VLADIMIR MATYUSHENKO

ATTRIBUTES

OFFENSIVE SKILLS

DEFENSIVE SKILLS

ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES

LEG SWEEP SINGLE LEG TAKEDOWN

Level 2—Both Standing, Striking Range

“The Janitor” knows a bit of boxing, but his primary weapons in the stand-up game are his takedowns. Hurry and bring the opponent to the mat with this strong single leg.

SUPLEX TO SIDE CONTROL, TOP

Level 3—Double Underhook, Offense

Use Matyushenko’s dominant suplex from the easy-to-reach Double Underhook clinch to bring his opponents to the ground as well. These are even more effective than his regular takedowns.

LEFT/RIGHT HOOK

Level 2—Open Guard, Top

Once “The Janitor” brings his opponent to the mat, he’s able to posture up and rain down heavy hooks from the top. These strong technique strikes are available in Half Guard and Mount as well as Open Guard.

STRENGTHS

• Strength

• Experience

• Wrestling

Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko is a veteran MMA warrior with a fight history that dates all the way back to the late ’90s.

He draws upon this vast pool of experience to remain competitive in the UFC light heavyweight division today.

Matyushenko is a strong boxer, but his poor speed and footwork can get him into trouble on the feet—use his strong clinch game or risk standing takedowns to bring his opponents to the ground instead of risking prolonged exchanges with them on the feet, where he can be caught by quick counterstrikers.

He has a great single leg takedown and powerful suplexes from the Double Underhook clinch—use these weapons to bring the fight to the floor, where Matyushenko can control his opponents with his strong top game and punish them with his heavy ground-and-pound.

WEAKNESSES

• Speed

• Kicks

• Submissions

Matyushenko’s poor footwork and lack of striking speed make him an easy target for talented strikers. He also suffers from poor kicking ability and a lack of depth in his technique strikes.

All of these disadvantages make “The Janitor” very vulnerable as long as the fight remains standing.

Lash out at him with long, quick strikes from the outside, using superior speed and footwork to score on him without leaving yourself vulnerable to his clinch attempts and takedowns.

Keep him on the end of your strikes, and remain ready to sprawl and deny his attempts to grapple at all times.

Damage him with multiple leg kicks to reduce his movement speed even further, and simply avoid the grappling game to prevent him from employing his strongest brand of offense against you.