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Pressure on as Jon Jones bids to set up top-10 clash

ESPN staff
August 1, 2010
Jon Jones will fight a top-10 light-heavyweight if he beats Vladimir Matyushenko in San Diego © UFC
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Jon Jones v Vladimir Matyushenko
Jon Jones steps into the Octagon under unprecedented pressure for a 23-year-old when he meets Vladimir Matyushenko on Sunday night. Jones has been linked to a UFC title so many times that it has already become easy to forget that he isn't yet champion, but a clash with Matyushenko would cement the youngster's place in the light-heavyweight division's top 10.

Matyushenko has all the experience, garnered from 13 years in MMA, and he has won 11 of his past 12 fights in a career including wins over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Pedro Rizzo. He also has a belligerent wrestling game, but none of that is expected to matter in San Diego.

Never has so much hype followed a man into the cage like it will when Jones enters the Arena. Blessed with an 84-inch reach, lanky limps and cheetah-like pace, Jones is already one of the most skilled fighters on the UFC roster. Spinning elbows, knee punches, suplexes and hip tosses provide evidence of a his quality in the stand-up and grappling realms.

The only question mark? We are yet to truly see Jones forced to work off his back. That will be Matyushenko's gameplan, but it is unlikely to be implemented with Jones widely expected to deliver the ninth victory by stoppage of his blossoming career.

Mark Munoz batters Kendall Grove © UFC
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Mark Munoz v Yushin Okami
A great contender for Fight of the Night, Munoz v Okami features two wrestlers with the ability to do serious damage. Okami forced a doctor's stoppage of Lucio Linhares last time out, while Munoz turned out the lights on Kendall Grove.

Munoz brings raw, devastating power. Small and aggressive, he takes plenty of shots, as proved in the Grove fight when he was seriously rocked on two occasions. However, as soon as Grove's back hit the mat, the Filipino dropped arguably the most damaging ground-and-pound possessed in the middleweight division to secure victory. Munoz has spent his recent training camp working with Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva, and after three straight wins he is pushing hard to enter title contention.

Okami brings an even better wrestling pedigree than Munoz and, blessed with a long reach and significant strength, he poses a threat in the stand-up. However, as Okami showed when he last faced a wrestler in Chael Sonnen, his striking can be a weakness. Undoubtedly the Japanese will tag Munoz at some stage, but Munoz is a former light-heavyweight who will only need to take his opponent to the mat once in order to clinch victory.

Evan Dunham catches Tyson Griffin with a big right hand © UFC
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Tyson Griffin v Takanori Gomi
This could well be the last we see of the "Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi, who bids to avoid a second straight defeat when he faces the relentless figure of Tyson Griffin. Both men are coming off a defeat but, while Griffin only seems to be getting better, there is a growing belief that Gomi is on the way out.

At his best Gomi lived up to his moniker with gunpowder hands and an excellent sprawl, earning the PRIDE championship in 2005. However, his recent fight against Kenny Florian showed a lack of pace and intensity in the Gomi game, eventually losing by rear naked choke, and he is unlikely to fair much better this weekend.

Griffin's wrestling is energy-sapping, and his hands are getting sharper all the time - as proved by the victory over Sean Sherk and the knockout of Hermes Franca. Defeat to Evan Dunham is nothing to be ashamed of, and Griffin can add a big name to his CV with the scalp of Gomi.

Paul Kelly impressed against Matt Veach © UFC
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Paul Kelly v Jacob Volkmann
Paul Kelly will need to prove that he can hang with one of the UFC lightweight division's best wrestlers if he is to score the most important victory of his career. Kelly takes on a gritty customer in Jacob Volkmann, whose only two MMA defeats have come against natural welterweights in Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann.

Kelly is in the form of his life after he submitted Matt Veach for his third win in four fights, and he is currently making serious improvements at his Team Kaobon gym. Boasting destructive ground-and-pound and powerful ability to fight back to his feet from his back, Kelly is a difficult man to contain.

Rolando Delgado, Matt Veach and Troy Mandaloniz have all tried and failed to keep Kelly on his back, but Volkmann could prove a different league of wrestling. An NCAA Division I wrestler, Volkmann's tactics will be acutely simple, but it is Kelly who boasts the greater finishing power if he can avoid being smothered for three rounds.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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