UFC 122 Preview: The Prelims

Light Heavyweights
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Alexandre Ferreira

On paper, this one might seem more like something from UFC 4 or thereabouts. Two highly decorated grapplers with serious mat pedigrees face off in a bout that’s likely to come down to whoever does the best work on the ground.

Ferreira, better known as “Cacareco” on the submission wrestling circuit, is renowned for a muscular frame and the inclination to uncork nasty submissions, including a great guillotine. A regular in the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships, Ferreira will have to deal with an aging Matyushenko, who still brings with him a solid wrestling game and plenty of experience.

Matyushenko never really developed the kind of stand-up most guys need to compete at the top level of MMA, but Ferreira is not likely to outpoint him. Both will look for an advantage on the mat, where they are far more comfortable. The key factor will be whether or not Matyushenko can secure takedowns without paying a big price; Ferreira is not technically impressive as a striker but he is built like something out of an anatomy textbook and swings hard. Look for the kind of lengthy mat battles and positional struggles that defined, say, UFC 33 (there are still people waiting for that one to end). This is the kind of match watched only by the hardcore fan who prefers the Greco-Roman toss or attempted ankle lock to a wild exchange of punches.

Ferreira is a first-timer in the UFC, but that should be mitigated by his considerable experience in MMA and in high-profile events like ADCC. He will have to work sweeps and submission attempts if “The Janitor” takes him down and explode with shots when he can let his hands go.

The guess here is that Ferreira does just enough to take a decision.