411’s MMA Roundtable Preview: Affliction - BANNED

Posted by Larry Csonka on 07.18.2008

Will Fedor Emelianenko remain the #1 Heavyweight in MMA and take home the WAMMA title? The answer to that question will be tomorrow night when we get the debut of Affliction – BANNED!



WELCOME:
Welcome back MMA fans to another 411 MMA Roundtable Preview! It is another HUGE weekend for MMA as we have THREE big events to cover. Today we begin with the PPV debut of Affliction, BANNED! It is a loaded show for their debut, and today we'll be covering the main PPV bouts as well as the prelim fights that will air on FSN prior to the show. Let's meet the 411 staff members that have taken the time to break down the card!

NOTE: We'll be covering the TV prelim and PPV bouts, since we are doing three roundtables this weekend!

THE STAFF:

Author of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, he is Scott Kuczkowski!

From the Fighting Stance News Report, Adam Tool!

411 MMA Rankings Guru Dustin James!

The man that just profiled Tim Sylvia's MMA career, Ryan Seymour!

WEC and PRIDE TV reporter Jonathan Solomon!

From the Eight Sides of Steel, Wendell Mitchell!

And finally your humble editor, Larry Csonka!




Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko
To air on Fox Sports prior to the PPV.
Scott Kuczkowski: Buentello has pretty good hands, but I'm not sure he's going to KO Emelianenko. Additionally, Buentello has almost no ground game, which means he's screwed if this hits the canvas. I'd like to think this is going to be a great match for FSN, but I don't think this will showcase anything more than a fighter past his prime (Buentello) and a fighter living in his brother's shadow (Emelianenko). I'm thinking Emelianenko will have Buentello scouted and know how to beat him.

Winner: Emelianenko, TKO, Round 2.

Adam Tool: Paul Buentello…why does that name sound so familiar? Anyways, Buentello has big power, and has also won a number of fights via submission. Aleksander is obviously not as well known as his older brother Fedor, but he's still one hell of a fighter in his own right. I see Buentello looking to stand and bang, and Aleks could very well decide to stay on the feet and exchange himself. However if Emelianenko does take this one to the ground, he could finish Buentello off very quickly. Either way, I think "Lil' Emel" takes it.

Winner: Aleksander Emelianenko, Submission, Round 1

Dustin James: I'm a huge Paul Buentello fan, however this night is the EMELIANENKO's night and nobody is going to ruin it! I'm just glad that they decided to add this fight to the FSN card because it's one that I wanted to see. Buentello hasn't fought since losing to Alistair Overeem back in November. That's never a good thing when you are facing an Emelianenko.

Winner: Aleksander Emelianenko, Submission, Rd 2

Ryan Seymour: This is a fight that I am very interested in seeing. Buentello has heavy hands and this evident if you watch his fight against Justin Eilers. Aleksander is also a fighter who has knockout power in both his hands and the styles of Aleksander and Buentello are very similar. Both fighters are relaxed when they step into the ring to fight and look for the right opportunity to strike. I think this fight could go any way, I give the slight advantage to Aleksander but wouldn't be shocked to see Buentello win.

Winner: Aleksander Emelianenko, Submission, Round 2.

Jonathan Solomon: EXPLOSIVE. Both men are great fighters and known for finishing fights. I'll go with the Emelianenko sandwich picks here. This fight will end quickly and with a bang. Buentello is usually the bigger guy in the ring but not against Aleksander.

Winner: Aleksander Emelianenko, TKO, Round 1.

Wendell Mitchell: So we're pitting a guy with little to no ground game against a guy with the last name Emelianenko. I think even a blind man can see where this road leads.

Winner: Emelianenko, TKO, Round 2.

Larry Csonka: I have a feeling that this could be the night of the Emelianenko brothers. I just don't see Buentello beating him here.

Winner: Aleksander Emelianenko, STRIKES, RD1


Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin
To air on Fox Sports prior to the PPV.
Scott Kuczkowski: Terry Martin looked O.K. during his last fight, but just O.K. He didn't look very hungry and he didn't let his hands go like I expected him to (but I guess getting kicked in the nuts 3 times will do that to you). On top of that, Terry has lost almost every time he has stepped up in competition, to include to Marvin Eastman and Chris Leben. Vitor Belfort is on somewhat of a two fight winning streak though this will be his first fight at 185. I look for Vitor to get the better of the standup and most likely control this fight wherever it goes.

Winner: Belfort, KO, Round 3.

Adam Tool: Is Vitor back? For real this time? He obviously hasn't been the same fighter since the incident with his sister, but if he's focused and ready Vitor Belfort is a scary man. Need I remind you that this is the guy that beat Wanderlei Silva in under a minute back in the day? Terry Martin has certainly had his ups and downs as well. He's coming off a weird little fight with Daiju Takase last month, and hopefully he's not still feeling the effects of the repeated aggressions against his junk. Belfort is making his return to America and Martin is making his return to the light heavyweights. This will almost certainly be a slugfest, and it could easily go either way, but I'm taking Belfort here. Don't ask me why.

Winner: Vitor Belfort, TKO, Round 2

Dustin James: First off, I would like to start off with a huge "UGH" directed towards Terry Martin. Sorry, I've just never been a fan. I will give Martin some credit though, the dude will KNOCK YOU THE FUCK OUT if he connects correctly. But seriously, every time I think of Martin, I think of his loss to James Irvin back at UFC 54. That was one of the coolest knockout's ever. As for Vitor Belfort? I don't need to say anything about him.....why? Because he's winning this fight.

Winner: Vitor Belfort, KO, Rd 3

Ryan Seymour: Vitor Belfort is back onto the big stage. He hasn't faced anyone that great in recent times but this is the guy who has beaten guys like Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva, and Heath Herring. Vitor was champion of the UFC and headlined several events, now he doesn't even cut it on the PPV for Affliction. Vitor's opponent Terry Martin has knockout power but sometimes throws some lazy shots sometimes, which in turn results in him being knocked out. Vitor is going to work his way back up the ladder and Terry Martin is going to be the fighter that feels the wrath.

Winner: Vitor Belfort, KO, Round 1.

Jonathan Solomon: Vitor Belfort RETURNS. He has trained with the Chute Box crew and Xtreme Couture for this fight. Unlike his previous fight, he should be healthy going in and ready for a war. Terry Martin is usually a guy who will swing for the fences and accept the same. This will not go the distance on FSN.

Winner: Vitor Belfort, TKO, Round 2.

Wendell Mitchell: Hey, remember when Belfort was like THE GUY? Yeah me neither. Hard to believe that a guy with victories over the Axe Murderer, Marvin Eastman, Heath Herring, Tank Abbott (when he was sort of a big deal) and mutha fuckin' Randy Couture (even if it was by cut, a win's a win) can't make the PPV portion of the card. I really don't have anything to say about Martin other than to ask "who loses to Marvin Eastman in the year 2008?" Belfort is making his debut at 185 and like another pair of debuts this weekend, I think he will be successful.

Winner: Belfort, KO, Round 2.

Larry Csonka: Short and sweet here. I have never been big on Martin and have always been a fan of Belfort. I think he still has what it takes to pull off the victory here.

Winner: Vitor Belfort, STRIKES, RD2


Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
Scott Kuczkowski: Babalu us probably one of the most underrated fighters out there. The guy has fought almost every big name in MMA. Mike Whitehead is on a 12 fight win streak, but the majority of those were against inexperienced fighters. I watched Whitehead on TUF and I wasn't at all impressed by him. I don't think Whitehead will be ready for the step up in competition and I predict Babalu will probably press the action and end the fight in relatively short fashion.

Winner: Sobral, Submission, Round 1.

Adam Tool: It's the return of Ricky Ricardo's favorite fighter: BABALU! It's hard to be a fan of this guy. Just when you think he's going to make it to the top, he always comes back down. On the other side of the ring you have Mike Whitehead, a guy who hasn't lost since his one and only appearance in the UFC over two years ago. Whitehead has beaten plenty of guys you've never heard of, and even a few you have heard of, but this is his chance to earn a spot amongst the elite fighters at light heavyweight.

Winner: Mike Whitehead, TKO, Round 3

Dustin James: Babalu, oh how I hate youuuuuuu. Actually I don't, I was just trying to make a rhyme. Anywho, this should be a very good fight. A lot of people will pick "Babalu" to win this fight because he's the bigger name, however...you must remember this! Whitehead's only losses in MMA are too Tim Sylvia (twice), Alex Paz, Brandon Vera, and Keith Jardine. Minus the Paz fight, that's not a bad list of people to lose too. However, I will be one of those millions of people picking Sobral, call me a follower.......

Winner: Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Unanimous Decision

Ryan Seymour: Mike Whitehead has been riding a 12 fight win streak, so underestimating Whitehead would be foolish. That being said he hasn't faced competition that are at the likes of Renato "Babalu" Sobral. It seems like Whitehead will use his wrestling background to get this fight to the ground, I predict that this will be his downfall and Babalu will move on the ground and catch a submission on Mike Whitehead.

Winner: Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Submission, Round 2.

Jonathan Solomon: Mike Whitehead is a deceptive fighter. He has a great record at 20-5 and he has not lost since the Keith Jardine fight over two years ago. He has won twelve fights since but most have been against .500 fighters or guys with losing records for the most part. He's a wrestler and striker, but Babalu is more well rounded. Will Babalu try to take this fight to the ground and beat the wrestler at his own game?

Winner: Mike Whitehead, Decision.

Wendell Mitchell: Babalu is one of those nicknames that even if he was a less than average fighter, you'd want to see just to hear Buffer say his name. Fortunately, Sobral is a very competent fighter, having taken on some of the sport's best. In fact, he went the distance with both Fedor and Dan Henderson early in his career. Not bad, eh? Whitehead's 12 win streak gives me that knee jerk reaction of "yeah, but it was in the IFL." I see Babalu making short work of Whitehead.

Winner: Sobral, Submission, Round 1.

Larry Csonka: Mike Whitehead is another guy rolling into this show with a big winning streak, 12 to be exact. Bu much like Ben Rothwell many question just how good he is. Babalu is coming off of two straight submission victories and is looked at by many as the superior fighter. I figure this will be a ground battle, and likely go the distance.

Winner: Renato "Babalu" Sobral, DEC


Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
Scott Kuczkowski: If you've never heard of Matt Lindland, then shame on you. In what will probably be his last fight before he pursues a fulltime political career, Lindland will probably keep the fight grounded where his wrestling will pay dividends. I doubt Negao will ever fight another fighter with Lindland's experience, which will probably be too much for him.

Winner: Lindland, Submission, Round 1.

Adam Tool: We have a Matt Lindland sighting! It's been 15 months since his infamous fight with Fedor Emelianenko and in the meantime Lindland has kept busy as a trainer/coach for the IFL, as well as his regular duties at one of the top camps in the country; Team Quest. He's also managed to secure the Republican nomination for the Oregon House Of Representatives (I wonder if Dustin James plans to vote for him?). Meanwhile in the time since Lindland's last fight Negao has had four fights to his credit, the last of which was a loss to new UFC hotness Rousimar Palhares. Considering Lindland's long layoff from the sport I almost went with an upset pick, but he's is still one of the best middleweights in the world so I like him to pull off the win here.

Winner: Matt Lindland, Decision

Dustin James: This one's going to be quick, not the fight....but my prediction. Why? Because due to the fact that Lindland is one of my Top 5 fighters, it wouldn't be fair to Fabio. Lindland's an Oregon boy, and I always go for my hometown guys. Yes, that includes you Chris Leben and Nate Quarry.

Winner: Matt Lindland, Submission, Rd 3

Ryan Seymour: This is probably the easiest fight to predict for me. Lindland has defeated a variety of great middleweights. He has beaten fighters such as Travis Lutter, Ricardo Almeida, Phil Baroni, Pat Miletich etc. Fabio Negao has only defeated one fighter I have heard of, that fighter would be Roan Carneiro. I expect this fight to be a ground war and Lindland winning the bout via decision.

Winner: Matt Lindland, Decision.

Jonathan Solomon: Matt Lindland is on his way to running for a House of Representatives seat in the state of Oregon. Has he focused on this fight? We'll have to wait to find out.

Winner: Matt Lindland, Submission, Round 1.

Wendell Mitchell: In some wacky twist of fate, we go from a politician trying to outlaw MMA, to an MMA fighter being a politician. Lindland has the distinction of being the last credible fighter Fedor beat. I don't know much about Negao, but I do know he's not beating Oregon's future District 52 Representative.

Winner: Lindland, Submission, Round 1.

Larry Csonka: Negao has had a quiet 11-fight career, going 8-3 and facing no remarkable opponents. Lindland is 20-5, with his last fight a loss to FEDOR; there is no shame there. Lindland's win-loss record is a who's who of MMA, and I think that experience will earn him a victory here.

Winner: Lindland, DEC


Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Scott Kuczkowski: Of the two participants in this bout, only one is a relevant figure in the heavy weight picture. If you think I'm talking about Rizzo, then you need to throw yourself off a steep cliff. Other than the chance he may catch Barnett with a lucky punch, I don't view Rizzo as much of a threat at all in this bout. The guy is about 5 years past his prime and I'm rather disappointed he was even considered a relative contender for Barnett. Barnett will most likely wrestle Rizzo to the ground and grind out a victory in short order, either via TKO or submission. Really, I can't see this being any more than a warm up for a future match with Fedor.

Winner: Barnett, Submission, Round 2.

Adam Tool: This is the only fight on the Affliction card that has any sort of history behind it. Rizzo knocked Barnett out way back in February, 2001. Since then Rizzo has gone 5-6, while Barnett has gone 15-4 (although three of those losses were to Mirko Cro Cop). Rizzo handed Barnett his first loss, and it's pretty clear that Barnett has only gotten better since then. Rizzo seems to be staring down the end of his career, and I'll be extremely surprised if he can pull off the knockout a second time.

Winner: Josh Barnett, Decision

Dustin James: This is a hard fight for me to pick considering Rizzo defeated Barnett last time they fought. However, a part of me REALLY wants to see Barnett/Fedor at the next Affliction event, therefore....my fandom overrules anything else at this point. Hey, I never told you to read my predictions and then go make money off of them.

Winner: Josh Barnett, KO, Rd 2

Ryan Seymour: Rizzo knocked out Barnett in 2001 at UFC 30, should you take this into account? The answer is NO. Barnett has only become better after that fight and Rizzo's conditioning has become worse. Barnett has only lost to Mirko Cro Cop and Nogueira since that lost to Rizzo. On the other hand Rizzo has lost to Couture, McGee, Matyushenko, Kharitonov and Zentsov. Barnett looks like a real threat in the heavyweight division while Pedro Rizzo is becoming irrelevant. Barnett is going to push the pace in this fight and come home with the win, it's as simple as that

Winner: Josh Barnett, Decision

Jonathan Solomon: It's been a long time since Rizzo knocked out Barnett (seven years). I'm sure Barnett thinks of it like it was yesterday. More recently, both men have beat Jeff Monson and riding two fight win streaks. Redemption will be Barnett's as the wrestler takes Rizzo down and goes for the submission.

Winner: Josh Barnett, Submission, Round 2.

Wendell Mitchell: Wow, Rizzo is still fighting? Isn't he like 80? Oh, he just looks like he is. Though, to his credit, and probably the reason he's booked for the PPV, he holds KO victories over Barnett and Arlovsky, even if they were seven and six years ago respectively. How's that for a history lesson? Of course, he hasn't really beaten anyone of note since then unless you count Rico Rodriguez. Barnett, I've liked for quite a while because he so thoroughly embraced pro wrestling back in the day that he even got popped for steroids. Now that's living the gimmick my friends. I hope he power bombs Rizzo and gets his win back.

Winner: Barnett, TKO, Round 2

Larry Csonka: I last saw Pedro at the Art of War III show, surviving Jeff Monson and still getting cut easily. He didn't look particularly impressive there in September of 2007. He now heads into a battle with Barnett, who has fought two times in 2008 and won both bouts. Barnett has looked good and I figure he does what he does best here, which should lead to a win. Affliction needs Barnett and Arlvoski to win, if they do, they have the foundations of a solid heavyweight division.

Winner: Josh Barnett, SUB, RD3


Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
Scott Kuczkowski: Rothwell is on a 13 fight win streak with wins over such talent as Ricco Rodriguez (can you hear my excitement?). Well, I hope he enjoyed his run while it lasted. Arlovski has a penchant for running through anyone not named Tim Sylvia. Though a few of Arlovski's fights have been snooze fests, I'm willing to bet he is going to want to make a statement in this fight. Other than a fluke knockout, I don't see Rothwell having much of a chance in this fight, especially if it stays on the feet. Arlovski has beaten people with double Rothwell's talent, and I expect this fight won't be any different.

Winner: Arlovski, KO, Round 1.

Adam Tool: For me this is the toughest fight to pick. Two fighters that like to stand and bang, yet both of them have the ability to pull out some jiu-jitsu. At one point Arlovski was the most feared guy in the heavyweight division, but his mystique has faded in recent years. Rothwell has been racking up wins over anyone and everyone he's faced in the last three years, but Arlovski represents the biggest test he's gone up against since a fight with Tim Sylvia in the early days of his career. I wouldn't be too surprised to see Rothwell pull it out, but at this point I'm taking "The Pitbull."

Winner: Andrei Arlovski, TKO, Round 2

Dustin James: This is another fight that I'm really looking forward too. As everybody knows, Ben Rothwell is currently on a 13 fight win streak. However, the big knock on him is his quality of opponents during this win streak. Guess what? That won't happen anymore if he is victorious over former UFC heavyweight champion THE PIT BULL, Andrei Arlovski. I don't care what anybody says, this is a difficult fight to pick. I'm just going to flip a coin and see what happens here.......

Winner: Andrei Arlovski, KO, Rd 3 (The coin actually landed on it's side so I had to PICK the winner. Great plan, eh?)

Ryan Seymour: This fight is going to answer a lot of questions. Can Rothwell handle a well-known fighter like Arlovski? – Can Arlovski show that killer instinct that we once saw? – Will Rothwell's size and weight be too much for Arlovski? Arlovski is a former UFC champion and has some incredible stand up skills. Rothwell has been making his name in IFL, and currently is riding a 13 fight win streak. This fight is a real tough one to pick, I am go for something different and pick the underdog.

Winner: Ben Rothwell, Decision.

Jonathan Solomon: Arlovski is still considered one of the top heavyweights in the world and Rothwell owned the IFL. This fight should be more competitive than some think. There is no reason to think Arlovski will be pulling any of that hesitant crap he did in the UFC. Rothwell is about as big as Sylvia (weight wise) so Arlovski will not be surprised there. Wouldn't it be funny if Arlovski and Sylvia won their matches and were booked as the main event of a future Affliction. UGH!

Winner: Andrei Arlovski, Decision.

Wendell Mitchell: Arlovski left UFC after ending Jake O'Brien's perfect record. Now he aims to end another streak in the form of Rothwell's 13 straight victories. God, I sound like such a UFC mark, but I can't see a former UFC champ losing to an IFL guy. Since Arlovski is not fighting Sylvia, I figure he will destroy Rothwell.

Winner: Arlovski, KO, Round 1

Larry Csonka: I was a HUGE Arlovski fan back in the day. The man was a badass as he was taking people out with ease and just looked awesome with the long hair and the fangs. And then he cut the hair, and as the story goes Samson lost his strength and his title. The two loses to TIM-MAH sobered him up and he rattled off three straight wins over O'Brien, Cruz and Werdum. I am still stunned that the UFC let him go with how thin their HW Division is. Now as everyone has mentioned Rothwell is on a 13-fight winning streak, with 9 of those fights ending in round one. I am expecting these guys to go out and bang and that should provide us with an exciting fight. Rothwell winning makes him a legit threat, as many have doubted his level of competition. Arlovski winning shows the world that he is the man he says he is, and that is a top heavyweight.

Winner: Arlovski, STRIKES, RD2


WAMMA HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUT: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
Scott Kuczkowski: Many people think Sylvia won't have a chance in this fight. Frank Mir, Randy Couture, and Big Nog all exposed Tim's lack of any type of ground skill. Tim MUST keep this fight standing if he wants to walk away with both of his arms. If Tim can stuff Fedor's takedowns and keep this fight standing, he may have a chance. That leads me to the next point: Which Tim will show up? If the Tim Sylvia who knocked out Ricco Rodriguez and Tra Telligman shows up, then he might catch Fedor with some good shots and keep the action moving. If the Tim that man-humped Brandon Vera shows up, the fight will be a stinker. Fedor will have to contend with Sylvia's reach and get this fight to the canvas. I don't think he will have much of an issue with this department, but I think he will eat some shots on the way.

Winner: Fedor, Submission, Round 2.

Adam Tool: I have been reading previews and forum posts about this fight, and there are a few people out there trying to convince the world that Tim Sylvia is going to win. The only problem I see is that outside of his physical stature, I can't figure out any area where Big Tim has the advantage. Fedor has 14 wins by submission, while Sylvia can barely spell jiu-jitsu. Sylvia has the longer reach, but Fedor can absorb a ton of punishment and should have no problem wading in during the exchanges. Fedor even has the edge in nicknames, as I think we can all agree that "The Last Emperor" is way cooler than "The Maine-iac." Here's how I see this one going down: Syliva tries to use his jab to keep the distance, so he can point his way to a win. Fedor takes the big man down early and catches his arm or his neck for the quick submission victory. I would apologize to Tim Sylvia's fans, but I have yet to find one.

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko, Submission, Round 1

Dustin James: C'mon, now....REALLY. Do I actually have to explain to you how much trouble TIMMAH is in here? Have you ever seen Sylvia in his ground game? It's pretty much a class-A example of what NOT to do. Here's how this fight goes down.......the two fighters stand and throw blows for awhile, Fedor finds an opening, take's TIMMAH down, ARMBAR......OVER. That's it, tip your waitress, and if you are a hot chick, give me a blow job on your way out.

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko, Submission, Rd 1

Ryan Seymour: Can Tim Sylvia pull of the unthinkable? Everyone thinks it is going to be quick work for Fedor, just get Sylvia to the ground and submit him. If you think it is going to be that easy then you have rethink about this fight. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is one of the best jiu-jitsu fighters in the world and even Nogueira had trouble with ‘The Maine-Iac'. Let's not forget that until the third round of the Nogueira/Sylvia fight, Sylvia was dominating Nogueira and Nogueira was finding it very hard to take him down. I certainly can't go against one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, but I don't think it is going to be easy work to defeat Tim Sylvia.

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko, Submission, Round 3.

Jonathan Solomon: The fight the MMA world is buzzing for. Sylvia lost to Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. How will he expect to defeat Fedor? There is no way Sylvia will take Fedor down and make him submit. Fedor is too smart to lose to a striker in a stand-up war. Will Tim Sylvia be use to the ring instead of the cage? Fedor has won his last five fights via submission. The trend continues as we inch ever so closer to a potential Fedor/Couture fight in 2009.

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko, Submission, Round 1.

Wendell Mitchell: With the notable exception of Dark Knight (which my wonderful girlfriend surprised me with tickets to for Saturday morning), hype usually ruins my expectations for something. I've been watching as much Fedor as I can to dispel any notion that he is as overrated as my reaction to comments that he would destroy Randy Couture led me to believe. Even if I blindly hated the man, I can't pick against him. Not against Sylvia. Fedor is about as complete a fighter as they come and on more than one occasion, Tim's lack of ground game has been exposed. Tim has what some like to call a puncher's chance, but Fedor will more than likely not present that chance. How crazy would it be if Sylvia did the unthinkable though?

Winner: Fedor, Submission, Round 2

Larry Csonka: In no way am I downplaying the ability of FEDOR when I say this. He is a bad ass, he has only lost one fight and everyone has every right to pick him here. But really, when was the last time he has REALLY been tested? The Choi fight was a joke, Lindland and Hunt were also no challenge to him. TIM-MAH, while boring as piss to some is a BIG guy that knows how to use his size to his advantage. If he can keep it standing and bully FEDOR around, I seriously believe that TIM-MAH has a good chance. Conversely, the moment this goes to the ground TIM-MAH will be FEDOR'S bitch. I just want to remind people that this is a fight, shit happens in a fight, FEDOR could get popped on the button and that could be it. I firmly believe that FEDOR will win the fight, but I will not be shocked if TIM-MAH did win, and in a way I hope he does because I would love to watch the Internet implode.

Winner: FEDOR, SUB, RD3