Jake Matthews pairs two different sleeves: shaded illustrations on the right and bold knotwork and angular patterns on the left. A smaller reference to the manga Berserk sits behind his right ear. The photos show how the pieces differ in style and placement, though they don’t explain every personal reason behind them.
The Berserk tattoo behind his right ear
A backstage photo from UFC 302 in June 2024 shows the angular Brand of Sacrifice behind Matthews’ right ear as he prepares his wrapped hands. The small mark is easy to miss in a front-facing portrait. EssentiallySports identified it in a May 2024 report as a symbol from Berserk, the manga created by Kentaro Miura.
The thin lines sit between his beard and the back of his neck, without a shaded panel around them. Its compact scale contrasts with the larger arm work. The reference is recognizable, but the choice alone doesn’t say how Matthews relates to every part of the story.
The illustrated sleeve on his right arm
In a July 2023 fight photo against Darrius Flowers, Matthews wears red gloves and extends his right arm across the frame. The sleeve combines dark shapes with pale gray shading, with a larger figure near the shoulder and detailed work continuing down the forearm.
Published reports describe Norse-inspired imagery in the sleeve, including Thor, Fenrir and a Valkyrie. One report also links a caption Matthews shared with his Valkyrie image to the strength of women. Those attributions are more specific than reading a whole battle story into the shaded shapes.
A May 2026 weigh-in photo opposite Carlston Harris shows Matthews on the left, with the right shoulder turned toward the camera. A helmeted figure and feather-like details are clearer here, along with another shaded image on the forearm. Together, the two views show the sleeve wrapping around the arm; no single pose captures it all.
The knotwork and symbols on his left arm
After his February 2025 fight with Francisco Prado, Matthews raised both arms, exposing the left sleeve. Broad bands of interlacing blackwork surround angular marks, with a three-pointed motif on the upper arm and rows of signs farther down the forearm. The style is more graphic than the soft shading on his right arm.
His nickname, “The Celtic Kid,” can lead people to treat the entire sleeve as one cultural tradition. But reporting has also discussed Norse references in his collection, and the visible patterns don’t establish an exact origin or translation. The lines and contrast are clear; a specific meaning isn’t supplied by these photos.
How the tattoos sit together
A photo after Matthews’ July 2025 win over Chidi Njokuani in Nashville shows both arms, smaller upper-chest designs and outlined work along the sides of his lower torso. His gloves and shorts cover parts of the image, but the center of his chest and abdomen remain largely open.
A branching black design reaches from the upper left chest toward the shoulder, while curved outlines sit along the flanks. The photo shows where they are, but not enough to identify their source. The right arm uses shaded figures; the left leans on heavier lines and patterns.
For another broad collection, see Alessio Sakara’s tattoos. Matthews’ sleeves remain the main focus, with open skin through the center keeping them distinct.
Winning in Newark
Matthews has his hand raised after beating Phil Rowe at UFC 302 in Newark in June 2024. He wears a white shirt that covers the torso, while the arms remain visible. It’s a post-fight image, not a close view of the tattoos.
He made his UFC debut in 2014. Ahead of his February 2025 appearance in Sydney, he spoke to UFC about years of wins, losses, injuries and family changes, and about training more intelligently and making room for recovery. Those interviews give context to his career, but don’t date the tattoos or explain them.
The official UFC Nashville interview below follows his first-round submission of Njokuani in July 2025. It puts his own voice alongside photographs from several stages of his career.