Athletes
Matthew Semelsberger Seeks His Own Evolution Everywhere
Rising Welterweight Matthew Semelsberger Relishes The Chance To Improve His Skills And Hopes To Put Those Improvements On Display At UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Pavlovich
For better or worse, it’s easy for a fighter to get shoehorned into the simplest of terms so people remember them. Whether it’s being on either end of an epic knockout or bringing a brand of fighting that is on one end of the entertainment spectrum or the other, a reputation builds quickly in the Octagon. For Matthew Semelsberger, a 16-second and 15-second knockout in 2021 gave him plenty of notoriety, and rightly so, but it also builds a tough expectation for a developing prospect.
“Semi the Jedi” went 2-1 in 2022, picking up both wins via decision. While going to the scorecards might seem like an unsatisfying way to get one’s hand raised, Semelsberger saw it as a positive, particularly his unanimous nod he earned over longtime veteran Jake Matthews at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Strickland.
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“Everybody loves to see a knockout, but I think the beating of a vet over three rounds definitely feels like I accomplished more,” Semelsberger told UFC.com. “I particularly like attacking everything from every angle; this is mixed martial arts, so you got to be strong everywhere.
Highlight: Matthew Semelsberger Knocks Out Sano In 15 Seconds | UFC 266
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Highlight: Matthew Semelsberger Knocks Out Sano In 15 Seconds | UFC 266
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“For me, I think it's super important to be very well-rounded. So that's just kind of what I've been doing ever since this last fight, just staying on top of my striking, grappling, my strength and conditioning, and everything.”
FREE FIGHTS: Pavlovich vs Tuivasa | Blaydes vs Daukaus
Overall, evolution is the thing Semelsberger prizes the most in this early chapter of his UFC tenure. While amassing a 5-2 record since joining the roster in August 2020, he has improved himself each time out.
It’s that persistence about improvement that helped Semelsberger bounce back well from losses. Despite having four on his record, he has always won his next contest. That’s not to say he is resting on the accomplishment of outdueling Matthews to end 2022, though. Semelsberger feels like he is not only a better fighter, physically and technically, but also a better person as a whole “mentally and spiritually.”
“Growth is a skill I've realized,” he said. “I think I've learned a next level of how to grow as a person and as a fighter.”
After fighting a pair of UFC mainstays in Matthews and Alex Morono, Semelsberger is now set to take on Jeremiah Wells. The 36-year-old from Philadelphia came onto the scene in 2021 with a second-round knockout win over Warlley Alves and kept his Octagon record unblemished with a pair of first-round finishes over Blood Diamond and Court McGee.
MORE FIGHT NIGHT: Pavlovich Explosive | Fighters On The Rise | Key Main Event Notes
The matchup seems like the kind that could launch the winner into a fight against someone at the edge or in the Top 15 of the welterweight division, so the stakes are relatively high in terms of the career projection of both men. Context aside, though, Semelsberger expects an intriguing and fan-friendly fight, prime for an explosive moment or two.
Matthew Semelsberger Scores A 16 KO over Witt | UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Muhammad
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Matthew Semelsberger Scores A 16 KO over Witt | UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Muhammad
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“(He is) a very, very tough guy (and) a very strong, stout-looking dude with very scary power in his hands,” Semelsberger said. “Very good grappling and comes from a very good grappling school. It's going to be a very interesting fight, a very exciting fight.
“I haven't been overthinking it too much. I know I've done my homework, and I'm ready to just go in there and feel it out and be ready to fight. If I had to guess, I would expect things to start out a teensy bit slow, but once they pop off, it's going to pop off.”
Despite those quick knockouts that put Semelsberger on the radar, it still seems like he is a little under-the-radar in the talent-rich 170-pound division. A win over Wells, while not a surefire assumption, gets Semelsberger to the doorstep of some bigger and more consequential contests in the division.
At the very least, it’s another chance for Semelsberger to grow as a fighter once again and continue his path toward rounding himself out as a mixed martial artist, which, ultimately, is his goal for the time being.
“I just want people to say that Matthew Semelsberger is a damn good fighter and a very entertaining one,” he said. “I just want to have both ends of the spectrum covered. I want to show that I can fight with some of the best in the world but, at the same time, I want people to be excited and entertained when they watch me fight.”
UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs Blaydes took place live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas on April 22, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
