His Victory Was With Controversy, Indonesian MMA Fighter Adrian Mattheis Wants To Prove Himself During Rematch

Indonesian MMA fighter, Adrian Mattheis, at ONE Championship on 11 March. (Photo via Antara/ONE Championship)

JAKARTA - The victory of Indonesian MMA fighter, Adrian Mattheis, over former ONE Strawweight world champion, Alex Silva, on March 11, was allegedly controversial. At that time, Adrian won by TKO in the second round.

However, many people think that the referee, Mohamad Sulaiman, who led the match, stopped the match too soon. Alx Silva also felt that he could continue the fight.

Not wanting his victory to continue to be haunted by controversy, Adrian wants to prove he deserves to win by repeating it again in the rematch, on June 3.

"If it's like this, the term is that people want to see the real (winner). So, Adrian has accepted. We can just prove that that day was a coincidence or not," said Adrian Mattheis in an official statement quoted by Antara.

Victory over a fighter in the class of Alex Silva is certainly a big achievement for Indonesian MMA athletes. Apart from the former ONE Championship champion, the Brazilian fighter was also in the top five before losing to Adrian.

"Actually, my motivation is just to prove it, we Indonesians can do it too. So the motivation is when it has to happen," said Adrian.

Reflecting on the previous match, Adrian was dominated by Silva on canvas throughout the first round. As is known, Silva is a world champion and owner of a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ). Luckily, Adrian was able to survive until the closing bell for the first round rang.

When the second round lasted five seconds, Adrian threw a hard punch that made Silva fall. The fighter nicknamed “Papua Badboy” continued his attack by landing a hammer fist. Just before he could throw a further punch, the referee immediately intervened and gave Adrian the victory.

Furthermore, Adrian promised to give his best in his upcoming rematch against Alex Silva. He also wanted to emphasize the position of Indonesian athletes in the eyes of the world.

"So, I'll do what I can later, God will take care of everything. I'll also work hard, just tomorrow so the world will know too," concluded the 29-year-old fighter.