Akbar Abdullaev will face Jake Matthews at UFC Doha on November 21. The fight is part of the newly announced Qatar card.
Akbar Abdullaev and Jake Matthews have been added to the UFC Doha card, with the pair set to meet on November 21 in Qatar. The bout is part of the newly announced lineup for the event.
Matthews arrives in Doha as one of the more experienced names on the bill. The 32-year-old Australian, who trains out of Nexus, carries a record of 22-8-0. Nicknamed "The Celtic Kid," he fights from an orthodox stance and stands five-foot-eleven, or 180 cm, with a 73-inch reach.
His numbers point to a well-rounded, volume-oriented approach. Matthews lands 3.34 significant strikes per minute at 43 percent accuracy, and he averages 1.44 takedowns per 15 minutes. He also attempts 0.8 submissions per 15 minutes, a reminder that his game reaches beyond the standing exchanges.
Abdullaev is the other half of the matchup, and the booking gives Matthews a fresh opponent to prepare for as the card takes shape. The fight was announced as part of the broader Qatar lineup, and no further details on its placement on the card have been provided.
Why it matters
- Matthews, at 22-8-0, brings deep experience into the matchup, with 30 professional fights on his ledger.
- His mix of steady striking output and a healthy takedown rate gives him multiple ways to build a fight.
- The bout adds another named matchup to a UFC Doha card that is still filling out.
For Matthews, the fight is another chance to add to a résumé that already spans well over two dozen bouts. For Abdullaev, it is a high-profile assignment against a seasoned veteran on a card in Qatar.
