Farid BasharatvsJean Matsumoto

Jean Matsumoto just pulled off one of the gutsiest wins you'll see when he took a split decision over Miles Johns back in August. That's a legit test right there. Johns is no joke, and Matsumoto found a way to get it done. Before that though, he had that tough split loss to Rob Font in February where he actually landed 113 strikes and hit 7 takedowns. The dude can scrap and he's not afraid to mix it up. Farid Basharat is rolling into this thing on a serious streak. Five straight UFC wins, including that unanimous decision over Chris Gutierrez in October at UFC 320.

That's a big name to have on your resume. Before that, he handled Victor Hugo at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, and remember when he choked out Kleydson Rodrigues in the first round back in Paris? That arm triangle was nasty. Here's what makes this interesting. Matsumoto showed against Font he can push a pace with volume striking and wrestling, hitting 70% of his takedowns in that fight. But Basharat is slick everywhere. He's got submissions in his back pocket and he's been controlling guys for serious time.

Against Taylor Lapilus, he racked up almost 7 minutes of control time. That's suffocating. Both guys are Orthodox, both are hungry to climb, and both just beat quality opponents. Matsumoto needs to prove that Johns win wasn't a fluke. Basharat wants to show he's ready for the top ten. Someone's streak is ending Saturday night.