Bellator 99 co-headliner Vladimir Matyushenko: People don't know who I really am

Vladimir Matyushenko has fought professionally for 16 years, racked up 33 fights, competed for organizations such as the UFC and IFL, and fought for world titles. That’s why a recent proclamation ahead of Friday’s Bellator debut is so peculiar.

After his recent UFC run concluded with back-to-back losses to Alexander Gustafsson and Ryan Bader, the 42-year-old wasn’t ready to call it quits. As the sport advances year by year, Matyushenko, a longtime wrestler, has committed himself to keeping up, and it’s a quest he feels he hasn’t finished just yet.

“I’ve been working so hard over the last couple years on evolving as a fighter, and I can’t wait to get out there and show what I’ve been working on,” he said. “I don’t think people really know who Vladimir Matyushenko is, so I came to Bellator to set the record straight. I’m still strong, and I’m still very capable of becoming a world champion.”

Matyushenko’s August arrival in Bellator came with the usual criticism. For an organization that once vowed it wouldn’t be a home for UFC castoffs, Bellator has signed a surprising number of octagon veterans in recent months.

Matyushenko, though, isn’t so worried about MMA politics as he is his own final shot at glory. While initially slated to fight ex-light heavyweight champ Christian M’Pumbu (18-5-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), Matyushenko (26-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) instead makes his promotional debut in Friday’s Bellator 99 co-headliner against fellow UFC vet Houston Alexander (15-9 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Their bout airs on Spike TV from Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.

“The game has changed tremendously since I first began fighting,” said Matyushenko, who debuted in September 1997. “MMA is a mainstream sport now, and that’s one of the reasons I wasn’t ready to walk away just yet. It’s really enjoyable for me to deal with fans and interviews because back in the days there was none of that. There were no fans, and there were no interviews.

“The level of the sport has also changed significantly. Back then, you had a bunch of brawlers. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t really know what I was doing when I first got started either. I had a wrestling background, and I would just go in there and fight. But I have learned so much over the past few years. The technique is just on a totally different level now.”

That’s why, with his career in its twilight, he’s willing to take chances. For example, against Alexander, a fighter who has a propensity for either knocking out or getting knocked out, he’s willing to trade leather.

Determined to shake the “boring wrestler” tag before his retirement, Matyushenko knows Alexander is the type of opponent who can give him that opportunity.

“My takedowns are definitely an advantage in this fight against Houston, and his wrestling and his clinch is not the greatest,” he said. “But I’ve been working on my striking over the last few years, and I want to show the fans what I’m capable of on my feet. Everyone knows that I am a solid wrestler, but I also want to prove to myself that everything I’ve been doing over the last couple years has been paying off.

“I know Houston Alexander has been knocked out several times before, so I feel pretty good about my chances standing against him in this fight. I know if I stand with him it only increases his chances of winning the fight, but I feel confident enough in my striking to stand with him.”

Matyushenko has thought about life after fighting. He’s dabbled in real estate, and he’s a former gym owner. He figures when his own career is over, he’ll get back into training and working with younger fighters.

For now, though, the former IFL champ and onetime UFC title challenger wants one more shot at gold. If he defeats Alexander, Matyushenko wants a tournament berth and a shot to fight a Bellator champ.

“I definitely want to get into a tournament and make a run at the world championship,” he said. “I’m not fighting just to fight. I see this fight with Houston Alexander as a step toward something bigger.

“The fact that I don’t have a lot of time left to win a world championship is always in the back of my mind. My age is public knowledge, so it’s no secret to anybody that I don’t have many years left to compete at the highest level. That puts that much more pressure on me.”

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