Jake Matthews got the better of the striking battle against Francisco Prado tonight at UFC 312 to earn a unanimous decision victory.
Round One
Early leg kick for Prado. Matthews loads up on a punch that misses. Now a punch to the body and one upstairs from him. Prado with a brief flurry.
Hard punches from Matthews down the pipe. Prado with another flurry of punches. Low kicks from Prado. Prado lands a punch, but Matthews gets into the clinch to land some nice uppercuts.
Left hand for Matthews. Body kick from Prado. Left hook for Matthews. Front kick to the body from Prado and another leg kick.
Left and then a clean right for Matthews. They clinch and Prado is able to land a trip takedown. He drops down an elbow strike before Matthews is able to stand. Prado with a combo late in the round, but Matthews returns fire with harder-hitting punches. Another brief exchange late in the round that Matthews gets the better of again.
Round Two
Flurry of hooks from Matthews come off the guard. Calf kicks for Prado. Prado leads with an elbow strike. Body punches land for Matthews.
Prado with a couple of threatening knee strikes. Calf kick for him. More hooks off the guard from Matthews. Calf kick for Prado. Uppercut lands for Matthews.
Prado gets into the clinch against the cage. Knees to the body exchanged. Matthews able to break away from the clinch.
Body kick for Prado. Body work from Matthews. He rips to the midsection again. There was a brief clash of heads there though and that leaves Prado bleeding above his eyebrow as the round draws to a close.
Round Three
Calf kick for Prado. Matthews with a few hard punches. He lands another solid jab. Prado misses with a wild hook. Body kick for Prado.
Another calf kick for Prado. Matthews with a body lock and thinks about a takedown for a moment, but then goes back to striking range instead.
Matthews steps into a body shot. He rips to the midsection again. Head kick attempt misses. Prado clinches up in the center of the Octagon but nothing comes of it.
Leg kick from Prado. Solid left hand for Matthews. Now a good left hook catches Prado’s attention. Prado clinches against the cage, but Matthews lands a few nice knees to the body.
Back to striking range. Prado kicking to the leg as Matthews looks for a punch. Low kick and a right hand from Prado.
Matthews punches to the body and clinches up, but Prado quickly escapes. Back into the clinch again and Matthews presses Prado into the cage in the final minute. He lands a knee to the body.
Decision
A fairly competitive fight then, but Matthews was the more effective of the two with his crisp flurries of strikes through all three rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory (30-27 x3).
