‘Janitor’ relishes underdog role

All of the hype and focus leading up to Sunday night's Ultimate Fighting Championship card in San Diego centers squarely on Jon Jones.

That's fine with his main-event opponent, Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko.

"(I'm) just focusing on myself. ... It's helping me because if he gets all the (hype), if I beat him, I get it to myself," the 39-year-old Matyushenko said.

Jones is more than a 5-1 favorite at sports books, a big number for a mixed martial arts fight, but Matyushenko has a clear edge in experience.

The Belarus native, who owns a health science degree from UNR and lives in Southern California, is 2-0 since returning to the UFC last year and has won 12 of his past 13 fights. Matyushenko is 24-4 in a career that spans 13 years.

Despite all his experience, Matyushenko has no comparison for Jones -- a big, physical specimen who has dominated every opponent.

"(Experience) is one of those things I have on Jon," Matyushenko said. "I can't have a longer reach, but I have experience. That's what I'll try to use on him."

Matyushenko lost a UFC title bout to Tito Ortiz in 2001 in his first stint with the organization and hopes to get another title shot despite his age. He realizes that opportunity could still be several fights down the line.

"I never rank myself. There's only one ranking and that's the champion, who's No. 1," Matyushenko said. "To get there, I have to beat a few guys. For me now it's Jon, but there are a lot of other guys in the 205-pound division I'd have to beat to be No. 1."

Matyushenko earned the nickname "Janitor" after working out with the U.S. wrestling team, which was preparing for a pre-Olympic tournament in 1992, and cleaning the mats himself. He later came to the United States to start training in MMA with some of those same wrestlers, and the moniker stuck.

Now, the well-traveled veteran will try to mop up Jones in the main event of the UFC card on Versus 2 on Sunday night.

The card also features a middleweight bout between Mark Munoz and Yushin Okami, as well as a lightweight match between Takanori Gomi and Las Vegan Tyson Griffin.

The live telecast will air at 6 p.m. on Versus (Cable 38).

■ MACHIDA CONFIRMS BOUT -- Former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida took to his Twitter account Monday to confirm his next fight will be against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

"My next fight is confirmed, and it's (going) to be against Rampage," Machida posted. "The date isn't confirmed yet, but it's probably (going) to be in the end of the year."

The meeting of former titleholders is expected to be in November, though the UFC has not set the date and location.

■ MMA XPLOSION -- The local organization will put on another card at the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday night.

Vitor Vianna will fight B.J. Lacy in the main event, and Jorge Lopez will meet Dave Terrel, formerly of World Extreme Cagefighting.

Chidi Njokuani, the brother of WEC fighter Anthony Njokuani, is also on the card, along with Danny Davis and Chris Holdsworth.

The card begins at 7 p.m.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.