Turning the Corner
Tristen Critchfield Aug 1, 2010
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- It’s July in New Mexico, a little more than
three weeks before Jon Jones
tries to continue his meteoric rise to UFC stardom against Vladimir
Matyushenko, and the precocious light heavyweight needs to
update his phone book.
With great talent comes great expectations, and sometimes it’s easy to forget the fighter known as “Bones” is just 23 years old. And sometimes 23-year-olds lose their cell phones.
One by one, Jones adds the names of contacts lost from the
extensive list of Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts General Manager
Ricky Kottenstette: UFC welterweight champion Georges
St. Pierre, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad
Evans, UFC veteran Keith
Jardine and Strikeforce veteran Joey
Villasenor. They are now Jones’ peers and teammates. He leaves
a voicemail for St. Pierre, just to stay in touch.
At one time, having such accomplished contacts made Jones feel more like a fan than a fighter. Now, Jones says, his friends call and put him on speakerphone, looking to impress their company with the friendship of an up-and-coming star.
The general feeling is that Matyushenko, who will meet Jones in the UFC on Versus 2 main event on Sunday in San Diego, will serve as little more than an audition for Jones -- one last chance to showcase his prodigious skill set before challenging the division’s best on the main card of a pay-per-view. For the team at Jackson’s MMA, it’s important to make sure Jones does not believe his own press clippings. Hype can be a dangerous thing for a young, budding star in the fight game.
“The funny thing about your hype is that it doesn’t mean anything,” says Greg Jackson, Jones’ well-respected trainer. “Nothing means anything except your preparation and your performance. You watch all the hype coming around people, and then you lose one fight and everybody turns their back on you. So the hype is pretty pointless.”
The buzz around Jones began when he signed with the UFC as then the youngest fighter on the promotion’s roster. Victories over Andre Gusmao at UFC 87, Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94 and Jake O'Brien at UFC 100 announced his arrival as a formidable talent. Perhaps more important than the victories was the opportunity to network. Since St. Pierre was a main card headliner at all three events, Jones met Jackson, a trusted member of the welterweight king’s corner. A connection was made, and Jones, sensing the need to challenge himself, left Team BombSquad in New York to become a member of Jackson’s team in New Mexico.
Jones continued to raise the bar after the move. His disqualification loss to Matt Hamill at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale in December was less about the defeat and more about a sweep that separated the powerful wrestler’s shoulder. In March, a vicious elbow from Jones resulted in facial fractures to Brandon Vera at UFC on Versus 1. Such dominant displays have had armchair matchmakers in a frenzy. Matyushenko, however, was not the name on the tips of their tongues.
Vladimir Matyushenko
(left)
“I have to take my steps,” Jones says. “A lot of fans are
disappointed that he’s not high-profile, but for the hardcore fans,
they know that Vladimir is really tough. He’s definitely not anyone
to look past.”
The 39-year-old former International Fight League champion may not be a household name, but Matyushenko has won 24 of his 28 professional fights. The men to whom he has lost -- Vernon White, Tito Ortiz, Andrei Arlovski and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira -- have a combined 130 professional fights of experience. Ortiz and Arlovski are former UFC champions, and Nogueira has emerged as a top contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
Jones is aware of the dangers in facing such an experienced opponent, even if most of his compliments toward his adversary seem to be of the backhanded variety.
“I think it’s a great fight for me,” he says. “Vladimir is not really the most athletic, but he’s a warrior; he’s an old warrior. He’s defeated lots of opponents in the past, and to take down such a seasoned warrior is going to be great for me. I’m looking to be a young lion.”
When Forrest Griffin pulled out of his scheduled bout against Nogueira at UFC 114, speculation was rampant about a possible replacement. Multiple reports claimed Jones turned down the fight on short notice because he had not been in the gym. The former junior college national champion wrestler bristled at the suggestion that he would say no to a fight.
“There was absolutely zero truth behind that,” Jones says. “No one ever called me or asked me to fight. I was really disappointed because it was a slash at my character.”
Jones is a connoisseur of MMA, and he watches tape to try to incorporate different fighting styles into his own. Anderson Silva, the longstanding UFC middleweight champion, is a particular favorite.
“He’s the man,” Jones says.
The fight with Matyushenko is unlikely to resemble anything as pretty as a Silva highlight reel. Jones believes the crafty freestyle wrestler might turn their fight into an ugly affair.
“What concerns me the most about Matyushenko is his lack of technique,” Jones says. “He kind of sucks in a way, but he knows how to win a fight. He wins ugly. I just like to fight more technical fighters because it’s more beautiful.”
The concept of team is something to which Jones has gradually warmed since changing camps. Brian Stann, who faces Mike Massenzio on the same UFC on Versus 2 card, has been training extensively with Jones. Awarded the Silver Star for valor during his time in the Marine Corps, Stann believes the young phenom has turned a corner.
“He really started to listen to some of his coaches. He really started to trust his teammates around him,” Stann says. “Jon’s very young, and he’s got a whole lot of people that want to help him and a whole lot of people that want his attention right now. Not all those people are right for him, because he’s a superstar now, and people know that, and that’s why they want to help him.”
His improvements inside the cage are also beginning to show, according to Stann, the former WEC light heavyweight champion.
“I’ve seen an increase in his work ethic recently, which is dangerous, because he was good to start with,” Stann says. “Now he’s learning new things every day. He was this good based on raw ability.”
Praise comes from all angles for a talented prospect of Jones’ ability, and keeping him grounded can present a challenge. Jones is a father of two, so the pressure to succeed and maintain a healthy lifestyle for his family keeps him motivated. He also has Jacksons’ guidance to make sure he stays focused on what’s important outside of the Octagon.
“[Jackson] feels as if success is going to be my biggest test,” Jones says. “Fighting is going to come naturally to me, and I’ll be really good at it. His biggest thing is how will I react being so successful so fast?”
With great talent comes great expectations, and sometimes it’s easy to forget the fighter known as “Bones” is just 23 years old. And sometimes 23-year-olds lose their cell phones.
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At one time, having such accomplished contacts made Jones feel more like a fan than a fighter. Now, Jones says, his friends call and put him on speakerphone, looking to impress their company with the friendship of an up-and-coming star.
“They’ll be like, ‘Who are you fighting next?’” Jones says. “They
already know who I’m fighting.”
The general feeling is that Matyushenko, who will meet Jones in the UFC on Versus 2 main event on Sunday in San Diego, will serve as little more than an audition for Jones -- one last chance to showcase his prodigious skill set before challenging the division’s best on the main card of a pay-per-view. For the team at Jackson’s MMA, it’s important to make sure Jones does not believe his own press clippings. Hype can be a dangerous thing for a young, budding star in the fight game.
“The funny thing about your hype is that it doesn’t mean anything,” says Greg Jackson, Jones’ well-respected trainer. “Nothing means anything except your preparation and your performance. You watch all the hype coming around people, and then you lose one fight and everybody turns their back on you. So the hype is pretty pointless.”
The buzz around Jones began when he signed with the UFC as then the youngest fighter on the promotion’s roster. Victories over Andre Gusmao at UFC 87, Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94 and Jake O'Brien at UFC 100 announced his arrival as a formidable talent. Perhaps more important than the victories was the opportunity to network. Since St. Pierre was a main card headliner at all three events, Jones met Jackson, a trusted member of the welterweight king’s corner. A connection was made, and Jones, sensing the need to challenge himself, left Team BombSquad in New York to become a member of Jackson’s team in New Mexico.
Jones continued to raise the bar after the move. His disqualification loss to Matt Hamill at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale in December was less about the defeat and more about a sweep that separated the powerful wrestler’s shoulder. In March, a vicious elbow from Jones resulted in facial fractures to Brandon Vera at UFC on Versus 1. Such dominant displays have had armchair matchmakers in a frenzy. Matyushenko, however, was not the name on the tips of their tongues.
Dave
Mandel/Sherdog.com [click to enlarge]
The 39-year-old former International Fight League champion may not be a household name, but Matyushenko has won 24 of his 28 professional fights. The men to whom he has lost -- Vernon White, Tito Ortiz, Andrei Arlovski and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira -- have a combined 130 professional fights of experience. Ortiz and Arlovski are former UFC champions, and Nogueira has emerged as a top contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
Jones is aware of the dangers in facing such an experienced opponent, even if most of his compliments toward his adversary seem to be of the backhanded variety.
“I think it’s a great fight for me,” he says. “Vladimir is not really the most athletic, but he’s a warrior; he’s an old warrior. He’s defeated lots of opponents in the past, and to take down such a seasoned warrior is going to be great for me. I’m looking to be a young lion.”
When Forrest Griffin pulled out of his scheduled bout against Nogueira at UFC 114, speculation was rampant about a possible replacement. Multiple reports claimed Jones turned down the fight on short notice because he had not been in the gym. The former junior college national champion wrestler bristled at the suggestion that he would say no to a fight.
“There was absolutely zero truth behind that,” Jones says. “No one ever called me or asked me to fight. I was really disappointed because it was a slash at my character.”
Jones is a connoisseur of MMA, and he watches tape to try to incorporate different fighting styles into his own. Anderson Silva, the longstanding UFC middleweight champion, is a particular favorite.
“He’s the man,” Jones says.
The fight with Matyushenko is unlikely to resemble anything as pretty as a Silva highlight reel. Jones believes the crafty freestyle wrestler might turn their fight into an ugly affair.
“What concerns me the most about Matyushenko is his lack of technique,” Jones says. “He kind of sucks in a way, but he knows how to win a fight. He wins ugly. I just like to fight more technical fighters because it’s more beautiful.”
The concept of team is something to which Jones has gradually warmed since changing camps. Brian Stann, who faces Mike Massenzio on the same UFC on Versus 2 card, has been training extensively with Jones. Awarded the Silver Star for valor during his time in the Marine Corps, Stann believes the young phenom has turned a corner.
“He really started to listen to some of his coaches. He really started to trust his teammates around him,” Stann says. “Jon’s very young, and he’s got a whole lot of people that want to help him and a whole lot of people that want his attention right now. Not all those people are right for him, because he’s a superstar now, and people know that, and that’s why they want to help him.”
His improvements inside the cage are also beginning to show, according to Stann, the former WEC light heavyweight champion.
“I’ve seen an increase in his work ethic recently, which is dangerous, because he was good to start with,” Stann says. “Now he’s learning new things every day. He was this good based on raw ability.”
Praise comes from all angles for a talented prospect of Jones’ ability, and keeping him grounded can present a challenge. Jones is a father of two, so the pressure to succeed and maintain a healthy lifestyle for his family keeps him motivated. He also has Jacksons’ guidance to make sure he stays focused on what’s important outside of the Octagon.
“[Jackson] feels as if success is going to be my biggest test,” Jones says. “Fighting is going to come naturally to me, and I’ll be really good at it. His biggest thing is how will I react being so successful so fast?”
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