2023   Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement

June 9, 2023    |    Dallas, Texas

One Lincoln Centre

5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1500

Dallas, Texas 75240

www.matadorresources.com

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

To Be Held on June 9, 2023

To the Matador Resources Company Shareholders:

Please join us for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Matador Resources Company. The meeting will be held at the Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre, Lakeside Ballroom, 5410 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75240, on Friday, June 9, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., Central Daylight Time.

At the meeting, you will hear a report on our business and act on the following matters:

All shareholders of record at the close of business on April 12, 2023 are entitled to vote at the meeting or any postponement or adjournment of the meeting. A list of the shareholders of record is available at the Company’s offices in Dallas, Texas.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Joseph Wm. Foran

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

April 27, 2023

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT!

Whether or not you will attend the meeting, please vote as promptly as possible by using the Internet or telephone or by signing, dating and returning your proxy card to the address listed on the card.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the

Annual Meeting of Shareholders to Be Held on June 9, 2023:

Our Proxy Statement and the Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 are available for viewing, printing and downloading at https://materials.proxyvote.com/576485.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Matador Resources Company

One Lincoln Centre

5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1500

Dallas, Texas 75240

www.matadorresources.com

PROXY STATEMENT

For

ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

To Be Held on June 9, 2023

This Proxy Statement is being mailed on or about April 27, 2023 to the shareholders of Matador Resources Company (“Matador” or the “Company”) in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company to be voted at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held at the Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre, Lakeside Ballroom, 5410 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75240, on June 9, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., Central Daylight Time (the “Annual Meeting” or the “2023 Annual Meeting”), or at any postponement or adjournment thereof, for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The address of the Company’s principal executive office is One Lincoln Centre, 5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1500, Dallas, Texas 75240.

If you are a shareholder of record, you may vote in person by attending the meeting, by completing and returning a proxy by mail or by using the Internet or telephone. You may vote your proxy by mail by marking your vote on the enclosed proxy card and following the instructions on the card. To vote your proxy using the Internet or telephone, see the instructions on the proxy form and have the proxy form available when you access the Internet website or place your telephone call.

The named proxies will vote your shares according to your directions. If you sign and return your proxy but do not make any of the selections, the named proxies will vote your shares: (i) FOR the election of the four nominees for director as set forth in this Proxy Statement, (ii) FOR the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement and (iii) FOR the ratification of KPMG LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the year ending December 31, 2023. Your proxy may be revoked at any time before it is exercised by filing with the Company a written revocation addressed to the Corporate Secretary, by executing a proxy bearing a later date or by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person.

The cost of soliciting proxies will be borne by the Company. In addition to the use of postal services and the Internet, proxies may be solicited by directors, officers and employees of the Company (none of whom will receive any additional compensation for any assistance they may provide in the solicitation of proxies) in person or by telephone.

The outstanding voting securities of the Company consist of issued and outstanding common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”). The record date for the determination of the shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting, or any postponement or adjournment thereof, has been established by the Board as the close of business on April 12, 2023 (the “Record Date”). As of the Record Date, there were 119,183,914 shares of Common Stock outstanding and entitled to vote.

The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of record of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting, but if a quorum should not be present, the meeting may be adjourned from time to time until a quorum is obtained. A holder of Common Stock will be entitled to one vote per share on each matter properly brought before the meeting. Cumulative voting is not permitted in the election of directors.

The proxy card provides space for a shareholder to abstain with respect to any or all nominees for the Board. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by holders of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of directors at the Annual Meeting is required for the election of each nominee for

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director. With respect to the election of directors in an uncontested election, such as that being held at the Annual Meeting, “majority of the votes cast” means the number of votes cast “for” the election of such nominee exceeds the number of votes cast “against” such nominee. See “Corporate Governance—Majority Vote in Director Elections” for additional information regarding election of directors.

The other proposals require the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of Common Stock present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the meeting. Shares held by a shareholder who abstains from voting on any or all proposals will be included for the purpose of determining the presence of a quorum. Other than with respect to the election of directors, an abstention will effectively count as a vote cast against the remaining proposals. Broker non-votes on any matter as to which the broker has indicated on the proxy that it does not have discretionary authority to vote will be treated as shares not entitled to vote with respect to that matter. However, such shares will be considered present and entitled to vote for quorum purposes so long as they are entitled to vote on at least one other matter.

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PROXY SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider, and you should read the entire Proxy Statement carefully prior to voting. For more complete information regarding our 2022 performance, please review our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders

Voting Matters and Board Recommendation

2022 Business Highlights

The year 2022 was a tremendous year for Matador, including record total production, net income, adjusted earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depletion, depreciation and amortization and certain other items (“Adjusted EBITDA”, a non-GAAP financial measure), net cash provided by operating activities and adjusted Free Cash Flow (a non-GAAP financial measure). San Mateo Midstream, LLC (“San Mateo”), our midstream joint venture, also had a record year in 2022, including increased throughput volumes for natural gas gathering and processing, oil gathering and transportation and water handling, as well as record net income and record Adjusted EBITDA. In 2022, both Matador and San Mateo generated free cash flow in all four quarters.

In addition, we doubled our quarterly dividend from $0.05 per share in the first and second quarters of 2022 to $0.10 per share in the third and fourth quarters of 2022. In December 2022, we announced that the Board had again amended the Company’s dividend policy, increasing the quarterly dividend by 50% to $0.15 per share. We also paid down debt and ended 2022 with a leverage ratio of 0.1x (calculated in accordance with the Credit Agreement (as defined below) without the application of the maximum available cash set forth in the Credit Agreement), the lowest since we became a public company in 2012.

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Production Growth

Business Highlights

Returning Value to Shareholders

Capital Resources and Financial Highlights

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Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) Initiatives (page 28)

At Matador, we are committed to creating long-term value in a responsible manner. Our aim is to reliably and profitably provide the energy that society needs in a manner that is safe, protects the environment and is consistent with the industry’s best practices and the highest applicable regulatory and legal standards. In alignment with this goal, we maintain an active ESG program that is overseen and supported by senior management and the Board’s Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee. In December 2022, we were pleased to issue Matador’s annual Sustainability Report, which included quantitative metrics aligned with standards developed by an industry leader, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (“SASB”). For additional information on the Company’s ESG efforts, see “Corporate Governance—Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Initiatives” on page 28. Information included in our Sustainability Report is not incorporated into this Proxy Statement.

Director Nominees (page 11)

Our Board currently has nine members and one vacancy and is divided into three classes of directors, designated Class I, Class II and Class III. Directors are elected for three-year terms. The table below provides certain summary information about each nominee for director named in this Proxy Statement:

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Executive Compensation Highlights (page 42)

Our Executive Compensation Philosophy

Our compensation program is designed to reward, in both the short term and the long term, performance that contributes to the implementation of our business strategies, maintenance of our culture and values and achievement of our objectives. In addition, we reward qualities that we believe help achieve our business strategies such as:

For discussion of recent changes to our executive compensation program, see “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis” beginning on page 42.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING

We are furnishing you this Proxy Statement in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board to be used at the Annual Meeting and any adjournment thereof. The Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, June 9, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., Central Daylight Time. We are sending this Proxy Statement to our shareholders on or about April 27, 2023.

All references in this Proxy Statement to “we,” “our,” “us,” “Matador” or the “Company” refer to Matador Resources Company, including our subsidiaries and affiliates.

What is the purpose of the Annual Meeting?

At the Annual Meeting, shareholders will act upon the following matters outlined in the Annual Meeting notice:

What are the Board’s voting recommendations?

Who is entitled to vote?

Shareholders as of the close of business on April 12, 2023 are eligible to vote their shares at the Annual Meeting. As of the Record Date, there were 119,183,914 shares of our Common Stock outstanding. Each share of Common Stock is entitled to one vote at the Annual Meeting.

Why did I receive a Notice Regarding the Internet Availability of Proxy Materials in the mail instead of a full set of proxy materials?

Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules allow companies to furnish proxy materials over the Internet. We have elected to send a separate Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) to most of our shareholders instead of a paper copy of the proxy materials. This approach conserves natural resources and reduces the costs of printing and distributing our proxy materials while providing shareholders with a convenient way to access our proxy materials. Instructions on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet or to request a paper copy of proxy materials, including a proxy card or voting instruction form, may be found in the Notice. In addition, shareholders may request to receive future proxy materials in printed form by mail or electronically by email by following the instructions in the Notice. A shareholder’s election to receive proxy materials by mail or email will remain in effect until the shareholder terminates it.

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How do I vote?

You may:

Why did I receive paper copies of proxy materials?

We are providing certain shareholders with paper copies of the proxy materials instead of a separate Notice. If you received a paper copy and would no longer like to receive printed proxy materials, you may consent to receive all future proxy materials electronically via email or the Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please follow the instructions provided in your proxy materials. When prompted, indicate that you agree to receive or access shareholder communications electronically in the future.

Will each shareholder in our household receive proxy materials?

Generally, no. To the extent you are receiving printed proxy materials, we try to provide only one set of proxy materials to be delivered to multiple shareholders sharing an address, unless you have given us other instructions. Any shareholder at a shared address may request delivery of single or multiple copies of printed proxy materials for future meetings by contacting us at:

Matador Resources Company

Attention: Investor Relations

5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1500

Dallas, Texas 75240

Email: investors@matadorresources.com

Telephone: (972) 371-5200

We undertake to deliver promptly, upon written or oral request, a copy of proxy materials to a shareholder at a shared address to which a single copy of the proxy materials was delivered. Requests should be directed to Investor Relations at the address or phone number set forth above.

Who will be admitted to the Annual Meeting?

Admission to the Annual Meeting will be limited to our shareholders of record, persons holding proxies from our shareholders, beneficial owners of our Common Stock and our employees. If your shares are registered in your name, we will verify your ownership at the meeting in our list of shareholders as of the Record Date. If your shares are held through a broker, bank or other nominee, you must bring proof of your ownership of the shares. This proof could consist of, for example, a bank or brokerage firm account statement or a letter from your bank or broker confirming your ownership as of the Record Date. You may also send proof of ownership to us at Matador Resources Company, Attention: Corporate Secretary, 5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1500, Dallas, Texas 75240, or email: investors@matadorresources.com, before the Annual Meeting, and we will send you an admission card.

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If I vote via telephone or the Internet or by mailing my proxy card, may I still attend the Annual Meeting?

Yes.

What if I want to change my vote?

You may revoke your proxy before it is voted by submitting a new proxy with a later date (by mail, telephone or the Internet), by voting at the Annual Meeting or by filing a written revocation with our Corporate Secretary. Your attendance at the Annual Meeting will not automatically revoke your proxy.

What constitutes a quorum?

A majority of the shares entitled to vote, present in person or represented by proxy, constitutes a quorum. If you vote by telephone or Internet or by returning your proxy card, you will be considered part of the quorum. The Inspector of Election will treat shares represented by a properly executed proxy as present at the meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted for purposes of determining a quorum. A broker non-vote occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner submits a proxy but does not vote on a particular proposal because the nominee does not have discretionary voting power for that item and has not received instructions from the beneficial owner.

How many votes will be required to approve a proposal?

The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by holders of shares of Common Stock present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of directors at the Annual Meeting is required for the election of each nominee for director. With respect to the election of directors in an uncontested election, such as that being held at the Annual Meeting, “majority of the votes cast” means the number of votes cast “for” such nominee exceeds the number of votes cast “against” such nominee.

With respect to all other matters, the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of Common Stock, present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, is required.

Shares cannot be voted at the Annual Meeting unless the holder of record is present in person or represented by proxy.

Can brokers who hold shares in street name vote those shares if they have received no instructions?

Under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), brokers may not vote the shares held by them in street name for their customers and for which they have not received instructions, except with respect to a routine matter. The only matter to be voted on at the Annual Meeting that is considered routine for these purposes is the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm. Accordingly, brokers may not vote your shares on any other matter if you have not given specific instructions as to how to vote. Please be sure to give specific voting instructions to your broker so that your vote will be counted.

How will you treat abstentions and broker non-votes?

Shares of a shareholder who abstains from voting on any or all proposals will be included for the purpose of determining the presence of a quorum. Other than with respect to the election of directors, an abstention will effectively count as a vote cast against the remaining proposals. Broker non-votes on any matter, as to which the broker has indicated on the proxy that it does not have discretionary authority to vote, will be treated as shares not entitled to vote with respect to that matter. However, such shares will be considered present and entitled to vote for quorum purposes so long as they are entitled to vote on at least one other matter.

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Who pays the solicitation expenses?

We will bear the cost of solicitation of proxies. Proxies may be solicited by mail or personally by our directors, officers or employees, none of whom will receive additional compensation for such solicitation. Those holding shares of Common Stock of record for the benefit of others, or nominee holders, are being asked to distribute proxy soliciting materials to, and request voting instructions from, the beneficial owners of such shares. We will reimburse nominee holders for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.

Where can I find the voting results of the Annual Meeting?

We will announce preliminary voting results at the Annual Meeting, and we will publish final results in a Current Report on Form 8-K that will be filed with the SEC within four business days of the Annual Meeting. You may obtain a copy of this and other reports free of charge at www.matadorresources.com, by contacting our Investor Relations Department at (972) 371-5200 or investors@matadorresources.com or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Will the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm be available at the Annual Meeting to respond to questions?

Yes. The Audit Committee of the Board has appointed KPMG LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2023. Representatives of KPMG LLP will be present at the Annual Meeting. They will have an opportunity to make a statement, if they desire to do so, and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Where can I contact the Company?

Our mailing address is:

Matador Resources Company

Attention: Investor Relations

5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1500

Dallas, Texas 75240

Our telephone number is (972) 371-5200.

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PROPOSAL 1 | ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The Board currently consists of nine members with one vacancy and is divided into three classes of directors, designated Class I, Class II and Class III, with the term of office of each director ending on the date of the third annual meeting following the annual meeting at which such director’s class was elected. The number of directors in each class will be as nearly equal as possible. The Class I directors are William M. Byerley, Monika U. Ehrman, Julia P. Forrester Rogers and Kenneth L. Stewart, the terms of whom will each continue until the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or his or her earlier death, retirement, resignation or removal. The Class II directors are R. Gaines Baty and James M. Howard, the terms of whom will each continue until the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or his earlier death, retirement, resignation or removal. Shelley F. Appel is a Class II nominee at the 2023 Annual Meeting to hold office until the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or her earlier death, retirement, resignation or removal. The Class III directors are Joseph Wm. Foran, Reynald A. Baribault and Timothy E. Parker, each of whom is a Class III director nominee at the 2023 Annual Meeting, in each case, to hold office until the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or his earlier death, retirement, resignation or removal.

The Board believes that each of the director nominees possesses the qualifications described below in “Corporate Governance—Board Committees—Nominating Committee.” That is, the Board believes that each nominee possesses:

Director Diversity (Including Nominees)

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Core Competencies (Including Nominees)

		Senior Leadership Experience						Energy Industry Experience
		Financial Expertise						Legal and Risk Management Experience
		Strategic Planning Expertise						ESG Experience
		Capital Markets Experience						Information Technology Expertise

The information provided below is biographical information about each of the nominees, as well as a description of the experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the Board to conclude that the individual should be nominated for election as a director of the Company. No director or director nominee currently holds, or has held within the past five years, any other directorships with public companies.

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Nominees

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Vote Required

The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by holders of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of directors at the Annual Meeting is required for the election of each nominee for director. With respect to the election of directors in an uncontested election, such as that being held at the Annual Meeting, “majority of the votes cast” means the number of votes cast “for” such nominee exceeds the number of votes cast “against” such nominee. If you hold your shares through a broker and you do not instruct the broker how to vote, your broker will not have the authority to vote your shares. Abstentions and broker non-votes will each be counted as present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum.

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR each of the nominees.

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Directors Continuing in Office

Biographical information for our directors who are continuing in office is provided below.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The business affairs of Matador are managed under the direction of the Board in accordance with the Texas Business Organizations Code, the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Formation (the “Certificate of Formation”) and its Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”), each as amended to date. The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are reviewed annually by the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board. The Company has a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct for Officers, Directors and Employees (“Code of Ethics”), which is applicable to all officers, directors and employees of the Company. The Company intends to post any amendments to, and may post any waivers of, its Code of Ethics on the Company’s website to the extent applicable to an executive officer or a director of the Company. The Corporate Governance Guidelines and the Code of Ethics are available on the Company’s website at www.matadorresources.com under the heading “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance.”

The Board holds regular and special meetings and spends such time on the affairs of the Company as its duties require. During 2022, the Board held eight meetings. The Board also meets regularly in non-management executive sessions in accordance with NYSE regulations. The Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that one of the Company’s independent directors should serve as lead independent director at any time when the chief executive officer serves as the chairman of the board. The lead independent director presides over executive sessions of the non-management directors and the independent members of the Board (the “Independent Board”), serves as a liaison between the chairman and the independent directors and performs such additional duties as the Board may otherwise determine and delegate. Because Mr. Foran serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, our independent directors have appointed Mr. Parker to serve as lead independent director and Mr. Baty to serve as deputy lead independent director. In 2022, all incumbent directors of the Company attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and the committees on which they served. It is our policy that each of our directors is expected to attend annual meetings of shareholders, except if unusual circumstances make attendance impractical. All of our directors attended the 2022 Annual Meeting.

Independence of Directors

The Board makes all determinations with respect to director independence in accordance with the NYSE listing standards and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. The actual determination of whether a director is independent is made by the Board on a case-by-case basis.

In connection with its preparation for the Annual Meeting, the Board undertook its annual review of director independence and considered transactions and relationships between each director or any member of his or her immediate family and the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates. In making its determination, the Board applied the NYSE listing standards and SEC rules and regulations.

The Board reviewed the independence of our directors and considered whether any director has a material relationship with us that could compromise his or her ability to exercise independent judgment in carrying out his or her responsibilities. After this review, our Board determined that eight of our nine current directors are “independent directors” as defined under the rules of the SEC and the NYSE: Mmes. Ehrman and Rogers and Messrs. Baribault, Baty, Byerley, Howard, Parker and Stewart. In addition, Ms. Appel, who is a nominee to serve on the Board, is the daughter of Mr. Foran and would not be considered an “independent director” as defined under the rules of the SEC and the NYSE if she is elected to the Board at the 2023 Annual Meeting. No member of or nominee for our Board other than Ms. Appel and Mr. Foran has a family relationship with any executive officer or other members of our Board.

Majority Vote in Director Elections

On December 21, 2016, the Board amended the Bylaws to implement a majority voting standard in uncontested director elections. Pursuant to the Bylaws, in an election of directors at a meeting of shareholders at which a quorum is present, (i) if the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected (a “contested election”), directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of shares present in person or

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represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of directors at such meeting and (ii) in an election of directors that is not a contested election (an “uncontested election”), such as that being held at the Annual Meeting, directors shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast by the holders of shares present in person or

represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of directors at such meeting. For purposes of the Bylaws, in an uncontested election, a “majority of the votes cast” means that the number of shares voted “for” a director must exceed the number of votes cast “against” that director. Prior to the amendment of the Bylaws, directors were elected by a plurality of the votes cast, whether or not the election was a contested election.

In connection with the amendment to the Bylaws, the Board approved and adopted an amendment to the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines to implement a resignation policy for directors who fail to receive the required number of votes in an uncontested election in accordance with the Bylaws. Pursuant to the Corporate Governance Guidelines, as amended, in an uncontested election, any nominee for director who receives a greater number of votes “against” his or her election than votes “for” such election (a “majority against vote”) shall promptly tender his or her resignation following certification of the shareholder vote.

The Nominating Committee shall promptly consider the resignation offer and a range of possible responses based on the circumstances that led to the majority against vote, if known, and make a recommendation to the Board concerning whether to accept or reject such resignation. The Board shall act on the Nominating Committee’s recommendation and publicly disclose its decision with respect to such resignation offer within 90 days following certification of the shareholder vote. The resignation, if accepted by the Board, will be effective at the time specified by the Board when it determines to accept the resignation, which effective time may be deferred until a replacement director is identified and appointed to the Board.

Board Leadership Structure

Mr. Foran serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. As stated in the Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board does not believe that the offices of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer must be separate. The members of the Board possess experience and unique knowledge of the challenges and opportunities the Company faces. They are, therefore, in the best position to evaluate the current and future needs of the Company and to judge how the capabilities of the directors and senior managers can be most effectively organized to meet those needs. Given Mr. Foran’s deep knowledge of the Company and experience in leading it, the Board currently believes that the most effective leadership structure for the Company is to have Mr. Foran serve as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

Upon Ms. Appel’s election to the Board, eight of our ten directors will be independent under the rules of the SEC and the NYSE. After considering the recommendations of our Strategic Planning and Compensation Committee, the independent directors determine Mr. Foran’s compensation. Further, the Company has five standing committees, a lead independent director (Mr. Parker) and a deputy lead independent director (Mr. Baty). The Board believes that each of these measures counterbalances any risk that may exist in having Mr. Foran serve as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. For these reasons, the Board believes that this leadership structure is effective for the Company.

As lead independent director, Mr. Parker has the following roles and responsibilities:

Mr. Parker, as lead independent director, may also perform such other duties as the Board or the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee from time to time may assign, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:

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Mr. Baty, as deputy lead independent director, may also carry out the above duties in the absence of or at the direction of Mr. Parker, as lead independent director.

Board Committees

The standing committees of the Board are the Audit Committee, Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee, Executive Committee, Nominating Committee and Strategic Planning and Compensation Committee. The Board has also established the following advisory committees: Capital Markets and Finance Committee, Marketing and Midstream Committee, Operations and Engineering Committee and Prospect Committee. Each of the standing committees is governed by a charter, and a copy of the charters of each of these committees is available on the Company’s website at www.matadorresources.com under the heading “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance.” Director membership of all of our standing and advisory committees is identified below, as of April 12, 2023.

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We anticipate that Ms. Appel will be appointed to the Capital Markets and Finance Committee following the 2023 Annual Meeting.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee assists the Board in monitoring:

In addition, the Audit Committee is charged with the (i) review of compliance with our Code of Ethics and (ii) oversight of the Company’s guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and risk management are undertaken by management, including with respect to corporate governance, financial, accounting, operational, environmental, health and safety, regulatory and cybersecurity risks.

As of April 12, 2023, the Audit Committee consisted of Ms. Rogers and Messrs. Baribault, Byerley, Howard and Parker, each of whom is independent under the rules of the SEC and the NYSE. Mr. Byerley is the chair of the Audit Committee. SEC rules require a public company to disclose whether or not its audit committee has an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by applicable SEC rules and regulations. Our Board has determined that each of Messrs. Byerley and Parker is an “audit committee financial expert.” During 2022, the Audit Committee met four times.

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee

The Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for periodically reviewing and assessing our Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Ethics and making recommendations for changes thereto to the Board, reviewing any other matters related to our corporate governance, unless the authority to conduct such review has been retained by the Board or delegated to another committee, and overseeing the process for evaluation of the Board and management. The Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee (formerly the Corporate Governance Committee), in conjunction with the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, also oversees and makes recommendations to the Board regarding sustainability matters relevant to the Company’s operations, including ESG-related matters.

As of April 12, 2023, the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee consisted of Mmes. Ehrman and Rogers and Messrs. Baty, Byerley, Howard, Parker and Stewart, each of whom is independent under the rules of the SEC and the NYSE. Ms. Rogers is the chair of the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee. During 2022, the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee met four times.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee has authority to discharge all the responsibilities of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Company, except where action of the full Board is required by statute or by our Certificate of Formation or Bylaws, each as amended to date. As of April 12, 2023, the Executive Committee consisted of Ms. Ehrman and Messrs. Foran, Baribault, Baty, Parker and Stewart. Mr. Foran is the chair of the Executive Committee. During 2022, the Executive Committee did not meet.

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee has the following responsibilities:

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Pursuant to the Nominating Committee charter, no director may serve on the Nominating Committee if such director is subject to re-election to the Board at the next annual meeting of shareholders.

As of April 12, 2023, the Nominating Committee consisted of Ms. Ehrman and Messrs. Baty and Stewart, each of whom is independent under the rules of the SEC and the NYSE. Mr. Stewart is the chair of the Nominating Committee. During 2022, the Nominating Committee met five times.

The Board has also established a Shareholder Advisory Committee for Board Nominations (the “Advisory Committee”) that is charged with receiving and considering possible nominees for election to the Board by shareholders. Pursuant to the Advisory Committee charter, this committee is comprised of eight to 12 persons selected by the Nominating Committee and consists of at least:

The current members of the Advisory Committee are Ms. Ehrman and Mr. Stewart and Messrs. Craig T. Burkert, J. Barry Banker, Joe E. Coleman, Walter Fister, Robert Garrett, Kevin M. Grevey, David E. Lancaster, Bobby K. Pickard and George M. Yates. Mr. Stewart is the chair of the Advisory Committee.

The Advisory Committee makes recommendations based on its conclusions to the Nominating Committee for its consideration and review.

The Nominating Committee and the Advisory Committee consider individuals recommended by the Company’s shareholders to serve on the Board in accordance with the advance notice provisions of the Bylaws and the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and the NYSE. In considering candidates submitted by shareholders, the Advisory Committee and the Nominating Committee take into consideration the needs of the Board and the qualifications of the candidate. To have a candidate considered by the Advisory Committee and the Nominating Committee, a shareholder must submit the recommendation in writing and must include the following information:

The shareholder recommendation and information described above, and in more detail in our Bylaws, must be sent to the Corporate Secretary at One Lincoln Centre, 5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1500, Dallas, Texas 75240 and must be received by the Corporate Secretary not fewer than 45 nor more than 75 days prior to the one year

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anniversary date of the date the Company’s proxy statement was mailed in connection with the previous year’s annual meeting of shareholders.

The Nominating Committee believes that a potential director of the Company must demonstrate that such candidate has:

In the case of an incumbent director, the Nominating Committee will also consider such director’s past performance on the Board.

The Nominating Committee or the Advisory Committee may identify potential nominees by asking, from time to time, current directors and executive officers for their recommendation of persons meeting the criteria described above who might be available to serve on the Board. The Nominating Committee or the Advisory Committee may also engage firms that specialize in identifying director candidates. As described above, the Nominating Committee and Advisory Committee will also consider candidates recommended by shareholders. Ms. Appel, a nominee at the 2023 Annual Meeting, was recommended to serve on our Board by Mr. Stewart.

Once a person has been identified by the Nominating Committee or the Advisory Committee as a potential candidate, the Nominating Committee or the Advisory Committee will make an initial determination regarding the need for additional Board members to fill vacancies or expand the size of the Board. If the Nominating Committee or the Advisory Committee determines that additional consideration is warranted, the Nominating Committee or the Advisory Committee will review such information and conduct interviews as it deems necessary to fully evaluate each director candidate. In addition to the qualifications of a candidate, the Nominating Committee or the Advisory Committee will consider such relevant factors as it deems appropriate, including the current composition of the Board, the evaluations of other prospective nominees and the need for any required expertise on the Board or one of its committees. The Nominating Committee or the Advisory Committee also contemplates multiple dynamics that promote and advance diversity among the members of the Board. Although the Nominating Committee does not have a formal diversity policy, the Nominating Committee considers a number of factors regarding diversity of personal and professional backgrounds, gender, race, age, specialized skills and acumen and breadth of experience in oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream and marketing, executive leadership, accounting, finance or law. The Nominating Committee does not discriminate based upon race, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, citizenship or any other legally protected status. The Nominating Committee’s evaluation process will not vary based on whether or not a candidate is recommended by a shareholder.

Strategic Planning and Compensation Committee

The Strategic Planning and Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) has the following responsibilities:

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The Compensation Committee has the authority to form and delegate authority and responsibilities to subcommittees of its members, so long as any subcommittee consists of at least two members of the Compensation Committee.

As of April 12, 2023, the Compensation Committee consisted of Ms. Ehrman and Messrs. Baribault, Baty, Parker and Stewart, each of whom is independent under the rules of the SEC and the NYSE and a “non-employee director” pursuant to Rule 16b-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Mr. Baty is the chair of the Compensation Committee. During 2022, the Compensation Committee met six times.

Capital Markets and Finance Committee

The Capital Markets and Finance Committee provides oversight of the Company’s financial objectives, financial policies, capital structure and financing requirements. As of April 12, 2023, the members of the Capital Markets and Finance Committee were Ms. Rogers and Messrs. Foran, Howard, Parker and Stewart. Mr. Parker is the chair of the Capital Markets and Finance Committee. We anticipate that Ms. Appel will be appointed to the Capital Markets and Finance Committee following the 2023 Annual Meeting.

Marketing and Midstream Committee

The Marketing and Midstream Committee provides oversight of the Company’s marketing and midstream activities, projects, joint ventures and plans. As of April 12, 2023, the members of the Marketing and Midstream Committee were Ms. Ehrman and Messrs. Byerley and Howard. Ms. Ehrman and Mr. Howard serve as co-chairs of the Marketing and Midstream Committee.

Operations and Engineering Committee

The Operations and Engineering Committee provides oversight of the development of our prospects, our drilling, completions and production operations and associated costs. In addition, the Operations and Engineering Committee provides oversight of the amount and classifications of our reserves and the design of our completion techniques and hydraulic fracturing operations and various other reservoir engineering matters. As of April 12, 2023, the members of the Operations and Engineering Committee were Ms. Ehrman and Messrs. Baribault and Foran. Mr. Baribault is the chair of the Operations and Engineering Committee.

Prospect Committee

The Prospect Committee provides oversight of the technical analysis, evaluation and selection of our oil and natural gas prospects. As of April 12, 2023, the members of the Prospect Committee were Ms. Ehrman and Messrs. Baribault, Foran and Parker. Mr. Baribault is the chair of the Prospect Committee.

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Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

The Audit Committee has the responsibility to oversee the Company’s guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and risk management are undertaken by management, including with respect to corporate governance, financial, accounting, operational, environmental, health and safety, regulatory and cybersecurity risks. In connection with the Audit Committee’s oversight responsibility, executive management briefs the Audit Committee on a quarterly basis on risks faced by the Company. Under the Audit Committee’s oversight, management maintains a commercial insurance program for the Company’s benefit covering casualty, property, workers’ compensation, well operations and cybersecurity risks, among others. The Compensation Committee has the responsibility to oversee that our incentive pay does not encourage unnecessary risk taking and to review and discuss the relationship between risk management policies and practices, corporate strategy and senior executive compensation.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Initiatives

Affirmation of Our Commitment

At Matador, we are committed to creating long-term value in a responsible manner. This commitment extends across our operations and includes a dedication to excellence with respect to environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. Our guiding focus on good stewardship is reflected in our Code of Ethics and in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are reviewed annually by the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board. See “Corporate Governance” on page 21 for additional information.

Oversight and Coordination of ESG Efforts

The Board and senior management understand the importance of ESG matters and of supporting the Company’s ongoing efforts in this area. Matador’s senior management and full Board receive regular updates on our ESG efforts and engage with us to pursue continuous improvement in this area.

The Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committee leads the Board’s oversight of Matador’s sustainability practices. In conjunction with senior management, the committee has direct accountability to review and evaluate sustainability practices, risks and strategies and to make recommendations to the full Board regarding sustainability matters.

The Audit Committee also has responsibility through its role overseeing risk assessment and risk management processes, including with respect to operational, environmental, health and safety and regulatory risks.

Progress in Enhancing ESG Reporting

In continuing to raise the profile of the Company’s ongoing ESG-related initiatives externally, we recognize the growing value to stakeholders of consistent and comparable ESG disclosures. In early 2021, we retained Ms. Appel to conduct a review of industry ESG reporting practices and to serve as a dedicated single-focal point for our various ESG efforts.

In May 2021, Matador published sustainability metrics aligned with standards developed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and in July 2021, Matador published an update providing supplemental information to the Company’s initial report on these SASB-aligned ESG metrics.

In December 2022, Matador issued its annual Sustainability Report, which was first issued in December 2021. This report highlights Matador’s continued progress and improvements in its operating practices, including the quantitative metrics aligned with the SASB standards noted above, and should provide Matador’s stakeholders and interested parties with a standardized platform for evaluating the Company’s recent performance and future progress. Matador’s annual Sustainability Report, including the SASB-aligned sustainability metrics, is available on the Company’s website at www.matadorresources.com/sustainability. Information included in our Sustainability Report or otherwise included on our website is not incorporated into this Proxy Statement.

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Ongoing Shareholder Engagement

In 2022 and early 2023, members of our Board and management team had conversations with a number of investors regarding our business and our investors’ priorities, consistent with Matador’s regular practice. In addition, members of our management team attended seven investor conferences, hosted 14 roadshows and participated in various investor presentation events and calls. Feedback from these conversations was shared with the Board and served as a valuable input to the enhanced ESG disclosures that we made over the last year. We appreciate the relationship building that results from cultivating these open dialogues and remain committed to engaging shareholders regularly.

ESG Performance Highlights

Highlights from the Company’s 2022 ESG initiatives are shown below.⁽¹⁾

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Strategic Planning and Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

Ms. Ehrman and Messrs. Baribault, Baty, Parker and Stewart served on the Compensation Committee during 2022. None of these individuals is or was previously one of our officers or employees. None of our executive officers serve on the board of directors or compensation committee of a company that has an executive officer that serves on our Board or the Compensation Committee. No member of our Board serves as an executive officer of a company in which one of our executive officers serves as a member of the board of directors or

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compensation committee of that company. There were no compensation committee interlocks during 2022. Mr. Baribault’s sister-in-law is an employee of the Company. For more information on this related person transaction, see “Transactions with Related Persons.”

Communications with Directors

The Board has established a process to receive communications from shareholders and other interested parties by mail. Shareholders and other interested parties may contact any member of the Board, any Board committee or the entire Board. To communicate with the Board, any individual director or any committee, correspondence should be addressed to “c/o Corporate Secretary” at One Lincoln Centre, 5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1500, Dallas, Texas 75240. Shareholders should mark the envelope containing any such communication as “Shareholder Communication with Directors” and clearly identify the intended recipient or recipients of the communication. The Corporate Secretary will review and forward correspondence to the appropriate person or persons as expeditiously as reasonably practicable. However, any such communication will not be forwarded if it does not fall within the scope of matters generally considered by the Board or otherwise fails to comply with the requirements of any applicable policy adopted by the Board relating to the subject matter of communications.

Any communications to the Company from one of the Company’s officers or directors will not be considered “shareholder communications.” Communications to the Company from one of the Company’s employees or agents will only be considered “shareholder communications” if they are made solely in such employee’s or agent’s capacity as a shareholder. Any shareholder proposal submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-8 promulgated under the Exchange Act will not be viewed as “shareholder communications.”

Executive Officers and Other Senior Officers of the Company

The following table sets forth the names, ages and positions of our executive officers and certain of our other senior officers at April 12, 2023:

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Each of Matthew V. Hairford, who served as President during 2022, and David E. Lancaster, who served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer during 2022, retired effective March 31, 2022. From March 31, 2022 to February 16, 2023, Mr. Frenzel served as the Company’s principal financial officer.

On February 16, 2023, Mr. Willey was promoted to Chief Financial Officer, President of Midstream Operations and Executive Vice President and assumed the role of principal financial officer as of this same date.

The following biographies describe the business experience of our executive officers and the senior officers listed above. Each officer serves at the discretion of our Board. There are no family relationships among any of our executive officers.

Executive Officers

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Other Senior Officers

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PROPOSAL 2 | ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION

In accordance with the requirements of Section 14A of the Exchange Act, the Company seeks a non-binding advisory vote from its shareholders to approve the compensation of its Named Executive Officers (as defined below) as described in this Proxy Statement.

As discussed under the “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this Proxy Statement (“CD&A”), we made significant changes to our executive compensation program in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden decline in oil prices. As commodity prices improved in 2021, we shifted our executive compensation program to more closely resemble our 2019 executive compensation program prior to the decline in oil prices in 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, our executive officers received increases in their base salary, increases in the grant date fair values for long-term equity awards and annual cash bonuses for 2021 and 2022. These changes to our compensation program in 2021 and 2022 corresponded to our performance as the Company’s stock price hit a low of $1.11 in March 2020 and then recovered to close at $36.92 on December 31, 2021 and continued to increase to close at $57.24 on December 30, 2022.

We believe the Company’s future success and the ability to create long-term value for our shareholders depends on our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified individuals in the oil and natural gas industry. Additionally, we believe that our success also depends on the continued contributions of our Named Executive Officers. The Company’s compensation system plays a significant role in its ability to attract, motivate and retain a high-quality workforce. As described in the CD&A, the Company’s compensation program for Named Executive Officers is designed to reward, in both the short term and the long term, performance that contributes to the implementation of our business strategies, maintenance of our culture and values and achievement of our objectives.

This proposal provides shareholders the opportunity to endorse or not endorse the Company’s executive compensation program through approval of the following resolution:

“Resolved, that the compensation paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables and narrative discussion, is hereby approved.”

The above-referenced CD&A and accompanying disclosures appear on pages 42-64 of this Proxy Statement.

Because this is an advisory vote, it will not be binding upon the Board. However, the Compensation Committee and the Independent Board will take into account the outcome of the vote when considering future executive compensation arrangements.

Vote Required

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is required to approve this resolution on a non-binding basis. If you hold your shares through a broker and you do not instruct the broker how to vote, your broker will not have the authority to vote your shares. Abstentions will have the effect as a vote cast against the proposal. Broker non-votes will be counted as present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum but will have no effect upon the outcome of the vote.

During our 2018 Annual Meeting, our shareholders approved a non-binding, advisory proposal to hold advisory votes to approve our executive compensation every year. In consideration of the results of this advisory vote, the Board has maintained its policy of providing for annual advisory votes to approve executive compensation. Unless the Board modifies this policy, the next advisory vote to approve executive compensation following this vote will be held at our 2024 Annual Meeting.

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR approval of this resolution.

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PROPOSAL 3 | RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF KPMG LLP

The Audit Committee has appointed KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the year ending December 31, 2023, and the Board has directed that such appointment be submitted to our shareholders for ratification at the Annual Meeting.

The Audit Committee concluded that KPMG’s provision of non-audit services, such as tax services, does not compromise KPMG’s independence.

If the shareholders do not ratify the appointment of KPMG, the Audit Committee will consider whether to engage a different independent registered public accounting firm but will not be obligated to do so.

The Company has been advised that representatives of KPMG will be present at the Annual Meeting and will be available to respond to appropriate questions and make a statement if they desire to do so.

Fees of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2021

The following table presents fees for professional audit services rendered by KPMG for the audit of the Company’s annual financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and fees for other services rendered by KPMG during those periods:

Services rendered by KPMG in connection with the fees presented above were as follows:

Audit Fees

For fiscal year 2022, audit fees consisted of fees associated with the audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements, including the audit of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, required reviews of our quarterly condensed consolidated financial statements and consultation on significant accounting matters. Audit fees also included fees paid to KPMG by San Mateo for the audit of their 2022 financial statements.

For fiscal year 2021, audit fees consisted of fees associated with the audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements, including the audit of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, required reviews of our quarterly condensed consolidated financial statements and consultation on significant accounting matters. Audit fees also included fees paid to KPMG by San Mateo for the audit of its 2021 financial statements.

Audit-Related Fees

We did not incur any audit-related fees in 2022 or 2021.

Tax Fees

Tax fees for fiscal year 2022 related to permitted tax planning services. We did not incur any fees for tax advice, planning or other services in 2021.

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All Other Fees

We did not incur any other fees in 2022 or 2021.

The Audit Committee pre-approves all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by KPMG. These services may include audit services, audit-related services, tax services and other services. The Audit Committee has authorized the chair of the Audit Committee to pre-approve audit and permissible non-audit services provided by KPMG up to $750,000. Pursuant to this delegation, the decisions of the chair must be presented to the Audit Committee at its next meeting.

Report of the Audit Committee

We are a standing committee comprised of independent directors as currently defined by SEC regulations and the applicable listing standards of the NYSE. The Board has determined that at least one of the members of the Audit Committee is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by applicable SEC rules and regulations. We operate under a written charter adopted by the Board. A copy of the charter is available free of charge on the Company’s website at www.matadorresources.com under “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance.”

We annually select the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. If the shareholders do not ratify the appointment of KPMG at the Annual Meeting, the Audit Committee will consider whether to engage a different independent registered public accounting firm but will not be obligated to do so.

Management is responsible for the Company’s internal controls and the financial reporting process. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for performing an independent audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with the standards of the United States Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) and issuing a report thereon. As provided in our charter, our responsibilities include the monitoring and oversight of these processes.

Consistent with our charter responsibilities, we have met and held discussions with management and the independent registered public accounting firm. In this context, management and the independent registered public accounting firm represented to us that the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. We reviewed and discussed the consolidated financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm and discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the PCAOB and the SEC.

The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm has also provided to us the written disclosures and the letter required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding the independent registered public accounting firm’s communications with the Audit Committee, and we discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm that firm’s independence.

Based upon our reviews and discussions with management and the independent registered public accounting firm and our review of the representation of management and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm to the Audit Committee, we recommended that the Board include the audited consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC.

Audit Committee,

William M. Byerley, Chair

Reynald A. Baribault

James M. Howard

Timothy E. Parker

Julia P. Forrester Rogers

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Vote Required

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is required for the ratification of the appointment of KPMG as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2023. If the shareholders do not ratify the appointment of KPMG, the Audit Committee will consider whether to engage a different independent registered public accounting firm but will not be obligated to do so. Abstentions will have the effect as a vote cast against the proposal.

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the ratification of the appointment

of KPMG as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the

year ending December 31, 2023.

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Dear Fellow Shareholders,

On behalf of the Board and the Compensation Committee, thank you for your continued support for Matador and entrusting us with your hard-earned capital. We are grateful for the opportunities that we have had to visit with many of you, and we look forward to getting to know more of our shareholders in the future.

The Board, management and staff are extremely pleased to celebrate with you another record year for Matador in 2022. We achieved operational and financial records across the board during 2022, including record production, net income, Adjusted EBITDA, net cash provided by operating activities and adjusted free cash flow. Additionally, as many of our officers have stepped into new opportunities with the growth of the Company and assumed additional responsibilities in connection with the retirement of our former president and our former chief financial officer, in 2022, we announced the promotion from within of two new presidents and a number of other executive and senior officers, showcasing the depth and talent of our people.

We were also committed to further return value to shareholders in 2022 and were pleased to increase our quarterly dividend multiple times. We began 2022 by paying a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share in the first and second quarters of 2022, which was doubled to $0.10 per share in the third and fourth quarters of 2022. In December 2022, we announced that the Board had again amended the Company’s dividend policy, increasing the quarterly dividend by 50% to $0.15 per share. We also paid down debt and ended 2022 with a leverage ratio of 0.1x, the lowest since we became a public company in 2012.

In addition to achieving record results and returning value to shareholders, we also made significant progress in ESG-related initiatives and disclosures in 2022. Among other items, we reduced per-barrel emissions, increased our use of non-fresh water, including recycled water, and increased transportation of oil and water by pipeline. In addition, we were pleased to issue our annual Sustainability Report that highlighted Matador’s continued progress and improvements in its operating practices, including disclosure of quantitative metrics aligned with SASB.

Our Board has a “pay for performance” philosophy and recognizes the leadership of our executive officers in contributing to the Company’s achievements. The achievements outlined above have resulted in an over 50-fold increase in Matador’s stock price from a low of $1.11 in March 2020 to a closing price of $57.24 on December 30, 2022. As a Board, and as shareholders ourselves, we are grateful for the outstanding execution by Matador’s management and staff that led to such a remarkable increase in the Company’s stock price.

We look forward to ongoing dialogue with our shareholders and to demonstrating responsiveness to your feedback, including by continuing to improve our executive compensation program. We are honored to serve on your behalf and hope you will join us at the 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Sincerely,

Timothy E. Parker		R. Gaines Baty
Lead Independent Director		Chair, Strategic Planning and Compensation Committee

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis, or CD&A, provides a general description of our compensation program and specific information about its various components for the following “Named Executive Officers” for 2022:

Mr. Lancaster retired effective March 31, 2022 and Mr. Frenzel served as the Company’s principal financial officer from March 31, 2022 to February 16, 2023 and was also named Executive Vice President and Treasurer in April 2022. On February 16, 2023, Brian J. Willey was promoted to Chief Financial Officer, President of Midstream Operations and Executive Vice President and assumed the role of principal financial officer.

2022 Highlights

Despite the precipitous decline in global oil demand resulting from the worldwide spread of COVID-19 in 2020, which led to a very challenging oil and natural gas price environment, global oil demand and oil and natural gas prices improved significantly during 2021 and 2022. These factors, along with the successful execution of our business strategies, led to increases in our oil and natural gas production and proved oil and natural gas reserves in 2022, as well as to increases in our oil and natural gas revenues and cash flows. We also improved the capital efficiency of our drilling and completion operations and achieved several key operational milestones throughout the year. In addition, we achieved numerous key capital resources objectives during the year, including generating free cash flow, paying down borrowings, increasing our quarterly cash dividend and earning performance incentives from Five Point. Further, we concluded several important financing transactions in 2022, including increasing the borrowing base under our Credit Agreement and extending the maturity of and increasing the lender commitments under the San Mateo Credit Facility. San Mateo also achieved important milestones in 2022, including the addition of produced water disposal capacity and being awarded several new customer contracts. These achievements and transactions increased our operational flexibility and opportunities while preserving the strength of our balance sheet and our liquidity position.

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Record Operational and Financial Results

The year ended December 31, 2022 was marked by record operational and financial results across the Company, including record total production, net income, Adjusted EBITDA, net cash provided by operating activities and adjusted Free Cash Flow. San Mateo also had a record year in 2022, including increased throughput volumes for natural gas gathering and processing, oil gathering and transportation and water handling, as well as record net income and record Adjusted EBITDA. The charts below show the five-year growth experienced by both our exploration and production business and our midstream business. As shown below, our third-party midstream services revenues have experienced significant growth since the formation of San Mateo in 2017.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, we achieved record oil, natural gas and average daily oil equivalent production. In 2022, we produced 21.9 million Bbl of oil, an increase of 23%, as compared to 17.8 million Bbl of oil produced in 2021. We also produced 99.3 Bcf of natural gas, an increase of 22% from 81.7 Bcf of natural gas produced in 2021. Our average daily oil equivalent production for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 105,465 BOE per day, including 60,119 Bbl of oil per day and 272.1 MMcf of natural gas per day, an increase of 22%, as compared to 86,176 BOE per day, including 48,876 Bbl of oil per day and 223.8 MMcf of natural gas per day, for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in oil and natural gas production was primarily attributable to our ongoing delineation and development drilling activities in the Delaware Basin throughout 2022, which offset declining production in the Eagle Ford shale. Oil production comprised 57% of our total production (using a conversion ratio of one Bbl of oil per six thousand cubic feet of natural gas) for each of the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.

During 2022, we achieved all five significant and important operational milestones in the Delaware Basin that we had set at the beginning of the year. These five operational milestones were each achieved when we turned to sales:

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In addition to achieving these five key operational milestones, further operational achievements in the Delaware Basin

in 2022 included:

Capital Resources and Financing Highlights

In addition to record financial results, we returned value to shareholders through the generation of free cash flow, repayment of debt and multiple increases to our quarterly dividend. We also concluded several important financing transactions that preserved the strength of our balance sheet and improved our liquidity position.

Highlights of these value-generating items include:

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ESG Highlights

During 2022, we also continued to improve our ESG performance and enhance our ESG disclosures. Among other items, our ESG achievements included the following:

Compensation Program Objectives

Our Board has a “pay for performance” philosophy and recognizes the leadership of our executive officers in contributing to the Company’s achievements. Our future success and the ability to create long-term value for our shareholders depend on our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified individuals in the oil and natural gas industry. In furtherance of these goals, our executive compensation program is designed to meet the following key objectives:

2022 Say-on-Pay Results

At our 2022 Annual Meeting, support for our executive compensation program remained strong at over 98%, suggesting that our shareholders remain supportive of the changes we implemented to our executive compensation program during 2021. The Compensation Committee took this support into account as one of many factors it considered in connection with the discharge of its responsibilities in exercising its judgment in establishing and overseeing our executive compensation arrangements throughout the year.

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Compensation Program Best Practices

Impact of COVID-19 and Related Items on Our Compensation Programs

2020 and 2021

The year 2020 was a challenging year. During the first quarter and through April 2020, the oil and natural gas industry witnessed an abrupt and significant decline in oil prices from $63 per Bbl in early January to as low as ($38) per Bbl in late April resulting from the worldwide spread of COVID-19 and a sudden, unexpected increase in global oil supply. In connection with such events, we implemented certain changes to our compensation program, including reductions in the base salary for our entire workforce, including our executive officers, to strengthen our balance sheet and further align the interests of our executive officers with our shareholders. Our executive officers’ 2020 equity grants also had a significantly lower grant date fair value than in 2019. In addition, although each of the Independent Board-approved metrics under our annual cash incentive plan (the “Cash Incentive Plan”) were met or exceeded, the Company’s executive officers and the Independent Board agreed that the executive officers would forego receiving any 2020 annual cash bonuses.

During the latter half of 2020 and through 2021, the oil and natural gas industry experienced improvement in commodity prices, as compared to mid-2020. In connection with this improvement, the price of our Common Stock increased from a low of $1.11 in March 2020 to close at $22.04 on March 1, 2021. As a result, after consulting with the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant, Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC (“Meridian”), the Independent Board reinstated many of the compensation components that were eliminated or reduced during 2020 and implemented a compensation program during 2021 that was similar to the Company’s compensation program in 2019, prior to the decline in oil prices in 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the Board determined to reinstate our Named Executive Officers’ salaries to the pre-April 2020 levels and our Named Executive Officers also received increases in their base salaries effective May 1, 2021. In addition, the Independent Board awarded long-term incentive awards to our Named Executive Officers with increased grant date fair values compared to the awards received by the Named Executive Officers in 2020 but at targeted values commensurate with the long-term incentive awards granted in 2019. Unlike 2020, our Named Executive Officers also received bonuses pursuant to our Cash Incentive Plan in connection with the performance of the Company in 2021.

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2022

During 2022, the oil and natural gas industry continued to strengthen, with prices for oil and natural gas averaging $94.38 per Bbl and $6.37 per MMBtu, respectively, over the year. Matador’s stock price continued to improve as well, closing at $57.24 per share at December 30, 2022. As such, our compensation program in 2022 did not materially differ from our compensation program in 2021. Mr. Foran’s total compensation for 2022 decreased approximately 1% as compared to his total compensation for 2021. Mr. Foran’s average annual total compensation for the three years ended December 31, 2022 was approximately $6.6 million.

Elements of 2022 Compensation Program

Our executive compensation program places a considerable amount of an executive’s compensation at risk in the form of incentive or equity-based compensation, which can be variable from year to year. We also seek to provide an appropriate balance between annual incentives and long-term incentives to ensure that each executive is motivated to consider longer-term Company performance in preference to short-term results.

For 2022, our management compensation program was comprised of the following primary elements:

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Consistent with our compensation program objectives, we provide our executive officers with a significant portion of their total compensation in the form of variable, rather than fixed, compensation. Importantly, a significant portion of total compensation is also performance-based. The percentages shown below reflect each executive’s target compensation opportunity determined by the Compensation Committee and the Independent Board and do not reflect actual payments made to the executives for 2022.

Role of the Independent Board, Compensation Committee and Management

The Compensation Committee annually evaluates each of the Company’s executive officers, including Mr. Foran, and recommends to the Independent Board the proposed compensation structure for each of the executives, including salary, equity and non-equity incentive compensation. Based on such recommendations, the Independent Board sets Mr. Foran’s compensation each year. Mr. Foran consults with and provides recommendations to the Compensation Committee and Independent Board regarding the compensation structure for each of the other Named Executive Officers. Based on the recommendations of the Compensation Committee and Mr. Foran, the Independent Board sets the other Named Executive Officers’ compensation each year. The members of the Independent Board are required to be independent pursuant to the listing standards of the NYSE and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.

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As part of their annual evaluations, the Compensation Committee:

In addition, the Compensation Committee confirms at least annually that our compensation policies and practices do not encourage unnecessary risk taking and reviews the relationship between risk management, corporate strategy and executive compensation. The Compensation Committee considers, in establishing and reviewing our compensation program, whether the program encourages unnecessary or excessive risk taking and has concluded that it does not and is not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us. Many features of our program reflect sound risk management practices. Base salaries are fixed in amount and thus do not encourage risk taking. While annual cash incentive payments are tied to management’s achievements during the applicable fiscal year, they also take into account multiple performance criteria based on the executive’s individual performance and are within the discretion of the Independent Board, with payout limits for each participant. Thus, the Compensation Committee believes that our annual cash incentive awards appropriately balance risk and the desire to focus executives on specific short-term goals important to the Company’s success, and that they do not encourage unnecessary or excessive risk taking. In addition, the Compensation Committee believes that our equity compensation program provides an appropriate balance between the goals of increasing the price of our Common Stock and avoiding potential risks that could threaten our growth and stability due to the fact that the phantom units and PSUs vest over three years and the PSUs vest based on our relative total shareholder return, with an overall payout limit and a further limit if absolute total shareholder return is negative. We also maintain policies prohibiting hedging and pledging (except in limited circumstances) and stock ownership guidelines, which we believe further mitigate the potential for unnecessary or excessive risk taking.

In addition, pursuant to its charter, the Compensation Committee reviews and recommends to the Independent Board any proposals for the adoption, amendment, modification or termination of our incentive compensation, equity-based plans and non-equity based plans.

Role of the Independent Compensation Consultant

The Compensation Committee has engaged Meridian as its independent executive compensation advisory firm. Meridian provides assessments of the competitiveness of the Company’s executive compensation levels and practices relative to relevant executive labor markets and performs other tasks as requested by the Compensation Committee. For 2022, the Compensation Committee assessed the independence of Meridian pursuant to applicable SEC and NYSE rules and concluded that Meridian’s engagement by the Compensation Committee did not raise any conflicts of interest.

Use of Peer Group Market Data

Our independent compensation consultant benchmarks the pay levels of our officers against a group of competitor companies in the oil and natural gas exploration and production sector (the “Peer Group”). In connection with its annual review, the Compensation Committee and Independent Board adopted the following Peer Group in 2022, which was used in setting 2022 compensation levels:

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In addition to considering companies in the oil and natural gas exploration and production sector, the Compensation Committee also considered company size characteristics such as assets, enterprise value and market value when approving the Peer Group. The Peer Group also includes certain companies with operations in the Permian Basin that face similar opportunities and challenges that we face. For 2022, the Compensation Committee replaced Cimarex Energy Co. with its successor, Coterra Energy, Inc., following Cimarex Energy’s business combination with Cabot Oil & Gas, now doing business as Coterra Energy. The Compensation Committee also removed Devon Energy Corp. and Oasis Petroleum, Inc. following the announcements of their respective business combinations with WPX Energy and Whiting Petroleum Corporation, and removed Pioneer Natural Resources Company in consideration of its market capitalization relative to that of the Company. The Compensation Committee added Centennial Resources, now doing business as Permian Resources following its business combination with Colgate Energy, to the 2022 Peer Group given its exploration and production activities in the Delaware Basin and comparable market capitalization. Additionally, the Compensation Committee added Magnolia Oil & Gas Corp. to the 2022 Peer Group given its comparable market capitalization and Laredo Petroleum Inc., now doing business as Vital Energy, given its exploration and production activities in the Permian Basin. As of December 31, 2022, the Peer Group had a median market capitalization of $5.7 billion, compared to the Company’s market capitalization of $6.8 billion at such date, placing the Company at the 65th percentile of the Peer Group.

The Peer Group is used by the Compensation Committee and the Independent Board in setting Named Executive Officer salaries, annual cash incentive award opportunities, long-term incentive awards and target total direct compensation levels. The Compensation Committee and Independent Board use this data to inform their pay decisions as one data point among many others, including Company performance, individual performance, experience and responsibilities, leadership and professional growth.

2022 Base Salaries

The Compensation Committee recommended, and the Independent Board approved, effective January 1, 2022, increases in base salary levels for the Named Executive Officers as set forth below.

The Independent Board determined that the base salary increases for each of the Named Executive Officers effective January 1, 2022 were warranted based upon each Named Executive Officer’s individual contributions to, among other items:

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2022 Annual Cash Incentive Compensation

The Company’s 2022 annual cash incentive compensation was awarded pursuant to the Cash Incentive Plan, which is designed to link executive decision making and performance with the Company’s goals, reinforce these goals and ensure the highest level of accountability for the success of the Company as a whole. The Cash Incentive Plan advances Company and shareholder interests by providing an additional means to (i) sustain and enhance the culture of personal commitment on the part of executives, select managers and key employees in the continued growth, development and financial success of the Company and (ii) encourage them to remain with, and devote their best efforts to, the Company. The Cash Incentive Plan provides for the granting of incentive compensation awards that may be paid to a participant upon satisfaction of specified performance goals for a particular performance period. In addition, the Cash Incentive Plan provides that the Compensation Committee and Independent Board may make adjustments for individual executive officers for exceptional performance and attainment of certain enumerated strategic goals (the “Discretionary Adjustment”).

Performance Goals

For 2022, the chair of the Compensation Committee met with Meridian and management to discuss potential criteria for the performance goals. Based on these meetings, the chair of the Compensation Committee proposed certain preliminary performance goal categories for consideration for 2022 to the full Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee then met with management to review the proposed performance goal categories. As a result of these discussions, and upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, the Independent Board determined to use the following threshold, target and maximum performance goals for 2022, which were each achieved at or above the maximum level, as shown below:

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In addition to the 2022 performance goals outlined above, the Compensation Committee also considered certain discretionary factors in connection with the assessment of the performance of the Named Executive Officers during 2022. These other factors included:

2022 Incentive Opportunities

In making recommendations regarding potential 2022 annual cash incentive opportunities for our Named Executive Officers, the Compensation Committee reviewed Meridian’s recommendations and the recommendations of management regarding proposed target opportunities. Based on such review, which took into account the differing responsibilities of each Named Executive Officer and Peer Group data, where available, for bonus levels for comparable positions, the 2022 target annual incentive opportunities were increased by 20% for each of our Named Executive Officers other than Mr. Foran, whose target did not change, and Mr. Frenzel, who was not an executive officer in 2021, as set forth below. Mr. Lancaster did not participate in the 2022 Cash Incentive Plan due to his announced retirement and transition to a Special Advisor role.

The maximum award opportunity for Mr. Foran was capped at 200%, for Messrs. Goodwin, Singleton and Adams was capped at 175% and for Mr. Frenzel was capped at 135%, in each case, prior to application of the Discretionary Adjustment. Our Independent Board also determined to cap the Discretionary Adjustment for each of Messrs. Foran, Goodwin, Singleton and Adams at 30% and for Mr. Frenzel at 25% of such Named Executive Officer’s total 2022 annual cash incentive payment.

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2022 Performance Results

The Compensation Committee then assessed the Company’s 2022 results in light of the performance goals and the following individual performance milestones for each Named Executive Officer when determining appropriate annual cash incentive award amounts:

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The Compensation Committee reviewed the individual performance milestones listed above as well as additional contributions to the achievement of Company-wide goals. Based on this review, the Compensation Committee determined that each of the Named Executive Officers performed at a high level in 2022 in contributing to the Company’s success. The Compensation Committee recommended that the Independent Board make Discretionary Adjustments to the annual cash awards equal to 15% for each of Messrs. Foran, Goodwin, Singleton and Adams for 2022.

Additionally, the Compensation Committee performed a qualitative assessment of the Company’s ESG record for the year. Among other items, the Compensation Committee noted the progress in enhancing ESG disclosure, including the publishing of the Company’s Sustainability Report, the reduction in direct greenhouse gas emissions intensity from 2019 levels, the number of training hours conducted by Company personnel, management’s focus on risk management and cybersecurity, including quarterly reports by executive management to the Audit Committee, and the absence of any recordable employee injuries.

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Based on such assessment, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Independent Board the annual cash awards listed below for each Named Executive Officer under the Cash Incentive Plan. The Independent Board approved such annual cash awards, which were paid to the Named Executive Officers in February 2023. As outlined above, the annual cash awards reflected a 15% Discretionary Adjustment for each of Messrs. Foran, Goodwin, Singleton and Adams for exceptional performance and attainment of certain strategic goals.

2022 Long-Term Incentive Compensation

In February 2022, the Independent Board granted awards of 50% service-based cash-settled phantom units and 50% share-settled PSUs to Messrs. Foran, Goodwin, Singleton, and Adams. These long-term equity awards facilitate retention of our Named Executive Officers, incentivize positive future results and further align the interests of our Named Executive Officers with those of the Company’s shareholders. Mr. Frenzel was not serving as an executive officer in February of 2022 when annual equity grants were approved. Mr. Frenzel’s long-term incentive compensation for 2022 included approximately 50% share-settled PSUs and approximately 50% service-based restricted shares of Common Stock that vest in equal annual tranches over three years from grant. Mr. Lancaster did not receive any 2022 equity awards due to his announced retirement and transition to a Special Advisor role. The table below provides the key terms of the February 2022 equity awards for Messrs. Foran, Goodwin, Singleton, and Adams: