Muslim Salikhov withdraws from UFC Macau due to elbow surgery

Muslim Salikhov has been forced out of his scheduled welterweight bout against Jake Matthews at UFC Macau on May 30th after undergoing elbow surgery, the Russian fighter confirmed.

Salikhov, known as the King of Kung Fu, carries a 22-6 record and competes out of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School in Russia. The 42-year-old orthodox striker stands five-foot-eleven with a 70-inch reach and has built a reputation as one of the more dangerous hands in the welterweight division, landing 3.37 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy. He stated that recovery from the procedure is expected to take a couple of weeks, and expressed regret that fans would miss the matchup, while promising to return and deliver competitive performances in the octagon.

Matthews, the Australian contender nicknamed The Celtic Kid, holds a 22-8 record and trains out of Nexus. The 31-year-old is a well-rounded threat at 185 centimeters tall with a 73-inch reach, averaging 3.34 significant strikes per minute alongside 1.44 takedowns and 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, making him a genuine mixed threat on the ground and feet.

Why it matters

• Salikhov's withdrawal disrupts what would have been a closely matched striker-versus-grappler contest at 170 pounds
• At 42, Salikhov faces added pressure to make the most of his remaining time at the elite level, and an unplanned surgery compounds that urgency
• Matthews is now left without an opponent for the May 30th card, putting his own return timeline in question
• Both fighters carry identical 22-win records, meaning the scrapped bout had meaningful implications for welterweight positioning