By
MIKE JOHNSTONFor die-hard UFC fans across Canada, the last month has been difficult. Yes, there have been many exciting fight announcements including some featuring Canadian stars like Sam Stout, Patrick Cote, Joe Doerksen, TJ Grant and Claude Patrick. But, there has not been a single fight since UFC 116, one whole month ago. Well, us MMA-crazed canucks will get our fix in the coming months. There will be a total of three events (that’s 32 glorious fights to look forward to) in the month of August.
The action begins with UFC on Versus 2. The event can be seen live in Canada August 1 on Rogers Sportsnet starting at 9 p.m. Here is a breakdown of the card, plus a poll of who Canadian fans think will win the four main card fights…
MAIN CARD
- Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
To mainstream fans, Vladimir Matyushenko is not as well known as Stephan Bonnar, Matt Hamill or Brandon Vera, and it may seem like a step down in competition for Jon Jones. However, Jones will be facing his toughest test to date when he steps in against ‘The Janitor.’
Jones has trained with Georges St. Pierre and Firas Zahabi at the TriStar gym in Montreal for part of his training and that should be a big advantage. With his unorthodox striking, strong wrestling and trips, tremendous reach and unabashed confidence, Jones is a tough nut to crack. He is widely regarded as the best prospect in MMA.
Matyushenko has a solid wrestling base and in recent years has improved his standup tenfold. He will, however, have difficulty getting inside on Jones’ reach, the longest in the entire UFC. He is a thick and powerful light heavyweight, and if he gains a dominant position, Jones could be in trouble. However, considering how dominant Jones was over the likes of Hamill and Vera, it would be considered a major upset if Matyushenko can pull it off. Matyushenko needs to get Jones on his back to have success. Look for Jones to be pushed into the second or third round before landing a shot that rocks the Belarusian.
Jones.
- Mark Munoz vs. Yushin Okami
This is a serious middleweight matchup between two top contenders at 185lbs. Yushin Okami has long been considered a top-ten middleweight and Mark Munoz has looked tremendous since dropping down from 205. Both are excellent wrestlers who are used to dictating where their fights takes place, so it will be interesting to see who the stronger grappler is.
Munoz has been training with an all-star cast including Anderson Silva and Winnipeg’s Krzysztof Soszynski. In a recent interview with MMA Heat Soszynski said, “He’s looking absolutely fantastic. He’s going to destroy Yushin Okami this weekend coming up.”
However, that will be a tough task since Okami’s only losses in the past six years have been decisions to Chael Sonnen, Jake Shields and Rich Franklin, nothing to be ashamed of. Okami has fought some of the best in the world and holds wins over Alan Belcher, Mike Swick, Evan Tanner and Canadians Jason MacDonald and Kalib Starnes. He is also technically the last man to beat Anderson Silva, despite winning by disqualification after being knocked out by an illegal kick. In his last fight, Okami’s standup looked better than ever, so he will not be opposed to standing with Munoz. But, from what his training camp is saying, Munoz is the best he has ever been. Anything can happen, but look for the ‘Filipino Wrecking Machine’ to pull of the upset.
Munoz.
- Jake Ellenberger vs. John Howard
Both Howard and Ellenberger are strong wrestlers with powerful hands and will look to implement similar strategies. Howard is coming into this fight confident, winning seven in a row; Ellenberger has only lost once in the UFC, and that was a split decision loss to Carlos Condit. If he were fighting anyone but the resilient Condit, Ellenberger would have earned a first round KO. This fight should come down to who can wrestle more effectively and who is the better puncher. Ellenberger is an impressive, young welterweight, so look for him to hand Howard his first UFC loss.
Ellenberger.
- Takanori Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin
Griffin takes this fight on short notice as he looks to clean his pallet of his loss to Evan Dunham at UFC 115 in Vancouver. Gomi was supposed to fight Joe Stevenson, but now the Japanese superstar has an even tougher task. Gomi is coming off a one-sided loss to Kenny Florian and it looked in that fight like his best days were behind him. Yes, Gomi still has some dangerous hands, but he has not been his dangerous self for a few years. He also tends to get tired rather quickly. Meanwhile, Griffin has a virtually endless gas tank and fights at a rabid pace. This fight should be primarily a standup tussle with Griffin landing the more fluid combinations, while Gomi goes for the home run. Look for Griffin to do everything to ensure a stoppage victory, which could mean taking the fight to the ground at some point and looking for a submission.
Griffin.
Who Canadian fans think will win:
Jones 96% – Matyushenko 4%
Okami 62% – Munoz 38%
Howard 58% – Ellenberger 42%
Griffin 52% – Gomi %48
**50 random Canadian MMA fans were polled on Facebook to see who they believe will win the four main card bouts. Nearly all Canadian fans polled also stated they were most excited to see Jon Jones fight**
PRELIMINARY CARD
- DaMarques Johnson vs. Matthew Riddle
Two of the more likeable TUF vets face off in this welterweight bout. Riddle will use his wrestling as he always does while Johnson will go with the flow and attack from wherever the fight goes. Johnson is extremely aggressive which sometimes gets him in trouble, but it often works in his favour. Riddle, just 24, recently had twins and that may actually play into how his training camp went. Johnson looked great in his last two fights, battling back after getting rocked. Although he is the underdog, look for Johnson to use his veteran savvy to catch Riddle.
Johnson.
- James Irvin vs. Igor Pokrajac
James Irvin’s first fight at middleweight was an embarrassing, failed experiment. He did not look healthy being that thin and in his fight with Alessio Sakara he was unable to muster anything. Irvin has moved back up to his natural weight of 205lbs. It’s safe to say that if Irvin doesn’t show up ready to fight, it will be his last appearance in the UFC. Like Irvin, Pokrajac has also lost two in a row and needs a win. Irvin has knockout power and Pokrajac proved in his last two fights he can take some punishment. Unless Irvin catches him in the first round, look for Pokrajac to surprise people and pull off the upset.
Pokrajac.
- Paul Kelly vs. Jacob Volkmann
Jacob Volkmann does not look tough whatsoever, but his short UFC career has proved otherwise. He gave top welterweight contenders Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago all they could handle, and won his lightweight debut in March. Volkmann is the superior wrestler and grappler, but Paul Kelly is stronger and more vicious. Look for this to be a blue-collar fight with Kelly coming out on top.
Kelly.
- Mike Massenzio vs. Brian Stann
Brian Stann makes his middleweight debut and a lot of this fight depends on how his body reacts to the weight cut. Stann had some success at 205, but getting out powered by guys like Phil Davis and Canadian Krzysztof Soszynski was enough for him to make the move to 185. Massenzio is a talented grappler but hasn’t fought since UFC 92, so although he is favoured to win he is bit of a question mark. Since Stann trains regularly with Jon Jones, he should be ready for this fight.
Stann.
- Darren Elkins vs. Charles Oliveira
These two decent lightweight prospects will look to make a statement that they belong in the UFC. Elkins (12-1) likes to take his fights to the ground and even holds a win over Season 2 Bellator tournament winner Pat Curran. Oliveira is 12-0 with 11 victories coming by stoppage. He will throw many kicks and probably get taken down, but he has enough confidence in his jiu-jitsu that it won’t bother him. If Elkins can avoid a submission he should pull off the win with his wrestling though.
Oliveira.
- Rob Kimmons vs. Steve Steinbeiss
Both of these MMA journeymen need a win to stay in the UFC. Steinbeiss has a poor record at a mere 4-3, with two straight losses, although his last fight should not have been stopped. Still, he has fought tough competition including Ryan Jensen and Canadian Bill Mahood. Kimmons has about four times as much experience as Steinbeiss with a record of 22-5. Look for Kimmons to dictate the pace.
Kimmons.
