Matthew Semelsberger Record: 11-8-0

UFC arrival and knockout reputation

Semelsberger debuted in August 2020 with a unanimous-decision win over Carlton Minus. He quickly became must-see television: in March 2021 he flattened Jason Witt with a first-round knockout in just 16 seconds, and after dropping a decision to Khaos Williams in June 2021, he bounced back with an even faster finish, starching Martin Sano in 15 seconds at UFC 266. The back-to-back blink-and-miss knockouts cemented his standing as one of the division's most dangerous early-round finishers.

Welterweight ups and downs

Semelsberger kept climbing in March 2022 with a unanimous-decision win over previously undefeated AJ Fletcher, then dropped a decision to veteran Alex Morono at UFC 277 in July 2022. He answered with arguably his best win that December, outpointing Jake Matthews over three rounds. From there the results turned: he lost a split decision to Jeremiah Wells in April 2023, was stopped by Uros Medic at UFC 291 in July 2023, dropped a decision to Preston Parsons in January 2024, and was finished by Charles Radtke in November 2024.

Fighting style

Semelsberger is a powerful, athletic striker whose right hand is among the heaviest in the welterweight division — six of his 11 wins came by knockout or TKO, several in dramatic fashion within seconds. His football-bred explosiveness and burst make him a constant first-round threat, and a 64% finish rate underlines how often he ends fights early when he lands clean. The trade-off is consistency over a full 15 minutes against grinding, well-rounded opponents, an area where several of his decision losses came. When he connects, though, few welterweights generate one-punch power like he does.

Career highlights

• Back-to-back blitz knockouts — he stopped Jason Witt in 16 seconds and Martin Sano in 15 seconds, among the fastest finishes the division has seen.
• Decision win over Jake Matthews — outpointing a durable, long-tenured UFC welterweight stands as one of the signature results of his run.
• From college football to the UFC — a former Marist strong safety, he became one of the few Maryland natives to compete in the modern UFC.