UFC on FOX 6 January 26th

[poopoo333]

Honestly think Bader steamrolls him. Vladdy is old, pretty slow, and is coming off of a very serious injury (torn Achilles Tendon). Bader should be too quick, powerful, and the overall better fighter.

[edman5555]

I didn't realize he had a torn achilles tendon.

[edman5555]

My initial inclination was Bader but I am trying to play devils advocate.

[edman5555]

Yeah I guess that will be over a year off. Not a good thing.

[Ludo]

Matyushenko is pretty washed up, even without the injury and layoff he was a longshot to beat Bader. Bader's confidence may be total shit anymore but he still hits hard and I don't think Matyushenko can take those big shots anymore. That being said either one of them could land that big shot but most likely Bader lands it or outworks Vladmir.

[SPX]

I love how a dude who is 2-1 in his last 3 and 5-2 in his last 7, with the only two losses coming to the champion and #1 contender, is "washed up."

I favor Bader here because he has the skillset to nullify Vladdy's tools, but Matyushenko has done nothing but exceed expectations ever since coming back to the UFC.

[Ludo]

I love how a dude who is 2-1 in his last 3 and 5-2 in his last 7, with the only two losses coming to the champion and #1 contender, is "washed up."

I favor Bader here because he has the skillset to nullify Vladdy's tools, but Matyushenko has done nothing but exceed expectations ever since coming back to the UFC.

He beat Pokrajac(5-4 in the UFC), Eliot Marshall(3-3 in the UFC), Alexandre Ferreira (0-1 in the UFC), and Jason Brilz (3-4 in the UFC) who is at best 4-3 in the organization. I'm not going to pretend that beating four guys who's collective record in the promotion is 11-12 and maybe 12-11 exceeds expectations for anyone.

[edman5555]

It exceeds expectations because he is over 40 and two of the losses are against top guys.

[Ludo]

It exceeds expectations because he is over 40 and two of the losses are against top guys.

I don't see how it exceeds expectations for an aging fighter to be used as a stepping stone and serving only that purpose in those fights? He didn't make those fights any more competitive than anyone thought they would be and he didn't open any eyes or make any kind of statements that he still "has it" in those two fights.

[Mr. IWS]

Love Bader here.

[poopoo333]

Love Bader here.

I agree. I am not sure what they are doing putting a very washed up Matyushenko in the cage with somebody as scary as Bader.

[Thewisemann]

Vladdy is gonna go Tito Ortiz on Bader

[Mr. IWS]

Vladdy is gonna go Tito Ortiz on Bader

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[SPX]

I don't see how it exceeds expectations for an aging fighter to be used as a stepping stone and serving only that purpose in those fights? He didn't make those fights any more competitive than anyone thought they would be and he didn't open any eyes or make any kind of statements that he still "has it" in those two fights.

Maybe you were asleep when he came back to the UFC and most didn't really expect him to beat ANYONE.

[Ludo]

Maybe you were asleep when he came back to the UFC and most didn't really expect him to beat ANYONE.

And he hasn't really beaten anyone. Jason Brilz is probably his best win since coming back to the UFC and Brilz' biggest achievement was a short notice fight against Minotoro Nogueira in which he lost.

Not to mention Matyushenko was a massive favorite against most of the guys he did beat since coming back to the UFC, so saying that most didn't expect him to beat anyone doesn't really hold water here.