UFC On Versus 2 Breakdowns and Predictions

The UFC returns to Versus with a card full of past and future stars. Will the veterans repel the odds and once again strive for MMA greatness? Or…Will the future hold steady and continue to mold into the present?

I encourage you to read my breakdowns to see why I made the predictions that I made. At the end of the breakdowns, I will have my official picks listed. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the fights!

Jon “Bones” Jones Vs. Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko

Key Victories :

Jones (Brandon Vera, Stephan Bonnar )

Matyushenko (Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Pedro Rizzo, Jason Lambert, Yuki Kondo)

Forecast :

Joe Silva and the UFC brass should be commended of their patience in developing Jon Jones. At 23 years of age, Jones is a superstar in the making. From a business perspective, you understand that young and inexperienced fighters have to take baby steps and climb the ladder more steadily than wily veterans. From a fan’s perspective, you want to see the best fights possible. People are ready to see Jones tested by the upper-echelon Light Heavyweights.

I would personally side with the business side of things. In the Heavyweight division, stars like Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, and Junior Dos Santos had to progress a lot faster to bolster an old and diminishing UFC division. The UFC Light Heavyweight division is arguably the most stacked in the sport.

Jones has plenty of time to gain experience and realize his maximum potential. With that said, he will meet a stiff roadblock in this card‘s main event. Jon Jones looks to continue his rise to stardom when he meets UFC veteran, Vladimir Matyushenko.

Fighting out of Endicott, New York, Jon Jones is a Greco-Roman Wrestling, Judo, and Muay Thai practitioner. He was a 2005 state wrestling champion at Union-Endicott High School and a National Junior College Champion at Iowa Central Community College. He currently trains at Jackson’s MMA with the likes of GSP, Rashad Evans, Shane Carwin, Nate Marquardt, and Keith Jardine. At UFC on Versus 1, Jones dismantled Brandon Vera in a first round TKO stoppage.

Born in Rečyca, Belarus, Vladimir Matyushenko is a Freestyle Wrestler. He was a two-time National Junior College Champion at Lassen College. In November 2007, He became the first ever IFL (International Fight League) Light Heavyweight Champion.

People remember Vladi’s early years when he battled Tito Ortiz at UFC 33 for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Despite losing the decision, Vladi rebounded by defeating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Pedro Rizzo. In his last twelve bouts, he is 11-1. At UFC on Versus 1, he took a less than eventful split decision victory over Eliot Marshall.

Keys to Victory :

Jones will have a definitive ten inch reach advantage. At 84.5 inches, he has the longest reach in the UFC. He should use his Mister Fantastic jab to setup his diverse offense and neutralize Vladi’s advancements. The beauty of being so well-rounded is the ability to be successful in all areas of a fight.

Jones should use his vastly unorthodox standup to close the distance. When close, he can cinch the clinch to utilize his Muay Thai or Greco-Roman throws. Vladi isn’t great from his back. On the ground, Jones should be able to work some serious ground and pound.

Vladi has to be aggressive in this fight. He can’t sit there like one of the “Three Stooges” waiting on a surefire bitch slapping. He has to actively seek out takedowns. We haven’t seen Jones fight from his back. It will be Vladi’s job to force the fight into unknown waters.

On the feet, he has to beware of Jones’s striking. Jones is a very technical and unorthodox fighter. Vladi can’t let awkward movements, spinning back elbows, or flying knees rattle him. He has to use good boxing defense and continue to work simple combinations to disguise his takedowns.

The clinch will be the most dangerous place for Vladi. He has to keep good separation and work his shots from the outside. Jones is known to bully fighters from the clinch. When pressed upon, Vladi has to be ready to circle and change angles to get out of harms way.

Prediction :

The nickname “Janitor” was brought about by Dave Schultz as a joke on the U.S. Wrestling team. They apparently saw Vladi cleaning mats in poor looking clothing. This was after he defeated members of the U.S. squad. Since then, Vladi has made a name of mopping up respectable MMA veterans. At UFC on Versus 2, Vladi can leave his janitorial utility belt at home. Jon Jones will be doing the mopping in this one.

Vladi will hang tough, but Jones will prove to be too much. Look for Jones to notch up another awe-inspiring performance as he dominates all positions to take the unanimous decision nod.

Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz Vs. Yushin Okami

Key Victories :

Munoz (Kendall Grove, Ryan Jensen, Mike Pierce)

Okami (Anderson Silva, Mike Swick, Alan Belcher, Evan Tanner, Dean Lister, Jason MacDonald, Kalib Starnes)

Forecast :

This bout could be a betting man’s nightmare. Despite subtle differences, both fighters mirror one another across the boards. This should make for a great stylistic clash. A win here could get Yushin Okami another shot at an upper echelon Middleweight. A win for Mark Munoz would ensure his debut in the top ten Middleweight world rankings.

Fighting out of Vallejo, California, Munoz boasts a style of Wrestling, BJJ, and Muay Thai. He was a two-time California State Wrestling Champion at Vallejo High School. After high school, he attended Oklahoma State University where he earned two Big 12 titles, back to back All-American Honors, and a Division I National Championship.

Munoz currently trains at Team Black House with Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Junior Dos Santos, and the Nogueiras brothers. He is a purple belt in BJJ. At UFC 112, he endured and rebounded from a rough start to take the TKO victory over Kendall Grove.

Yushin Okami fights out of Kanagawa, Japan. His style consists of Wrestling, Kickboxing, and Judo. He trains out of Team Wajyutsu Keisyukai which includes former UFC fighters, Caol Uno and Keita Nakamura. Okami is a top ten Middleweight with ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) Submission Wrestling World Championship experience. At UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi, he showcased improved standup in his TKO stoppage of Lucio Linhares.

Keys to Victory :

Munoz needs to be aggressive and keep constant pressure on Okami. Chael Sonnen employed a similar tactic at UFC 104. In that bout, Sonnen worked Okami with good striking and multiple takedown attempts. Okami seemed lost throughout the fight.

Munoz needs to bring about some déjà vu. He needs to push the fight and continuously mix up his game with striking and takedown attempts. Defense will also be key. With Munoz pushing the fight, he may find himself in danger of being taken down. He has to rely on his wrestling instincts and be prepared to defend when Okami changes levels.

The best advice anyone can give Okami right now is “FIGHT YOUR FIGHT”! In the Sonnen bout, Okami was passive and refused to work for takedowns. It was like a scene from “Space Jam”. The “Monstars” stole Okami’s wrestling abilities. With the pressure to “be more exciting”, it’s a shame to see terrific fighters like Okami and Sean Sherk deviate from natural skillsets to more “fan friendly” kickboxing bouts.

While working his wrestling, Okami has to keep a lower base. This will allow him to initiate faster sprawls to defend Munoz’s takedowns. On the feet, Okami should work just enough to disguise his shots. He has to avoid brawling with Munoz. A swift and cautious approach is the way to go.

Prediction :

This is a hard fight to predict. I could honestly see either guy walking away with this thing. A trip to the past helped me come up with my prediction. So come along and grab Uncle Willy Wonka’s hand children. I’ll be your tour guide to Mark Munoz’s past.

Despite being a D1 Level Wrestler, ground control has been a major issue for Munoz. At UFC 102, Nick Catone was able to consistently out-jockey Munoz for position, stuff takedowns, and grab takedowns of his own. That bout wasn’t even a year ago.

Munoz also showed control issues in his bout with Kendall Grove. Grove was able to shrug off takedowns and win the transitional battles. At one point, Grove transitioned immediately to Munoz’s back after a failed takedown attempt. What does all of this have to do with Yushin Okami?

I believe Yushin Okami is a far better wrestler (not BJJ) than Catone and Grove. This is the best wrestler Munoz has faced since his loss to Matt Hamill. The bout will probably play out early on the feet. When the second round comes along, Okami will start mixing his game up more successfully. A tired and desperate Munoz will struggle as the fight starts to tip in Okami’s favor. Successful takedowns and superior boxing will net Okami a hard-earned split decision.

John “Doomsday” Howard Vs. Jake Ellenberger

Key Victories :

Howard (Tamdan McCrory, Dennis Hallman, Chris Wilson)

Ellenberger (Pat Healy, Mike Pyle)

Forecast :

Fighting out of Boston, Massachusetts, John Howard is a Muay Thai and BJJ artist. He trains with Team Wai Kru MMA. Despite a 4-0 UFC record, the road has been anything but easy for Howard. In all four UFC bouts, he found himself having to come back from early adversity.

At UFC on Versus 1, Howard survived an early takedown and tough ground and pound from NAIA All-American Wrestler, Daniel Roberts. A big mistake from Roberts gave Howard the KO stoppage and Knockout of the Night Honors. It was literally an eye opening experience for Roberts.

Jake Ellenberger was born and continues to fight out of Omaha, Nebraska. He is a Wrestler, Boxer, and BJJ fighter. Training at MidAmerica Martial Arts, Ellenberger is surrounded by guys like Ryan Jensen and Chad Reiner. He made his UFC debut back in September 2009 against Carlos Condit. Condit barely escaped with the split decision. At UFC 108, Ellenberger rebounded with an impressive TKO stoppage over Mike Pyle.

Keys to Victory :

To win this fight, Howard has to be more reserved and technical with his approach. An interesting stat heading into this bout is that Jake Ellenberger has never been knocked out. Along with a great chin, I believe Ellenberger is also the better wrestler of the two. I’m not saying Howard shouldn’t be aggressive in trying to finish on the feet.

He has to avoid overextending and getting caught with a punch or scooped for a takedown. He should keep a good base, work his boxing, and attempt takedowns of his own. Ellenberger has a nasty right hand Howard should definitely be wary of.

Ellenberger should come out aggressively and seek out takedowns. Howard isn’t an elite level striker, but his power should make him respected by all Welterweights. Ellenberger can’t allow himself to be baited into a slugfest. He should use his standup to set up his takedowns. On the ground, he shouldn’t underestimate Howard’s BJJ. Howard utilized a nice butterfly sweep from bottom to take control in the Daniel Roberts bout.

Prediction :

This fight will go one of three ways:

1) We see a Street Fighter re-imagining in which Ellenberger or Howard gets caught and take a Nyquil-induced nap.

2) Dan Miragliotta accidentally pokes Ellenberger in the eye and Howard takes advantage.

3) Jake Ellenberger comes in with a sound game plan and grinds out a tough decision.

If you picked option three, you get a free six pack of beer!….on you of course.

Tyson Griffin Vs. Takanori Gomi

Key Victories :

Griffin (Urijah Faber, Clay Guida, Gleison Tibau, Marcus Aurelio, Hermes Franca, Rafael dos Anjos, Thiago Tavares, Duane Ludwig)

Gomi (Hayato Sakurai, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Marcus Aurelio, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Jens Pulver, Charles Bennett, Duane Ludwig, Dokonjonosuke Mishima)

Forecast :

Takanori Gomi represents yet another MMA veteran who waited past his prime to decide to fight in the UFC. Everything Gomi has accomplished in his storybook career remains relatively unknown on western shores.

It’s quite a shame that the majority of MMA fans were watching Gomi fight for the first time at UFC Fight Night 21. Will Fedor have to lose to James Thompson before he finally decides to jump ship? In any case, we’ll see if Gomi has one last hurrah when he takes on Tyson Griffin.

Fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada, Griffin trains at Xtreme Couture. The famous gym features fighters like Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, Gray Maynard, Martin Kampmann, and Vitor Belfort. Griffin’s style consists of Wrestling and Boxing. In the UFC, he has secured five Fight of the Night Honors and one Submission of the Night Honor. At UFC 115, Griffin dropped a disappointing split decision to teammate, Evan Dunham.

Born in Kanagawa, Japan, Gomi is a Boxer, Wrestler, and Shooto artist. He trains with Team Kugayama Rascal. In Pride, Gomi was a world champion and the 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Champion. He also holds the fastest knockout in Pride history (6 seconds at Bushido 3).

Before Pride, he was the Shooto Welterweight Champion. At one point, Many considered Gomi to be the number one Lightweight in the world. He was submitted by Kenny Florian in his UFC debut.

Keys to Victory :

This should be a vintage Tyson Griffin performance. He needs to push the pace with simple combinations and setup takedowns. In his bout with Evan Dunham, Griffin showed improved boxing. He should use his boxing to sift through Gomi’s slow exchanges and land shots of his own.

Lately, Gomi has shown the cardio of a 200-plus pound toddler. Griffin needs to take advantage of Gomi’s cardio issues. He should wear Gomi down with takedowns and relentless ground and pound.

Despite recent blunders, Gomi remains a formidable striker at Lightweight. It would be nice to see him clean up his boxing game. Gomi often keeps his hands at his sides when he strikes. This stance makes his punches very predictable and easy to see. Kenny Florian took full advantage of this flaw at UFC Fight Night 21. A tighter stance enables a fighter to get off quicker, unpredictable punches.

Gomi usually keeps a good base. He will need it in this fight. Griffin is fast at striking one minute and shooting the next. Gomi has to be constantly vigilant of takedowns. He should look to stuff the shots and outpoint Griffin on the feet. This will be a grueling fight. I hope Gomi comes in shape.

Prediction :

The disappointments continue for former Pride champions and marque Japanese fighters. Griffin will control this bout from start to finish. Gomi will tire quickly as he struggles to keep up with the frantic pace. Griffin’s onslaught will last a full fifteen minutes as he snags the unanimous decision.

Gomi is a legend in the sport and was one of the primary faces in the Pride organization. I hope the UFC holds on giving him his walking papers. Melvin Guillard, Jeremy Stephens, and Dennis Siver all make for future interesting opponents.







Official Picks

Jon Jones By Unanimous Decision

Yushin Okami By Split Decision

Jake Ellenberger By Unanimous Decision

Tyson Griffin By Unanimous Decision