HE’S still only 23, but Jake Matthews is ready to start again.

One of Australia’s most promising up-and-coming fighters, Matthews will return to the Octagon following almost 12 months on the sidelines and back-to-back losses to Andrew Holbrook and Kevin Lee.

He’ll be returning to the octagon at welterweight after six bouts at lightweight and is keen to use Sunday’s UFC fight night in Sydney to relaunch a promising career that has hit it’s first real snag.

The Victorian cut a relaxed figure ahead of his bout with Bojan Veličković, a hard-nosed Serbian with plenty of experience - a far from easy comeback fight for The Celtic Kid.

Even so, Matthews intends to use his return to welterweight as a showcase of his abilities, and feels the move up from lightweight will allow him to do so.

Matthews has lost his last two fights. Source: News Corp Australia

“I think I’m going to show my skill set and potential in this fight - (i will) try and make a statement,” Matthews said.

“Bojan just fought Darren Till, who just fought Cowboy Cerrone. I think if I can win this fight it puts me right back where I was before the last two fights.”

Matthews was on something of a tear before his recent slip ups.

A jailbreak rear-naked choke in the final moments of his bout with Johnny Case last March pushed his record to 10-1 and his UFC record to 5-1.

He was duly rewarded with a fight in Las Vegas against another up and comer, the fast-talking Lee.

The Victorian will be desperate for a win. Source: News Corp Australia

Lee, who has since gone on to fight for the interim lightweight title, dusted Matthews inside a round. A split decision loss to Holbrook followed and Matthews was facing the first real setback of his young career and lost the momentum he’d generated over the previous two years.

“I could have dug deeper and tried to really push and win those fights,” Matthews said.

“It does make you hungry. I want to go in there and show everyone what my skill set is, what my potential is, and show that I could have won those last two fights.

“Even though Kevin is a top contender now, I could have won that fight.”

Matthews isn’t one for making excuses, but his weight cut down to 155 pounds (70.31 kilos) was playing havoc with his stamina, ability to take a punch and overall form.

After the Holbrook fight, Matthews says he “was looking yellow in the skin for three weeks afterwards”.

“I can sit here and say the weight cut affected me, especially in the last one, but I still could have dug deep and won them. This time there’s going to be no excuse.”

The year away from the cage, in which Matthews underwent hip surgery, has allowed him to sharpen his skills and retool his body.

Can Matthews get back on track? Source: Supplied

It’s been the longest stretch without a fight of his entire career.

“I’ve been doing this since I was 15 and it’s been non-stop since I was 15. You never want to take a long break off but once you do you realise the benefits of it afterwards.

“(I’ve been) trying to put quality muscle on, keeping my explosiveness from lightweight. I was explosive as a lightweight and these guys are bigger and slower, so hopefully I can keep that speed up.

“I used to fight at welterweight when I was 16,17. I’d be weighing 160, 165 pounds, and I’d weigh-in in my clothes, drink a bunch of water just so I’d seem heavier.

“I didn’t lose a fight back then. I just had energy for days, relentless for the entire fight. I’m looking to bring that back in.”