Tag: Jon Jones

Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: Head to Head

(Pay no attention to the two dudes lurking in the background…)
Light-heavyweight wunderkind Jon Jones and grizzled old vet Vladimir Matyushenko face off next Sunday at UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko, August 1st in San Diego. At first, we…

Jon Jones Vladimir Matyushenko UFC on Versus Live
(Pay no attention to the two dudes lurking in the background…)

Light-heavyweight wunderkind Jon Jones and grizzled old vet Vladimir Matyushenko face off next Sunday at UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko, August 1st in San Diego. At first, we were quick to write off this matchup as a gift for Bones, but nothing is guaranteed in this crazy sport. Let’s dive into the stats and see who really holds the advantages…

AGE
Jones: 23
Matyushenko: 39
Advantage: Jones

NICKNAME
Jones: "Bones"
Matyushenko: "The Janitor"
Advantage: Jones. You already know how we feel about Vlad’s nickname.

TIME SPENT AS A PRO
Jones: Over two years
Matyushenko: Almost 13 years
Advantage: Matyushenko. The Janitor probably owns jock-straps that have logged more cage-time than Jones.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT
Jones: Headlining the UFC’s first card on Versus and breaking Brandon Vera’s face in three places.
Matyushenko: Becoming the IFL’s first light-heavyweight champion, and successfully defending the belt before the organization folded.
Advantage: Even. Matyushenko can say he’s a former champion. But Jones can say he destroyed Brandon Vera’s face. It kind of depends on where your priorities lie.

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Jon Jones, Vladimir Matyushenko Not Thinking About Rankings

Filed under: UFCThe light heavyweight class is the marquee division in the UFC, so much so that when Jon Jones fights Vladimir Matyushenko on August 1, it will be the 10th light heavyweight main event of the last 19 UFC shows.

All that light heavyweig…

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The light heavyweight class is the marquee division in the UFC, so much so that when Jon Jones fights Vladimir Matyushenko on August 1, it will be the 10th light heavyweight main event of the last 19 UFC shows.

All that light heavyweight talent in the UFC means that the winner of the Jones-Matyushenko fight won’t necessarily be particularly high in the 205-pound rankings, or particularly close to a shot against the champion, Shogun Rua. Both Jones and Matyushenko say they’re fine with that.

Vladimir Matyushenko Has “Surprise” In Store for Jon Jones

When Vladimir Matyushenko was confirmed as Jon Jones’ next opponent for the August 1st, UFC on Versus card, it’s likely many fans had one of two responses- for post TUF fans their first reaction may have been ‘who the hell is Matyushenko?’, while old school observers might have had the words ‘sacrificial lamb’ run through […]

matyushenko

When Vladimir Matyushenko was confirmed as Jon Jones’ next opponent for the August 1st, UFC on Versus card, it’s likely many fans had one of two responses- for post TUF fans their first reaction may have been ‘who the hell is Matyushenko?’, while old school observers might have had the words ‘sacrificial lamb’ run through their minds. After all, Jones has dominated everyone he has faced in the Octagon to date, and when you leave dudes like Brandon Vera and Matt Hamill broken and beaten, people are going to start talking. And talking they are.

Of course, Matyushenko is no slouch, and when you consider that the decorated wrestler has lost just once since 2003 (and that was to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira) one can understand why the UFC matched “The Janitor” up with Jones (that’s still a badass nickname). So, having said that, what are the betting lines showing? Well, the odds point to Matyushenko getting tossed big time; for example, BETUS has the fight at -600 for Jones and +400 for the decade plus vet (as does Bodog). In an interview with MMA Bay, however, Matyushenko isn’t buying into all this underdog talk, stating:

“I believe at the highest level of MMA there is no such thing as an underdog. I know I have all the tools to do my job and win any fight if I train properly for it.”… ‘My strategy will be a surprise for everyone.”

Huh. It will be interesting to see what the “surprise” is; if Matyushenko wins, someone with a ton of insight, expendable cash and possibly prophetic abilities, is going to get rich. To bet on the bout head here.

Exclusive Video: Jon Jones Discusses Upcoming Fight With Vladimir Matyushenko, MMA in NY, Freakishly Long Arms + More

CagePotato Exclusive Video Interview w/UFC Star Jon Jones – Watch more Funny Videos
Coming off his devastation of Brandon Vera in March, fast-rising UFC star Jon Jones will take on veteran Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC On Versus 2 (August 1st, San D…

CagePotato Exclusive Video Interview w/UFC Star Jon Jones – Watch more Funny Videos

Coming off his devastation of Brandon Vera in March, fast-rising UFC star Jon Jones will take on veteran Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC On Versus 2 (August 1st, San Diego). It may not be an obvious step up in competition, but in this exclusive video interview — shot by our friend Sal Mora at Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque — Jones calls Matyushenko a "solid step sideways," and assures us that he’s not looking past the Janitor. Of course, another impressive win would put the 22-year-old directly into the 205-pound title mix, which suits him just fine, since there’s nobody in the division he doesn’t think he can beat:

"I’m really confident in myself, and I’m big on faith. I just believe if I study for any opponent — his interviews, his fights, his footwork, his timing — I think I’ll figure out that opponent. It’s like doing your homework…you know yourself, you know your opponent, and there’s really nothing to worry about."

As a native of Endicott, New York, Jones weighed in on the MMA regulation efforts in New York State: "That would mean so much to me, competing in New York…it would be a dream come true, and something that I believe in my heart will happen one day. I would love to fight for a title in Madison Square Garden."

Bones also discussed his current preparations with trainer Greg Jackson, explained how his 84.5" reach helps him in his daily life, and told us what line of work he might be in if he wasn’t fighting. Enjoy.