Indonesian MMA fighter Adrian Mattheis greets fans as he walks into the Circle. “Papua Badboy” will face fifth-ranked opponent Alex Silva in a strawweight bout on Friday. (ONE Championship)
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ne of Indonesia’s most exciting martial artists Adrian Mattheis will return to the Circle this Friday to face the biggest fight in his career. His opponent is none other than Alex Silva, the former ONE Championship king who has been inspirational to him.
“Papua Badboy” is set to challenge the former ONE strawweight world champion on the main card, and an impressive win could prove he is a worthy candidate for a strawweight title shot.
“I’ve been keeping myself primed for this day when I finally get to match up with my idol. He is a former world champion, and to this day, he’s still one of the best grapplers in the promotion,” Mattheis said.
“I have always had the mindset of doing my best. Both Silva and I are doing our best in practice, and I will do my maximum, so when the time comes, and should I get the chance, I’ll deliver Silva his loss,” he added.
When Mattheis was still competing on the national circuit, he witnessed the Brazilian submitting opponents on the global stage. Silva’s admirable BJJ’s skills earned him the reputation as one of the most dangerous fighters in the world. And because of that, Mattheis wanted to follow in his footsteps.
“Back when I was in university, I watched Silva’s fights in ONE. I had [started my MMA career], but I had yet to make it into ONE. I was competing in the nationals and regionals at that time. I first saw him when there was a local event. I was with coach Zuli [Silawanto], and from there, I dreamed of entering ONE and facing him. That was back in 2016,” the 28-year-old Indonesian said.
By August 2016, Mattheis had earned his own contract with ONE Championship, and he’s been a mainstay ever since, amassing nine victories with eight stoppages – a strawweight division record.
Now, facing the very man who inspired him to reach this level, Mattheis believes that his power will punch his way to knock out the 39-year-old Silva.
“I think there is one key to defeating Silva, and that is we compete in strength. I’ve been studying all his matches and thought about it a lot. Should he fail to take me down in the first round, I’ll make him pay in the second and third. Looking at our age, even though he’s a lot more experienced, I’m the younger man, and I’ll overpower him in a battle of strength,” said Mattheis, who spent most of his youth in Sorong, West Papua.
Mattheis understands the threat Silva can offer on a ground fight. He is a former BJJ world champion after all and has registered the most submission wins in the history of ONE’s strawweight MMA division (6).
However, “Papua Badboy” is confident that his improved striking repertoire can ultimately make the difference in this classic matchup between an elite grappler and powerful striker.
For this fight, the Tigershark Fighting Academy representative has sharpened his striking arsenal alongside elite boxer James Mokoginta and he believes he will come out victorious and end up entering the strawweight division’s upper echelon in the process.
“[I can’t tell you my game plan], but I can tell you my aim, which is obvious – I want to brawl with him. I will try to keep the fight standing and keep on trading. I want to keep it on the feet to be able to keep my distance,” Mattheis said.
“There’s an uppercut to the jaw that I want to use. There’s also hooks and uppercuts to the body. Lots of body shots. Silva likes to move in close, and once he’s close enough, I’ll blow him away with a body shot or a knee,” he added.
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This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship
