After recently signing a new four-fight deal with the UFC, veteran Vladimir Matyushenko is expected to face fellow light heavyweight Jason Brilz at UFC 122 on November 13 in Oberhausen, Germany, according to MMAjunkie.
The former IFL champ Matyushenko (24-5) pushed his win streak to three-straight as he returned to the UFC with wins over Igor Pokrajac and Eliot Marshall, but was stopped by rising contender Jon Jones in his most-recent fight earlier this month.
Brilz (18-3-1) won 3 of his first 4 UFC fights over the likes of Eric Schafer and Tim Boetsch before dropping a controversial split decision to 205-pound contender Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 114 in May.
The UFC 122 fight card has yet to be officially announced, but is also rumored to include Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara, Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Goran Reljic and Amir Sadollah vs. Peter Sobotta.
For the latest UFC 122 news and UFC 122 rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
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Guess we’ll find out if the Brilz-Nog match was a flash in the pan or Brilz’s is making a move up. Vlad is the better fighter on paper but you never know in a fight.
I remember I thought that Little Nog was the better fighter on paper in the last Brilz fight, and IMO he lost that fight even though he scored the decision.
;)
Honestly, if El Supremo Blanco is in such an immediate rematching mood these dyas, he should have signed LittleNog and Brilz to go again, and let Ryan Bader do his thing with the Janitor…
Bader-Matyushenko would be a very risky for Bader as his striking game is less developed than Jon Jones and doesn’t quite have the speed Jones has(but who does?), and Bader’s game plays right into Matsyushenko’s strengths. Obviously, Dana doesn’t take it as an indiciment of Vlad’s skill level to resign him after a decisive loss but maybe the truth is Jones is just that much better…
Plus, Lil Nog-Brilz really doesn’t hold as much fire as the recent rematches that have been booked. I know personally I scored it for Nog myself because I score it like the judges do(live and round by round) I just am not as “special” as some of the judges out there and a lot of sites agreed with that scoring. It may have not have been a popular decision but I know a lot of people that had it as a draw or a Nog win.
as a whole it may of looked like brilz won not to mention it shocked many that brilz did that well (not me) but using there scoring system minitoro actually won it, he edged rounds 1 and 3
Dude i think brilz won without question. It was an awesome fight!
This is imho a bad matchup for “the janitor”. Brilz almost subd lil nog and got the better of the wrestling/grappling in that match and if you look at what jones did to matyushenko…well he could be in danger of getting put on his back again.
@jazz throw out the jones fight when looking at the Brilz match-up for the Janitor. Vlad was dropped due to reach, an 84″(7 foot) reach… He’s taller than Brilz is and was defeated by lil Nog on striking and in their first fight he out grappled Nog. His wrestling creditintials are far better than Brilz.
I remember being shot down when I predicted that Bones would “destroy” the Janitor..1st rd TKO in dominant fashion..Vlad just doesn’t seem to have it anymore..IMO Brilz wins by UD
I seen the fight between Brilz and Little Nog and I say Nog won 1 and 3. Lot’s of people just don’t understand how fighting is scored. All in all though Brilz needs this fight a lot more than the Janitor does. Losing two out of the last three, this is a good fight for Brilz. They both lost to Little Nog so this fight makes since.
I see your point spanky. But in Dana’s eyes(sometimes) it’s not just about getting the win. Brilz was considered a “joke” replacement when forrest got injured and not many people expected much from him. But he went in there and gave everyone the fight of the night by almost upsetting lil nog. He did a great job and it was on short notice and I know dana white appreciates that from his fighters and takes that into consideration when he thinks of cutting them.
@chrisl,
You have a point. I’m just giving brilz credit for his great display of grappling/jiu jitsu against one of the best jiu jitsu guys in the game in lil nog. He also took the fight on short notice. I mean the wrestling part of this fight could be even and the janitor has better hands but if brilz can take him down, he’d have the advantage in the sub game based on what i’ve seen.
Well to your point though Nog also took the fight on short notice after preparing for a striker. So you cannot weight either performance too much. Matyushenko did earn a unanimous decision over Nog before in a fight they were both prepared for.
Is this going to be the main event? I have been waiting for ufc to come back to Germany but i wont waste my money if these guys are the headlines.
No, this won’t be the main event.
if jason brilz wins and randy win i wanna see couture vs brilz.