UFC 129 Complete Collection Part 10 Of 12: Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Jason Brilz

With this tenth edition of my special twelve-part “maxi-series” entitled “ufc 129 Complete Collection”, we’ve now entered the double digits and, consequently, the last leg of the series. There’s only one more fight left to cover before we get to the massive pair of main events with two major UFC championships on the line. For the previous entry into the series, click here. Now it’s time to focus on a match-up that pits a hard-hitting veteran against a fighter that many think should have beaten another hard-hitting veteran: it’s Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Jason Brilz.

Vladimir Matyushenko has competed in professional Mixed Martial Arts since 1997. Matyushenko once fought against Tito Ortiz for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, almost a full decade ago. By the time Matyushenko became the first Light Heavyweight Champion of the short-lived but nationally-broadcast IFL promotion, his record stood at 19-3 with a full decade of experience.

“The Janitor” made his UFC return in 2009, and would go on to win two straight fights. Matyushenko was then matched up against Jon Jones, who would one day become UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. But this fight was before that, in August 2010 in fact, although it ended in much the same way every Jon Jones fight ends: after an all-out blitzkrieg left his opponent dazed and confused, a barrage of powerful strikes ended with Jon Jones winning by TKO. It would be the fastest loss of Matyushenko’s career. But not to be deterred, Matyushenko recently rebounded with a first-round TKO over Alexandre Ferreira at UFC 122.

His opponent, Jason Brilz, entered the UFC with a record of 15-1-1 and had been competing professionally since 2000. Brilz is currently 3-2 in the Octagon, with both losses via Split Decision. And it was Brilz’s last fight in particular that raises the ire of a certain section of fans. Those fans wholeheartedly believe that Jason Brilz defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and to be honest, their argument is not without logic.

UFC bad boy extraordinaire Chael Sonnen offered up a unique and very controversial view of the fight by saying that Rogerio looked like “Roy Nelson in a Frankenstein mask” while echoing the cynic’s sentiments that Brilz won the fight. Brilz has been inactive since that fight with “Little Nog”, which took place in May 2010. Brilz and Matyushenko were originally expected to fight each other at UFC 122, but an injury forced the cancellation of the bout.

This fight will be an important step in the right direction for whoever wins it. I think Brilz learned a lot from his fight with “Little Nog”, and he should be both willing and able to step into the Octagon against another respected, well-rounded veteran. For Matyushenko, it’s all about realizing his dream nearly a decade after his last title shot. And while that seems unlikely, there’s no doubting that Matyushenko looked great in his last fight.

I think this fight will end up being an all-out brawl, and one man’s chin will crumble. There’s a chance that Matyushenko’s chin will be the first one to fall, but right now I’m pulling for “The Janitor”. He may be an old dog that hasn’t learned any new tricks, but his old bag of tricks still seems to be holding up pretty well.

And that’s that, fans and friends. Only two fights remain for “UFC 129 Complete Collection”. Check back here soon for the final two parts of this series, covering the two title fights of UFC 129. And what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts on this fight in particular?