Matthew Semelsberger Leaves the UFC After Four-Fight
Matthew “Semi the Jedi” Semelsberger announced in February 2025 that he had been released after four consecutive losses with the promotion. His final bout was a first-round TKO defeat to Charles Radtke on November 9, 2024. The release ended his run with the promotion, but it did not end his effort to compete: after pursuing a bare-knuckle opportunity, he was scheduled for a BKFC debut and then withdrew before the event.
A run that turned quickly
Semelsberger joined the promotion in 2020 and made an immediate impression with his power, winning his UFC debut against Carlton Minus by unanimous decision; his second UFC win came by knockout. He built a 5-2 record in the organization before his results reversed. After a decision win over Jake Matthews in December 2022, he lost to Jeremiah Wells, Uroš Medić, Alex Morono and Radtke. The run included close scorecards as well as stoppage defeats, and left him 5-6 in the promotion overall. See Semelsberger’s official fight history.
The loss to Radtke came by punches at 51 seconds of the opening round. Semelsberger later announced his release on social media. Read the report on his release announcement.
What happened after the release
Semelsberger’s BKFC tryout changed the story from a general expression of interest into a concrete opportunity. In November 2025, he won a “golden ticket” for the promotion’s KnuckleMania VI card after competing at open tryouts. The booking was meant to be his first bare-knuckle bout, against Prince Nyseam, and it offered a way back to competition under different rules after his release from the MMA roster. A tryout win and a place on a card are meaningful steps, but neither establishes how a fighter will adapt once the bell rings. Read the report on the tryout and booking.
That debut did not happen as planned. Semelsberger later said he had to withdraw from the February 7, 2026 event after developing severe neck pain, and Brett Shoenfelt took his place against Nyseam. His withdrawal is a change in the timeline, not evidence that he retired or that the promotion released him; the BKFC fighter profile currently lists him as active, with no bouts recorded. The distinction matters: his attempted move to bare-knuckle competition was public and booked, but a first appearance still awaits a future healthy booking. His career status should therefore be described as unresolved rather than as either a completed comeback or a permanent exit. Check his current BKFC profile.
His release closed an uneven six-year stretch at the highest level of the sport, but not necessarily his fighting career. Semelsberger remains a 33-year-old welterweight with a professional record built on fast finishes and difficult setbacks. Whether he returns in bare-knuckle boxing, MMA or another format will depend on a future booking, not on speculation about where his skills might fit.
