This analysis was generated with AI and may contain errors.

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