Muslim Salikhov has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout against Jake Matthews at UFC Macau due to an upcoming elbow surgery. The fight cancellation was reported by journalist KevinK. No replacement opponent or rescheduled date has been announced at this time. The withdrawal removes one of the featured matchups from the UFC's planned event in Macau. Details about the severity of Salikhov's elbow injury or his expected recovery timeline were not provided.
Muslim Salikhov has been forced out of his scheduled welterweight bout against Jake Matthews at UFC Macau, with the Russian veteran set to undergo elbow surgery. The withdrawal was reported by journalist KevinK. No replacement opponent or rescheduled date has been announced.
Salikhov, nicknamed "King of Kung Fu," is 42 years old and carries a professional record of 22-6. The Russian fighter, who trains out of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School, stands five-foot-eleven with a 70-inch reach and lands 3.37 significant strikes per minute at a 49 percent accuracy rate. No details about the severity of his elbow injury or expected recovery timeline have been disclosed.
His scheduled opponent, Jake Matthews, enters the situation without a fight. The 31-year-old Australian, known as "The Celtic Kid," holds a 22-8 record and trains out of Nexus. Matthews stands five-foot-eleven with a slightly longer 73-inch reach. He lands 3.34 significant strikes per minute and adds a grappling dimension to his game, averaging 1.44 takedowns and 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Salikhov's surgery removes one of the featured matchups from UFC Macau, leaving a hole in the card
- Matthews, at 31, now faces an uncertain wait for a replacement opponent or a rescheduled booking
- The two fighters shared near-identical striking profiles, making for a stylistically intriguing matchup that will now have to wait
- No timeline for Salikhov's return has been provided, adding further uncertainty to his future availability at 42 years old
