UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko

[Turd Ferguson]

Main card

• Light Heavyweight bout: Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
• Middleweight bout: Yushin Okami vs. Mark Munoz
• Welterweight bout: John Howard vs. Jake Ellenberger
• Lightweight bout: Takanori Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin

Preliminary Card (Non-televised)

• Lightweight bout: Jacob Volkmann vs. Paul Kelly
• Light Heavyweight bout: James Irvin vs. Igor Prokrajac
• Welterweight bout: DeMarques Johnson vs. Matt Riddle
• Middleweight bout: Brian Stann vs. Mike Massenzio
• Middleweight bout: Rob Kimmons vs. Steve Steinbeiss
• Lightweight bout: Thiago Tavares vs. Willamy Friere
• Lightweight bout: Darren Elkins vs. Charles Olivera

......................................................................................​

The four fight main card has potential to be very exciting.

Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko is a fight that when it was announced, I was pretty disappointed. After destroying Matt Hamill and Brandon Vera, MMA fans anticipated a big step up in competition for Jones. Instead, he gets a semi-lateral fight at best, and even an arguable step down in competition in Matyushenko. It's an interesting clash, I guess. Jones is an exciting fighter and a future champion. Matyushenko might be one of the most boring fighters on the entire UFC roster, and he is best known for losing a UFC Title fight to Tito Ortiz, being an IFL Champion, and having the most hysterical nickname, considering he's a Russian immigrant, which is "The Janitor".

I don't see any way Jones loses this fight. He's a future champion, and this will just be another fight to show how awesome he is. I just really wish he fought someone like Thiago Silva instead. Silva's getting wasted in a Tim Boetsch matchup, and Jones is getting wasted in this matchup. I think it would have made more sense to have Jones vs. Thiago Silva for this card, but what are you going to do? I predict Jones by a brutal knockout, by the way.

Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami has the chance to be a show stealer. Munoz has done quite well as a middleweight, and since training with former adversary Chael Sonnen, Okami has reinvented himself as the dangerous fighter we all knew he was capable of being, by just completely massacreing Lucio Linhares. I think Okami just has so much more experience, and as good as Munoz is, he's not ready for a reinvented Yushin Okami, who will be in position for a title shot by this time next year, and has only lost to Rich Franklin and Chael Sonnen in the UFC. This should be a great fight though, and I think Okami will knock him out.

John Howard vs. Jake Ellenberger should be another great fight, as should Takanori Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin.

 

[jmt225]

This is a three fight card for me, but man am I looking forward to those three fights.

Takanori Gomi is in my top 5 favorite fighters of all time list, and there's no fight set-up right now that I want to see a person win more than I want to see Gomi beat Tyson Griffin.

Takanori Gomi is one of the most exciting, explosive fighters throughout the history of the sport. He has an iron chin, and just all around great skills. Now is his time to show the World what he truly has to offer. Forget the Kenny Florian fight... this isn't Florian he's stepping in there with. There's no reason not to believe that Gomi can't knock this motherfucker Tyson Griffin out. No reason whatsoever. Gomi has the better stand-up, and the better wrestling. Tyson might be superior Jiu-Jitsu wise, but A) Tyson shouldn't be able to get the fight to the ground in the first place, and B) Tyson sometimes thinks he's another Tyson and likes to stand and box. If he makes the mistake of B, then Gomi should have no problem kicking Tyson's ass. I certainly cannot wait to see it (boy am I glad too it's going on first ).

Yushin Okami is another guy I'm a fan of, especially after his last fight.

Okami has always had the tools to become one of the best Middleweights in the World, but now he's getting the aggression he needed to make that come true. Okami could easily settle for being a "decision" guy and working his way to decision victories. He would win most fights like that. However, he won't be able to beat the elite like that. To beat the elite, he needed to learn how to be aggressive and look to finish fights, and now training with Chael Sonnen at Team Quest, it looks like Okami has gotten that in him now, and in this fight against Mark Munoz, we will see if Okami can be that fighter. If so... then look out MW Division, because Okami will be a force to be reckon with.

And of course... always looking forward to seeing Jon Jones fight. I'm expecting such great things from this kid, and while Vladimir Matyushenko is someone you don't want to overlook, there's no doubt in my mind that Jones' success will continue with this fight. Jones is just superior to Vladimir in every conceivable way, and I have complete faith in another great win for Jones that shows he is the real deal and future of the Light Heavyweight Division.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

I seriously doubt that Okami is going to steal the decision-fest title from GSP anytime soon, but I digress.

This is absolutely the stupidest match-up Joe Silva could have fathomed making a main event. You've got Jon "Bones" Jones who, for all intents and purposes, is being touted as the next big thing at LHW, against The Janitor. Look, I love Vlady but his days of relevancy are far behind him. I don't know why they keep holding Bones back. Sometimes, (actually, all the time), I question the decision making processes that are going on behind closed doors at Zuffa.

They make pushes on some of the weirdest fighters and rarely does it work out. They also hold back a large number of fighters. Let's be real, they've fucked with Fitch so much. He practically had to give a testicle to get that fight with GSP and they haven't done shit with him since. Not only did Fitch go out there and show that he's one of the toughest sons of bitches on the planet against GSP, it's his only fucking loss. They're stifling Jones and giving him shit fights that do absolutely zero for him in terms of a step up in competition. If Jones loses this fight it's going to CRUSH whatever weird plans they have for him at LHW. Then, all of a sudden, they're going to have to give Matyushenko an absurdly tough opponent that's going to destroy him within minutes.

This has all the makings of a horrible ending for the UFC and I will be laughing hysterically if Vlady beats Jones.

 

[INDYjon22]

Ah, so the time has come for us all to pine over Jon "Bones" Jones once again. I have made no secret of my love for this man since his debut way back when and that love grows stronger with every fight. I guess the reason I really love the guy is how fast he got to the UFC and how he took so many fight with nothing but a month or less in between them. I respect the fuck out of that.

As for this fight. Naturally, like many others, I believe Jones will win, but I also don't think Matyushenko should be counted out quiet yet. Matyushenko has only lost 4 fights and they were all against very good fighters. He is a test for any fighter and I really think that he is a great measuring stick for Jones. Should Jones come out victorious, he should be given a tougher fighter, obviously, I am thinking someone like Randy Couture or Rampage. A real test to see if Jones is ready for his shot at the belt. And even though I think Jones will win, I also believe that Matyushenko is a very capable fighter and has a chance at derailing the Jones hype train. It should be a very good fight.

Mark Munoz has been on a rampage as of late. He has really stepped up his game and is posed to make, possibly, a run in the Middleweight division. However, he will have to get through Yushin Okami first. People say a lot of shit about Okami but I like him. I find him to be a very credible fighter and if Munoz can defeat him then Munoz is almost ready for a shot at the belt, almost. In addition, I still can't believe Okami never got a title shot, love him or hate him, but he earned a title shot around a year ago and then never got it, much like Karo Parisyan back in the day. I know injuries happen but I still think it's a shame he never got a crack at the belt and might never get one now.

I am so conflicted in the Ellenberger/Howard fight. I like both guys a lot and support them in my New Blood Rising roster of fighters. They both are very talented and should put on an interesting fight. I do think John Howard is the better of the two and has the brighter future, but I would not be surprised at all if Ellenberger came out on top. Should be a tough and bloody fight. The winner deserves a move up in competition for sure.

Takanori Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin will be interesting. Griffin is always an interesting fight to watch. He just brings the excitement, with the exception of his last fight. Gomi is a legend in MMA and has a great career. His UFC debut left a lot to be desired but it was against Kenny Florian who is probably the third best Lightweight in the world and maybe even the second best in the UFC, another argument for another thread. Gomi should have the advantage in this fight because of his experience but it will be interesting to see since Griffin has never lost back to back fights.

Fighters on the undercard that interest me are Matt Riddle and Igor Prokrajac. I like Riddle a lot and believe he could be a big player in a few years but he needs to get more seasoned first. And Pokrajac because his UFC career has gone very south very fast after he had a lot of hype surrounding his debut. It will be interesting to see if he can finally win in what is obviously his last shot in the UFC.

 

[X]

Takanori Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin? Sign me the fuck up, I've been a fan of Gomi's since JMT showed me a highlights/tribute video of his on YouTube many months back, but I had totally forgotten that he's coming to the UFC for the first time, can't wait to see this fight. Griffin is kind of a odd choice for an opponent, but I'm thinking the fight is going to kick all kinds of ass regardless.

I'm a much more casual MMA fan so alot of the other names on this card I don't recognize, but seeing as how this is a free show, there's really no excuse for me not to watch it. Main event looks promising too.

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

I was hoping Jon Jones would be on a bigger card with a bigger opponent but oh well. Bones won me over in his second fight in the UFC when he took on Stephan Bonnar at 94 and he hasn't disappointed yet. Hopefully we get a very dominate performance from him so he can be thrown in the interim title mix. I'm really just saying what everyone has said before in they think he's a future champ but I'll say it anyway, he's a future champ and after this fight I hope Dana takes note and tests him.

 

[Fizzy]

Should be a great night of fights especially considering it's free. Looking forward to it very much.

Jones/Maty should be a good tough fight. Bones is one of the most promising young talents the UFC has ever seen. The guys only 22, and has dominated the competition hes faced. The Hamill fight was bullshit considering it should have been stopped much earlier. Obviously I am rooting for Jones to win this, because he is just damn exciting, and I really want him to continue to succeed. On the other hand though Maty is a very tough challenge for Jones. Maty is a hard veteran who's only losses have come against elite fighters. Maty has looked very good as of late, and will be a great challenge to see just how far along Jones is.

Yushin Okami is one of my favorite fighters, and is very exciting. He has defeated some of the best the Middleweight division has, and I fully expect that he will come out and look to put away Munoz. Munoz though is a very good fighter, and is training with one of the top camps. He is very exciting, and is 8-1 in his career. I want to see Okami pull this one out, and continue to climb his way up the Middleweight ladder, but it will be a very tough fight for him. Like JMT said he has the tools to be one of the very best in the world, and this will be a good fight for him to show those tools.

I have no interest in the next fight, but Gomi/Griffin fight has fight of the night written all over it. I have been a big fan of Griffin for a while, and I like how he always comes out to put on a show, but I believe Gomi will be way to much for Griffin to handle. Gomi had a lackluster debut against Florian, but Kenny is one of the absolute best fighters at 155. Griffin is not on Florian's level and it will show in this fight. Griffin does not have the power to KO Gomi, and better wrestling so I doubt Tyson will get a takedown. Gomi should win this fight, and start his climb up the 155 ladder.

So all in all there are 3 fights on this card that I cannot wait to see. This is a great card for someone who follows MMA closely, and knows who these guys are and what their capable of. I personally cannot wait.

 

[jmt225]

Great free show.

Takanori Gomi showed that he is still a threat to ANYONE in the Lightweight Division. I think people forgot how hard he hits, well... they were reminded tonight! That punch he landed on Griffin was so beautiful. Right on the button, Griffin falling flat on his face. Whenever a Gomi haymaker punch lands clean, that's exactly what you'll see every single time.

But yeah... very happy for my main man, Takanori Gomi. I'm very interested in seeing what they'll do with him next.

John Howard vs. Jake Ellenberger was easily Fight of the Night. Howard landed some great shots, but Ellenberger hung in there every single time and was able to recover, take the guy down, and control him. I was very, very impressed. And the mark on Howard's eye was brutal. It was definitely a good stoppage.

Yushin Okami vs. Mark Munoz was a good little fight. Okami did a wonderful job stopping the taking down and controlling most of the fight on the feet. He got caught in the 2nd, but he quickly recovered. I completely agreed with the judges who scored the fight 29-28 for Okami. Okami got taken down in the first, but he popped right back up and landed the more effective shots in the round. In Round 2 Munoz dropped Okami as I mentioned and was the aggressor, so he won that round. And in Round 3 Okami dropped Munoz and dictated the fight the entire round. So, yeah... good judging tonight for once, and I look forward to seeing what type of competition Okami gets next.

And Jon Jones... fucking beast. Nothing else to say. The man looks unbeatable at this point. He's always a class act to the fullest extent as well, which just ups his awesomeness. Let's just hope the UFC smartens up now and realizes that he doesn't need to be catered to. Time to put him in there with some top contenders, for sure.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I very much enjoyed this card, and once again, the UFC on Versus cards deliver with some awesome action.

I don't like Tyson Griffin at all. I always felt he was overrated and not as good as he's been hyped up to be. I was hoping Gomi would win, because I always liked what I saw from him in PRIDE, and his Twitter is hilarious. Plus, he just really needed the win. I picked Gomi in the prediction contest, mainly due to the dislike I have for Griffin, and figured if he kept it standing, he'd have a shot at winning. Gomi kept it standing alright, and knocked Griffin out cold. So glad he won the fight, and fuck Tyson Griffin for his lack of sportsmanship afterwards.

Ellenberger/Howard was damn good as well, and Howard showed how tough he was sticking it out despite his eye flaring up in one of the most horrific things I've ever seen in MMA.

I admittedly tuned out during Okami/Munoz.

Jones/Matyushenko... what more can you say? I love how people picked Matyushenko to at least give Jones a great challenge, and give him trouble with takedowns, when Jones took him down with ease and fired away, which is what I knew was going to happen.

Give him Rich Franklin, Thiago Silva, or Forrest Griffin next. He's ready.

 

[Toxs]

Damn, I only got to see the last two fights.

Okami's stand-up is looking great, but I think he needs to mix it up with some leg kicks.
All I saw from Munoz was a big right and his takedowns coming a mile away, pretty weird for National Champ.

I called JJ winning the fight but I expected a little more fight from Vlad.
Bones vs Silva looks good but I see that going the same way as Thiago's fight with Rashad.
Franklin I think would be a better choice for Jones, Rich is well-rounded and I see him giving Jones more trouble than all the available opponents right now.

 

[INDYjon22]

Very fun show. Not on par with UFC 116 but definitely worth watching considering it was free.

Takanori Gomi looked great and his knockout punch on Griffin was awesome to see. Now, I like Griffin and am disappointed he lost but it's alright because we got to see a glimpse of the olf Takanori Gomi, hopefully not for the last time either.

Okami impressed with his standing and his wrestling. Not much more to say. Munoz needs to work on his all around game some more but he could be a legit player someday.

Ellenberger impressed the hell out of me with his durability. Howard is a tremendous talent and could be huge one day, but his eye was fucked up. My hat goes off to both men.

I expected Jones to win but hot damn, I did not expect him to completely dominate Vladdy like he did. Very fucking impressive. The UFC needs to set up either Jones/Griffin or Jones/Franklin and that is the bottom line.

Great night of fights with some very good performances.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Great free show. I think it helps when they don't have big names the casual fans don't know and the fights end up good as they were, it helps to draw those fans in more. Even though us regualrs knew the names!

Gomi vs. Griffin, in the little over a minute that it lasted was awesome. What a sick ass punch by Gomi. Griffin can be mad all he wants but he was laid out! Kinda reminded me when Koscheck was flattend by Thiago and he thought it was called early. I loved Gomi at the end when he said he needed to learn how to fight American fighters, guess he did taking care of business in a minute. Griffin needs to go back to the drawing board hard and get back on track or his UFC days are over for a while. Crazy just a short time ago he was near the top of the lightheavy weight division.

Howard vs. Ellenberger, I have to agree with JMT and say it was FOTN. Great fight between the two of them. Howard landed some big shots, Ellenberger was definitely a little dazed from them but stuck to his game plan and executed it. I think Ellenberger watched some Jon Jones elbow shot highlights cause the few he landed on Howard jacked Howard's eye up. I completely agree with the stoppage his eye was pretty bad. Only thing I was mad about it cost me 2 points in the prediction contest, would've been a 10 pointer for me!

Okami vs. Munoz, another good performance by Okami. He looked great blocking Munoz's takedowns who is a division 1 wrestling champion. Both fighters almost had the fight stopped against each other. Munoz had the best chance in the 2nd but couldn't finish Okami. As IndyJon and I were discussining Munoz in the LD we both agreed that he needs to work harder and he will be fighting for the title. His problem is he takes a little long to get going in a fight. I think the Hamill KO has him a little hesitant when he starts his fights.

Jones vs. Matyushenko, Well this was fast just like the Gomi fight. Another dominant performance from Jones. This guy is really a fight away from a title shot! Like I said in the LD I want to see him fight Forrest or Thiago Silva next either one of them would be a great fight. He definitely is ready for one of the top dogs, even if he loses it only sets him back a little, the guy just turned 23 so he has plenty of time to rebound if he does lose to a top guy.

 

[X]

So far I've only seen the Gomi-Griffin fight, but holy shit did Gomi just roll right through Griffin like a fucking tank or what? Just "Hello Tyson, my name is Gomi and I'll be serving you. How would you like your smashed-face sandwich?". JMT really built up this dude as I'd seen very little of his work prior to this, and I was suitably impressed. I'd absolutely love to see him fight BJ Penn or GSP at some point, those fights would be sick.

I guess I should check out the Howard-Ellenburger fight as well eh? I'll probably just try and catch the rest of the show sometime tomorrow.