Fil-American AJ ‘The Mercenary’ Matthews is set for action on July 14 as part of Bellator 181 to be held at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
One of the up-and-coming international fighters, Matthews has been preparing hard for his next fight. He has been seen devoting most of his waking hours into training and building relationships with his fellow Filipino Fighters both local and international.
The role of Matthews as professional striking coach ONE Championship heavyweight champion Brandon Vera and several other UFC champions have also helped him in his preparation for his fight.
Matthews has been stringing up impressive victories including a first-round technical knockout over Kyle Bolt at Bellator 131 in 2014, and a knockout win over Charlie Rader at Bellator 70 in 2012.
The 29-year-old has also been a pride of his fellow Filipino fighters as he has recently based himself now in Philippines with his team MMA Alliance. Matthews, whose mother traces her roots in Tacloban, has been embraced by his Filipino fans with open arms with his humility and charm.
Matthews recently appeared in the Test of Will Challenge and the National Test of Will Finals in the Philippines. During the event that was participated in by several athletes and celebrities, Matthews and ONE Championship fighter Mark Striegl competed against each other to test their abilities.