LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 18: (LR) Opponents Brad Katona of Canada and Gene Matsumoto of Brazil during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at UFC APEX on October 18, 2024 in Las Vegas, NV. to confront. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
“Multimate” fighter Brad Katona wasted his work day in a dangerous fight with Brazil’s Gene Matsumoto at UFC Vegas 99 on Saturday.
After winning The Ultimate Fighter 27 but later being denied entry by the UFC, Katona won at TUF 31, becoming the first two-time TUF champion. Matsumoto entered the match undefeated.
Katona vs. Matsumoto began with a heated battle, with the pair trading hard and heavy. Katona used his elbows particularly well in the latter half of the round, making a sharp move with about two minutes remaining. Matsumoto goes for a takedown, but it’s defended, and the stand-up fight continues after Katona reverses. The Canadians used lateral movement well and often.
In the second round, Matsumoto took the center position, and Katona once again started circling from the outside. As sharp as Matsumoto seemed, Katona seemed good enough to go head-to-head with him. They also succeeded in catching Matsumoto on the way, and blood was dripping from both sides of Matsumoto’s face. Katona clinched against the fence and clipped Matsumoto with an elbow off the break. Katona’s ears decided on the right. They engaged at will, firing volleys whenever they came together.
As the rounds progressed, the pace did not slow down. Matsumoto also added kicks, and at the end of the frame, Katona’s own face was covered in blood. Matsumoto tried for a takedown towards the end, but couldn’t get it.
Gene Matsumoto was active in the third round, with Katona landing a kick in the first minute and both men trading blows. Katona clinches, lowers herself along the fence, and fires a knee, but struggles to catch Matsumoto, who shows steady balance, and drops to the bottom. Matsumoto then provided a little assist by hitting the fence as the referee tried to brush his hand away. At least it’s not as bad as a fence grab. Katona still held their position, but their breakout didn’t last long. Katona then aimed for the leg, but couldn’t reach it. By the halfway point of the third he may have been a step slower.
In the final moments, a bloodied Matsumoto tried to fend off Katona’s takedown attempt while also elbowing him. Matsumoto reversed his stance and succeeded in pulling his leg out from under Katona, who immediately got up. He then scored a takedown of his own. A final ground-and-pound explosion and scramble took it to the final horn.
Official result: Gene Matsumoto def. Brad Katona unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)