Jones Halts Vladdy in One

SAN DIEGO, August 1 – It was quick, it was dominant, and it was something the light heavyweight division will have to get used to, as 205-pound phenom Jon Jones passed another test with breakneck speed Sunday night at the San Diego Sports Arena, halting veteran Vladimir Matyushenko in less than two minutes to up his record to 11-1.

“I trained the hardest I could possibly train and I knew it was going to be my toughest fight,” said Jones, who certainly didn’t make it look like his toughest fight, as he controlled the bout from start to finish against the rugged Belarus native, whose only previous losses were to Tito Ortiz, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Andrei Arlovski, and Vernon White.

Loose and relaxed, Jones – who was coming off a first round TKO of Brandon Vera in March - came at Matyushenko (24-5) slowly yet with a determined stride. A kick to the leg and a spinning back kick opened up the scoring for ‘Bones’, and he quickly followed up with a takedown. Within a few moments, Jones had pinned Matyushenko down and then came a series of ferocious forearms that forced referee Herb Dean to call a halt to the bout at the 1:52 mark.