(More pre-fight hype from the main eventers. Matyushenko doesn’t mind being the underdog, and vows to give Jones hell every second of the fight. Bones wants to be something that Vlad’s never seen before. Props: YouTube.com/UFC)
If you don’t have V…
(More pre-fight hype from the main eventers. Matyushenko doesn’t mind being the underdog, and vows to give Jones hell every second of the fight. Bones wants to be something that Vlad’s never seen before. Props: YouTube.com/UFC)
If you don’t have Versus, I feel bad for you son. The UFC returns to the cable sports network this Sunday with UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko, and we’ll be providing round-by-round updates starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. So swing by and let us know you care. After the jump:Yushin Okami says he wants to prove he’s close to a title shot by beating Mark Munoz.
Filed under: UFC, NewsWhen 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 l…
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.”
We’ve tried (as best we can) to keep our readers up to speed on the ‘what will he say next’ watch for James Toney, as the renowned boxer continues to prepare for his MMA debut against Randy Couture, August 28th. If you’ve followed Mr. Toney’s pugilistic career to date, then you know that the boxing […]
We’ve tried (as best we can) to keep our readers up to speed on the ‘what will he say next’ watch for James Toney, as the renowned boxer continues to prepare for his MMA debut against Randy Couture, August 28th. If you’ve followed Mr. Toney’s pugilistic career to date, then you know that the boxing champ isn’t exactly known for clamming up when a mic is around, and not much has changed on that front as he prepares to face Couture. If you’re a MMA loyalist then you’ve likely either laughed hysterically, or perhaps even tried to tear up your wasting time / working on the computer bib, while reading comments like this.
Well, it seems like Jon Jones has also been monitoring Toney’s rhetoric heading into his Octagon debut at UFC 118, as according to a report on MMA Bay, the rising prospect was recently quoted saying on Tapout radio:
“Do you really think you’re going to uppercut a collegiate wrestler when he’s coming full force into a double leg dive? I think he [James Toney] is just really naive to think that with hand combinations alone he’s going to be able to defend takedowns from the clinch and double leg dives. So I think he’s just ignorant in a way and I don’t really have a hard time calling him ignorant because of some of the statements he’s made about our sport.”
You’ll find no disagreements here Jon (not that we would necessarily have the balls to tell you otherwise even if we thought otherwise…). If Toney does find a way to KO Couture…wow…you think Toney is pissing off some MMA fans now?
If you’re thinking Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko is going to clean the Octagon floor with Jon Jones this Sunday, you sir / madam, are a rare find (like the lil play there with the nickname? No? Not so much?) In fact if you even think Matyushenko has a decent chance of winning, stating you’re in […]
If you’re thinking Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko is going to clean the Octagon floor with Jon Jones this Sunday, you sir / madam, are a rare find (like the lil play there with the nickname? No? Not so much?) In fact if you even think Matyushenko has a decent chance of winning, stating you’re in the minority, is likely a massive understatement. Evidence? BETUS has Jones at -600 and Matyushenko at +400; yup, if you throw some money down on the Belarussian and he actually wins…you could make out pretty sweet.
Now of course, ‘if he wins’ are the key words here, and although Matyushenko is an accomplished vet who has lost just once since 2003, Jones isn’t one of the sport’s most highly touted prospects without good reason. Just ask Brandon Vera’s doctors as to why. Speaking to MMA Weekly, Matyushenko was asked to outline what he plans on doing, in order to pull off the underdog win:
“I’ve watched his fights and tried to find holes in his game,” said Matyushenko. “But it’s very hard, because he’s very unpredictable. He doesn’t have a particular style where he is consistently doing certain things. There are a few things he does, but he changes from left-hand stance to right-hand stance and just does some crazy stuff. But I think in order to win, I have to keep him backing up, keep the pressure on.”
“Crazy” is definitely one way of putting it. It’s going to be really interesting to see how Matyushenko fairs. Who knows? Maybe the old school warrior will shock the MMA world? Care to wager?
(Props: YouTube.com/KarynBryant)
Bryant (starting at 1:02): "[You and Jon Jones] have been doing a lot of press, and pretty much the storyline is ‘experience vs. youth’. How do you feel about that, and do you feel that that’s really the decis…
Bryant (starting at 1:02): "[You and Jon Jones] have been doing a lot of press, and pretty much the storyline is ‘experience vs. youth’. How do you feel about that, and do you feel that that’s really the decisive thing going in here?"
Matyushenko: "Well it’s not only that, experience and youth, it’s just like…black and white."
I know, right? Athletic explosiveness vs. hard-working blue-collar-ness. Finally, somebody says what we’re all thinking!
Okay, maybe Vlad was trying to make reference to their vastly different styles (or not, it’s kind of hard to tell). Anyway, this MMA H.E.A.T. interview is also noteworthy because Karyn asks the Janitor who he wants to fight next, even though she clearly realizes it’s a big no-no (skip to the 3:14 mark). For the record, he likes to take things fight by fight (shocking), but he wouldn’t mind avenging his losses to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Tito Ortiz. His entrance music on Sunday, as usual, will be "Deaf Forever."
Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosOn Monday’s live edition of The MMA Hour, we will be joined in studio by UFC lightweight Ross Pearson.
The British fighter is in New York City training for his upcoming fight against Cole Miller…
On Monday’s live edition of The MMA Hour, we will be joined in studio by UFC lightweight Ross Pearson.
The British fighter is in New York City training for his upcoming fight against Cole Miller at UFN 22, and he’ll talk about that fight while answering your calls.
When 
On Monday’s live edition of