MELBOURNE, Australia – Jake Matthews has greater perspective on his UFC career after becoming a father following a crucial loss in his most recent bout.

After putting together a three-fight winning streak in the welterweight division, Matthews (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) suffered a third-round submission defeat to Anthony Rocco Martin (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 142 in December. Normally Matthews would dwell on such an outcome, but this one was different.

Matthews’ first child, a boy, was born not long after the fight. That forced him to adjust his priorities in life, and now he sees fighting in a different light.

“You realize when you’re a dad there’s bigger things in life sometimes,” Matthews said during a guest fighter media session ahead of Saturday’s UFC 234 event. “I had a good year. I had three good wins, the last one was a good scrap against a pretty highly ranked opponent. I’m getting back into training slowly now, but trying to avoid the dad bod.”

Normally Matthews is a mainstay on the UFC’s cards in Australia, but he said fatherhood mixed with his busy 2018 schedule caused him to nix competing at this weekend’s UFC 234 event.

With life becoming more and more settled outside the octagon, though, Matthews is nearly ready to resume his career. He sees the middle portion of the year as his most likely return date, but said he has no preference of opponent.

“I’ve always left it up to the UFC,” Matthews said. “They have the best matchmakers in the world. Leave it up to the matchmakers, they’ve always given me good matches. Win or lose it’s always been a fight that’s going to test me, but always believed it is one I can win.”

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