Muslim Salikhov's welterweight bout against Jake Matthews scheduled for the UFC event on May 30 has been cancelled. Salikhov underwent surgery on his hand, forcing his withdrawal from the matchup. The injury required surgical intervention, ruling him out of competition. No replacement opponent for Matthews has been announced at this time. The cancellation represents a setback for both fighters' 2026 campaign plans.
Muslim Salikhov has been forced out of his scheduled welterweight clash with Jake Matthews after undergoing hand surgery, with the May 30 UFC bout now officially off the calendar.
Salikhov, known as "King of Kung Fu," carries a 22-6 record and is one of the more experienced fighters in the welterweight division at 42 years old. The Russian representative of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School stands five-foot-eleven with a 70-inch reach and has built a reputation as a striking threat, landing 3.37 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy. The surgical procedure on his hand leaves his near-term fight schedule uncertain.
Matthews, the Australian known as "The Celtic Kid," now finds himself without an opponent and awaiting a replacement booking. The 31-year-old holds a 22-8 record and trains out of Nexus in Australia. He shares the same height as Salikhov at five-foot-eleven but holds a three-inch reach advantage at 73 inches. Matthews is a well-rounded threat, averaging 3.34 significant strikes per minute alongside 1.44 takedowns per 15 minutes and 0.8 submission attempts in the same span. No replacement opponent has been announced at this time.
Why it matters
- Salikhov's hand surgery is a significant setback for a 42-year-old fighter for whom time in competition is increasingly valuable.
- Matthews loses a high-profile matchup with no confirmed alternative, leaving a gap in his 2026 schedule.
- Both fighters were set to collide in an evenly matched striking contest given their near-identical strike output and shared Orthodox stance.
