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07-30-2010, 07:25 AM
By Beau Dure, Special for USA TODAY
UFC's second card on Versus (9 p.m. ET, Sunday), spans generations in fighters and referees.
The main event matches Jon Jones, 23, against Vladimir Matyushenko, who made his mixed martial arts debut when Jones was 10.
Also in the Octagon is referee "Big" John McCarthy, who first appeared in the cage when Jones was 6. McCarthy worked at UFC 2 in 1994 and is set to work his first UFC card in 2½ years.
Jones, who won the main event of the UFC's Versus debut in March, appreciates the history.
"I'm honored to fight someone that I consider a guy who's paved the way for guys like me," Jones says. "He's been around when fighters weren't making money at all, and I'm honored to fight a warrior."
Matyushenko, 39, has seen it all in MMA, dating to his debut in a 1997 tournament in Louisiana and a shot at the UFC's light heavyweight belt against Tito Ortiz in 2001. He's 24th in the USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus light heavyweight rankings — Jones is 11th — but Matyushenko's 24-4 record includes bouts against the sport's best, along with the championship of the defunct IFL.
Yet Matyushenko stays humble. His nickname, "The Janitor," comes from a wrestling tournament in his pre-MMA days in which he was seen cleaning the mats. He says a sign of progress is going to PTA meetings without worrying about people's reaction to having a professional fighter in their midst.
He also says he hasn't seen a fighter such as Jones, who uses his 6-4 frame and long reach for unconventional striking and grappling attacks.
"It's not just a new generation," Matyushenko says. "He's a unique person. He's tall, he's lanky, and at the same time, he's fast. There's some tall guys but they're kind of slow."
Jones has had success with his speed and skill. The one loss on his 10-1 record was a disqualification in a fight he was dominating against well-established UFC fighter Matt Hamill. He's avoiding all talk of being the next big thing.
"Being humble is really, really important," Jones says. "… Others state that I've never fought anyone, I'm really not proven and all that stuff. And in a way people are right, you know. I haven't fought a top-10 guy yet or a top-five guy yet. So I really have no leeway to think that I'm 'The Man.' "
McCarthy helped to invent and codify many of an MMA ref's duties, but left to go into broadcasting. Quickly, he returned to referee duties. Recently, in Australia he presided over a bout between UFC old-timers Ken Shamrock and Pedro Rizzo.
State commissions, not promoters, are in charge of referees. McCarthy, who was mildly critical of the Nevada State Athletic Commission while working as a TV commentator, has not been re-issued a license by Nevada, which says all of its referee slots are filled. McCarthy has worked steadily in California. Sunday's card was moved from Salt Lake City, where ticket sales were sluggish, to San Diego.
Neither McCarthy nor UFC officials would comment on his assignment to Sunday's card.
Rising star Jon Jones to battle UFC history in the Octagon - USATODAY.com (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/mma/2010-07-29-jones-matyushenko-ufc_N.htm?csp=34sports&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomSports-TopStories+%28Sports+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Twitter)
UFC's second card on Versus (9 p.m. ET, Sunday), spans generations in fighters and referees.
The main event matches Jon Jones, 23, against Vladimir Matyushenko, who made his mixed martial arts debut when Jones was 10.
Also in the Octagon is referee "Big" John McCarthy, who first appeared in the cage when Jones was 6. McCarthy worked at UFC 2 in 1994 and is set to work his first UFC card in 2½ years.
Jones, who won the main event of the UFC's Versus debut in March, appreciates the history.
"I'm honored to fight someone that I consider a guy who's paved the way for guys like me," Jones says. "He's been around when fighters weren't making money at all, and I'm honored to fight a warrior."
Matyushenko, 39, has seen it all in MMA, dating to his debut in a 1997 tournament in Louisiana and a shot at the UFC's light heavyweight belt against Tito Ortiz in 2001. He's 24th in the USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus light heavyweight rankings — Jones is 11th — but Matyushenko's 24-4 record includes bouts against the sport's best, along with the championship of the defunct IFL.
Yet Matyushenko stays humble. His nickname, "The Janitor," comes from a wrestling tournament in his pre-MMA days in which he was seen cleaning the mats. He says a sign of progress is going to PTA meetings without worrying about people's reaction to having a professional fighter in their midst.
He also says he hasn't seen a fighter such as Jones, who uses his 6-4 frame and long reach for unconventional striking and grappling attacks.
"It's not just a new generation," Matyushenko says. "He's a unique person. He's tall, he's lanky, and at the same time, he's fast. There's some tall guys but they're kind of slow."
Jones has had success with his speed and skill. The one loss on his 10-1 record was a disqualification in a fight he was dominating against well-established UFC fighter Matt Hamill. He's avoiding all talk of being the next big thing.
"Being humble is really, really important," Jones says. "… Others state that I've never fought anyone, I'm really not proven and all that stuff. And in a way people are right, you know. I haven't fought a top-10 guy yet or a top-five guy yet. So I really have no leeway to think that I'm 'The Man.' "
McCarthy helped to invent and codify many of an MMA ref's duties, but left to go into broadcasting. Quickly, he returned to referee duties. Recently, in Australia he presided over a bout between UFC old-timers Ken Shamrock and Pedro Rizzo.
State commissions, not promoters, are in charge of referees. McCarthy, who was mildly critical of the Nevada State Athletic Commission while working as a TV commentator, has not been re-issued a license by Nevada, which says all of its referee slots are filled. McCarthy has worked steadily in California. Sunday's card was moved from Salt Lake City, where ticket sales were sluggish, to San Diego.
Neither McCarthy nor UFC officials would comment on his assignment to Sunday's card.
Rising star Jon Jones to battle UFC history in the Octagon - USATODAY.com (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/mma/2010-07-29-jones-matyushenko-ufc_N.htm?csp=34sports&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomSports-TopStories+%28Sports+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Twitter)