Affliction-“Day of Reckoning”

Affliction-“Day of Reckoning”

Date: Saturday Jan. 24th
Time: 7:00 PM PT
TV: PPV
Venue: Honda Center- Anaheim, California

Fedor Emelianeko (28-1) Vs. Andrei Arlokski (14-5):
Line:
Fedor -450
Arlokski +300

In the main event fight of the night the ex Pride Heavyweight Champion and current WAMMA title holder Fedor Emelineko takes on Ex UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. Fedor is known in some circles as the ‘baddest man’ on the planet, but is still an unknown to the casual MMA fan. Fedor was schooled in the Samba and Judo circuits of the Soviet Union, and is the complete package having dominated and finished some of the biggest names in MMA. He can end a fight with a submission or strikes, and his grappling ability is top notch. The only question about Fedor is: has his lack of fights in recent years against top flight competition eroded his skills? He answered that in his 1st Affliction fight, when he stopped the 6 foot 8 ex UFC Super Heavyweight kingpin Tim Sylvia in 36 seconds. Arlovski comes into this fight on a bit of a roll, having won 5 straight with four coming by way of knock out. The ex Belarus policeman Arlovski brings exceptional striking skills and a competent ground game, and seems to be coming into this fight very confident.Arlovski has been working with famed boxing trainer Freddy Roach in preparation for this fight, and Roach feels he has found a hole in Fedor’s attack. For the Pit Bull to have success on Saturday he will need to come out aggressive and try keep the fight off the ground where Fedor clearly has an advantage.
Prediction; Fedor 2nd round submission

Matt Lindland (21-5) Vs. Vitor Belfort (17-8):
Line:
Lindland -165
Belfort +135

Lindland against Belfort is the classic wrestler versus puncher scenario that is always unpredictable, the winner of this fight will be regarded as the top middleweight in the organization. Lindland is a world class wrestler that has exceptional submission skills and always is in superb condition. Belfort is primarily a striker with exceptional hand speed and possesses knock out power with either hand. The ex UFC champ and Brazilian born Belfort is slippery on the ground as well, and possesses an exceptional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu background. Belfort is on the comeback trail having won 3 in a row, and enlisted Randy Coutore as his trainer for this fight; which could give him an edge as Coutore and Lindland trained for years together when they both fought for Team Quest.
Prediction: Belfort 2nd round KO

Josh Barnett(23-5) Vs. Gilbert Yvel (35-12-1):
Line:
Barnett -500
Yvel +300

Josh Barnett is being showcased on this card as the next potential opponent for Fedor, and will be matched up against a game and crafty Gilbert Yvel. Barnett is an exceptional wrestler who is quietly developing into an excellent striker, and has shown good submission abilities. Yvel is a Muah Thai fighter that has extraordinary power and striking abilities, but very little ground skills. The Dutch born Yvel is known as one of MMA’s dirtiest and most controversial fighters, and will pull out all the stops to achieve a victory. Yvel was just licensed by the California State Boxing Commission on Tuesday after promising the officials he would be a ‘good boy” on Saturday night. If Barnett can take him down early then this should end quickly, but if Yvel can catch Barnett with the ‘flying knee’ or one of his other tricks, this could turn out to be an interesting fight.
Prediction: Barnett 1st round Submission

Paul Buentello (26-10) Vs. Kiril Sidelnikov (5-2):
Line:
Buentello -165
Sidelnikov +135

This should be a slug fest and an old fashioned ‘slobber knocker’, as both of these Heavyweights like to strike and neither has much of a ground game. Give the edge to the man known as ‘Baby Fedor’ to out punch and catch Buentello early in the 1st round.
Prediction: Sidelnikov 1st round KO

Renato Sobral (31-7) Vs. Thierry Sokoudjou (5-3)
Line:
Sobral
Sokoudjou

This is the featured Light Heavyweight bout of the evening and features the very experienced and skilled Sobral against a fierce striker in Sokoudjou. Sobral is a submission specialist and talented wrestler that has won 17 of his fights by submission victory, but has holes in his stand up game. In Sokoudjo’s 8 fights 7 have ended by a KO victory or a KO loss. The ‘African assassin’ has fantastic power, but has a ground game that is severely lacking, despite a decent background in Judo. This thing will end in either scenario, Sokoudjou catches Sobral with a bomb early and finishes it quick as Liddell and Lambert both did to Sobral in his last two losses, or Sobral takes the African down and finishes him with a submission.
Prediction: Sokoudjou 2nd round KO victory