Not quite enough: Semelsberger drops unanimous decision to Williams at UFC Fight Night

Jun. 21—Moments into Matthew Semelsberger's third appearance in the UFC octagon, the Urbana High grad had his back pressed against the cage, a cut on his nose already dripping blood down his opponent's back as the two clinched.

It wasn't at all an enviable situation, but it was a sign of the level of competition Semelsberger had reached. After two straight wins to open his UFC career over the past 10 months — including a stunning 16-second knockout in March — he'd earned a bout with another explosive welterweight prospect on the rise, Khaos Williams.

And while Semelsberger, of Ijamsville, fought out of that precarious early spot — and battled gamely throughout the rest of the three-round affair against a dangerous foe — he ultimately dropped a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The fighters were on their feet for the entire 15 minutes, and Semelsberger was clearly aware of Williams' power throughout. He defended himself well against Williams' flurries, some of which were wildly intense. And he got in plenty of clean shots of his own, particularly with his right hand.

But, overall, he didn't answer with enough meaningful offense, and he wasn't able to pour on much sustained pressure due to Williams' timely counters.

Hence the final result.

"As the rounds went by, I was calculating in my head," Williams told UFC color commentator Michael Bisping after the fight. "And numbers don't lie."

Williams landed 114 of 286 total strikes, while Semelsberger halved that output, landing 68 of 146. Williams also had a decided advantage in significant strikes (91) compared to "Semi the Jedi" (64).

On Sunday, Semelsberger tweeted, "Didn't get the result we wanted but learned a lot last night. You all will see a more dangerous, aggressive, and active Jedi next time. Congrats to Khaos, great performance bro," followed by a fist emoji.

Heading into this undercard bout, the announcers prepped the ESPN 2 and ESPN+ audience for fireworks, given the recent results of each combatant (Williams has logged two UFC wins in a total of 57 seconds since November 2020).

Said UFC color commentator Dominick Cruz before the fight, "This is explosion versus explosion. Don't blink."

But there were no knockdowns, no takedowns, no true stunners, unless you count the opening salvo by Williams that bloodied the bridge of Semlesberger's nose.

Semi (8-3 overall, 2-1 UFC) prides himself on the entertainment value of his performances, and he didn't leave anything off his strikes Saturday. He just didn't offer enough of them against the somewhat busier, more fierce Williams (12-2, 3-1).

Semelsberger, 28, seemed well-prepared for Williams' style, which might not be as sharp as some in mixed martial arts despite boasting proven finishing ability. Semelsberger covered up well when Williams started swinging, and he was hoping to show off the precision of his standup game — which has improved markedly since he signed with the UFC in August 2020.

"I have an intention that I want to go in there and outfight this guy," Semelsberger said last week. "I think I can be the more technical fighter, but at the same time, I gotta be able to back up that technique with some fire behind it. I've got to do it intense."

By the third round, though, Semelsberger was likely behind on the cards, knowing a strong finish was crucial. During the final minute, he gestured with his hands for Williams to bring it on, so perhaps he could pull off a late knockout. They began to trade shots, but a chance to punctuate never materialized for Semelsberger as Williams began to celebrate.

"I did catch him with a lot of straight punches, but he came back," Williams said afterward. "It was a fight, and he made me work for it. That's what fighting is about. You're not going to be able to knock everybody out."

The defeat was another step in Semelsberger's development as he looks to cement himself in the sport's premier company. Every fight serves as a building block, including losses. But where Semelsberger resides within this incredibly deep promotion, he knows his losses better lead quickly to more wins.

As Jon Delbrugge, one of Semelsberger's trainers, said last week: In the UFC, "you've always got one foot out the door all they way — and the other one's on a [expletive] banana peel."