When Vladimir Matyushenko looks across the Octagon at Jon Jones on Sunday night, he’ll see an opponent who’s younger, bigger and faster. He’ll see a fighter who’s been all but officially anointed as the next big thing in the UFC light heavyweight division. He’ll see a fighter who is essentially undefeated in a little over two years of competition, and one who is a 6-1 favorite with online oddsmakers.
None of this, of course, is news to Matyushenko. He knew what he was getting into when he accepted the fight, though the decision to do so wasn’t automatic.
“I won’t say I hesitated, but I thought about it for a few days and had a team meeting with my coaches and teammates,” Matyushenko told MMA Fighting. “When it comes to a fight, if [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva gives you something, that’s the offer. I don’t think it’s right to try and pick fights, say, ‘I want to fight this guy or just new guys.’ No, to be in this sport you have to be willing to fight the best. That’s what I’m here to do.”