Muslim Salikhov has pulled out of his scheduled fight against Jake Matthews at UFC Macau. The Russian welterweight withdrew from the bout due to an upcoming elbow surgery that requires immediate attention. The cancellation was reported by KevinK, though no replacement opponent or rescheduled date has been announced yet. Both fighters will need to wait for their next bookings as the card moves forward without this matchup.
Muslim Salikhov has withdrawn from his scheduled welterweight bout against Jake Matthews at UFC Macau, with an elbow surgery requiring immediate attention forcing the Russian veteran off the card. No replacement opponent or rescheduled date has been announced, and the matchup has been pulled entirely as the event moves forward. The withdrawal was first reported by KevinK.
Salikhov, known as "King of Kung Fu," carries a 22-6 record and is 42 years old, making him one of the more experienced fighters on the UFC roster. The Russian orthodox striker trains out of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School and has averaged 3.37 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy across his career, relying primarily on his striking game with minimal submission attempts logged.
Matthews, the 31-year-old Australian known as "The Celtic Kid," comes in at 22-8 and trains out of Nexus. Standing 180 cm with a 185 cm reach, he offers a more well-rounded threat than his opponent, averaging 1.44 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, complementing a striking output of 3.34 significant strikes landed per minute.
Why it matters
- Salikhov's elbow surgery carries no announced recovery timeline, leaving his next booking uncertain given his age
- Matthews now sits without an opponent and will need a replacement booking to stay active
- The stylistic contrast — Salikhov's pure striking versus Matthews' grappling integration — made this a compelling matchup that welterweight fans will have to wait longer to see
