411's MMA Roundtable Preview - Affliction: Day of Reckoning

Posted by Ryan Seymour on 01.23.2009

Affliction puts on its second show with a blockbuster main event. #1 heavyweight in the world Fedor Emelianenko takes on a man who was dominant in the UFC, Andrei Arlovski. Lets not forget Barnett, Yvel, Sokoudjou, Babula, Lindland and Belfort are also on the card. Sit back and enjoy 411’s Affliction ‘Day of Reckoning’ Roundtable Preview.



WELCOME:
Welcome once again to 411's MMA Roundtable Preview. Afflictions first event was quite entertaining and this card has the potential to be even better. Fedor Emelianenko has been criticized for not facing top level opponents, well we will see how he goes against Andrei Arlovski who was voted as the #2 heavyweight in the world behind Fedor. Also Josh Barnett faces of against a very controversial Gilbert Yvel, explosive striker Sokoudjou faces of against Babalu and a great middleweight contest is on the cards with Belfot facing of against Matt Lindland.

THE STAFF:

The MMA Juggernaut, Jonathan Solomon!

The MMA Rankings Guru, Dustin James!

From the "Greatest MMA Column", Dan Plunkett!

From Tapping out with T-Berg, Todd Bergman!

From "The Ground and Pound, John Curry!

And of course, from The Ultimate eXperience, I am Ryan Seymour!


Welterweight bout: Jay Hieron vs. Jason High

Jonathan Solomon: I do not know much about Jason High other than he is a big prospect in the sport with a 6-0 record with three by choke submissions. He is taking on Hieron, a solid wrestler who trains with Xtreme Couture. Hieron has looked great since his knockout loss to Brad Blackburn in 2007. You cannot pick the unknown so I will go with Hieron who should be the better wrestler. Do not be shocked if ground and pound becomes a player here.

Winner: Jay Hieron, TKO, Round 3

Dustin James: Welcome to the big time Jason High. The person here to greet you? Former IFL Welterweight Champion Jay Hieron. A victory over Hieron would be huge for High, but I won't be the guy to predict it.

Winner: Jay Hieron, TKO, Round 1

Dan Plunkett: The last IFL Welterweight Champion, Jay Hieron is looking to make his first appearance for Affliction a winning one. His opponent is Jason High, who has won all of his six fights, and finished his opponent in five of them. I think Hieron will take this, but Jason High is a good guy, as evident in his recent interview with 411mania.com's own Todd Bergman, which you can read here.

Winner: Jay Hieron, TKO, Round 1

Todd Bergman: I can and will pick the unknown, Jonathan Solomon. Jason High is a tremendous fighter and will make a huge impact after this fight. Hieron is extremely talented but has shown a weak chin in the past. Jason High should avoid the takedowns and use his speed and power to finish off Hieron midway through the 2nd. And remember, Jason High was the T-Bergy winner for "Rising Star For 2009!"

Winner: Jason High, TKO, Round 2

Ryan Seymour: Jay Hieron is an exciting fighter who trains at on of the best MMA camps in the world, Xtreme Couture. All Herion's losses have came to fighters who currently fight in the UFC welterweight division. He is a strong wrestler with some good stand up skills, I can see Hieron giving the undefeated Jason High a lot of trouble.

Winner: Jay Hieron, KO, Round 3

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Light Heavyweight bout: Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Jonathan Solomon: Here is another interesting fight on the card. Matyushenko is another fighter coming through Affliction from the IFL where he went undefeated. In fact, he has not tasted defeat since his UFC loss to Andrei Arlovski in 2003. Matyushenko is a pure wrestler who has good hands and will try for submissions if he takes you to the ground. Nogueira, much like his brother, is well trained in most aspects of the fight game. If he is taken to the ground, his BJJ skills should prevent him from falling into a submission hold. While Matyushenko's only career losses have been by decision or KO (by Arlovski), Nogueira will be able to lock on an armbar during the fight while the wrestler tries to mount for the ground and pound.

Winner: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Submission, Round 2

Dustin James: I'm surprised this fight isn't getting more hype. It's two fighters who are basically at the same place in the light heavyweight division looking to get ahead. Whoever wins here could FINALLY become the only non-UFC light heavyweight to be widely considered a top 10 fighter in that division. Lil Nog is currently on a 3-fight win streak and hasn't lost since his memorable upset loss to Sokoudjou. On the other hand, Matyushenko hasn't lost since 2003 (at UFC 44 against Andrei Arlovski) but he hasn't done anything since the IFL folded last year. Will "The Janitor" suffer from some cage rust? This one's another tough one to pick......

Winner: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Decision

Dan Plunkett: One of these men will break into the top ten of the ever prestigious 411mania light heavyweight rankings with a win. Nogueira has won his last three fights since being upset by Sokoudjou. Matyushenko on the other hand has won eight fights in a row, six of those coming as a member of the IFL. As with Horodecki, Matyushenko hasn't fought in nine months, so inactivity may play a factor in this fight. Hopefully Minotauro's performance is not an indication of what Minotoro's performance will be.

Winner: Antonio Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira, Decision

Todd Bergman: I'm not as excited for this fight as most people are, but it should be a solid scrap. I think the deciding factor will be Vlad's ability to control the fight anywhere that it goes, much like Vladdy did in the first showdown between these fighters. Little Nog might get close to a submission at some point in the fight, but his inability to stop the takedown will cost him the victory.

Winner: Vladimir Matyushenko, Decision

John Curry: This fight should be higher on the card than this. Two great fighters who are both skilled in the stand-up and the ground game aspects of MMA, but one of them will have his fate ended "identically" to his brother.

Winner: Vladimir Matyushenko, TKO, Round 2

Ryan Seymour: This fight may not be on the PPV broadcast but it will be a very interesting fight in the light heavyweight division. Lil Nog is not only a stud on the ground but he has also received high level medals for his boxing. Matyushenko is riding an impressive eight fight win streak and even has a victory over Lil Nog back in 2002. I think Lil Nog is a very underrated light heavyweight and he will get his revenge on Matyushenko by winning a decision, maybe setting up a third meeting between the two in the future.

Winner: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Decision

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Middleweight bout: Matt Lindland vs. Vitor Belfort

Jonathan Solomon: Oh boy, not another Matt Lindland fight. Well, you can't fault the man for doing what works. He is coming off a decision victory over Fabio Nascimento at last year's Affliction show and this time, should have an even more difficult fight on his hands. Vitor Belfort knocked out Terry Martin last year and wants to move up that ladder. While Lindland may employ the ever beloved "lay and pray" techniques, Belfort should be swinging big time before Lindland can shoot and take the fight to the ground. Belfort's Jiu-Jitsu should also play a role in the fight as long as he can stay out of Lindland's control on the mat.

Winner: Vitor Belfort, KO!, Round 3.

Dustin James: If Lindland looks anything like he did when he faced Fabio Nascimento at Affliction "Banned", Belfort may have no problem here. However, if we get a focused Lindland who is coming in to kick some ass, Belfort could be in for a long night. Either way, I love this fight. Since my Team Quest-bias doesn't let me pick against Lindland...you will have to listen to somebody else for a more honest opinion on the fight.

Winner: Matt Lindland, Decision

Dan Plunkett: Everyone has been waiting for this "old" Vitor to come back now, but I think Vitor is taking it the wrong way, meaning he thinks you want him to fight like he is a washed up, old fighter. Due to this, and the fact that I feel Lindland will rebound strong from his disappointing performance in his last fight, I have no reason to believe the outcome of fight will be any different from when Vitor fought Lindland's friend Dan Henderson.

Winner: Matt Lindland, Decision

Todd Bergman: I join the legion of fan's who don't want to see Matt Lindland fighting! I'm really hoping for a David Terrell style KO in this fight. Vitor has a tremendous story and I very much want to see him win this fight. I think that 2009 will be the year for comeback fighters. Vitor stops Lindland early in the 1st with a huge beatdown.

Winner: Vitor Belfort, TKO, Round 1

John Curry: This is a tricky one to pick as I am not sure who's going to solidify the comeback here. I think Belfort is devoted 110% to MMA and Lindland has some type of law thing he is doing for the government or something so I am not quite sure he is devoting as much time to training as Vitor (See Lindland's last fight).

Winner: Matt Lindland, Decision

Ryan Seymour: Matt "The Law" Lindland is 38 years old and most would think he would be getting near the end of his career. No reason for retirement soon for Lindland when he is fighting as well as he is. The only two losses he has suffered in the last four years are against opponents who clearly outweighed him. Also they weren't too bad either, he lost to Rampage and Fedor. His last loss at his natural weight of 185 pounds was against Terrell back at UFC 49. Belfort has put some wins together recently, but not against decent opponents. Lindland will use his wrestling to his advantage here and rack up another win.

Winner: Matt Lindland, Decision

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Light Heavyweight bout: Renato Sobral vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Jonathan Solomon: Soukoudjou had a UFC stint much similar to that of Cro Cop. Sure, Soukoudjou is not at the end of his career but he looked pretty bad inside the octagon. After losing to Luis Cane in October, he finds himself with Affliction looking to bounce back. His problem is the fact his first opponent is a guy who is on a big roll in Babalu Sobral. While he may not have fought top contenders since being cut from the UFC in 2007, he sure has looked impressive. The questions will be does Sokoudjou have the mental game down to go into the cage and knock Babalu out. If not, Sobral should be able to take him down and submit him. Otherwise, never count RTS out because on big punch could end it all.

Winner: Babalu Sobral, Sumission, Round 2

Dustin James: Man, oh man....I would love to see Sokoudjou pull off a quick win here and give a big "F YOU" to the UFC, but the chances of that happening could be slim to none. Since leaving the UFC back in 2007, Sobral has racked off three impressive wins including a TKO win over Bobby Southworth back in November to win the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship. Meanwhile, we have Sokoudjou who is best known as the guy who beat Lil Nog and Ricardo Arona very quickly in HUGE upsets back in PRIDE, but his run with the UFC left a sour taste in a lot of people's mouths. Soko really needs to show the world that he has improved since leaving the UFC....but in all honesty, his last fight was just three months ago. How much can he have really improved since then? As a Team Quest guy, I'm rooting for Soko...but if I were a betting man I would bet on "Babalu".

Winner: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, KO, Round 3 (I'm not a betting man)

Dan Plunkett: Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral returns to Affliction to take on the recently UFC-departed Sokoudjou. This fight has a few questions to it, such as: will Sokoudjou ever use that judo of his? I hear he's pretty good at it. Also, will Sokoudjou continue his career of highs and lows? I think he's due for a high this time. And finally, can Babalu teach a better lesson to Sokoudjou than Machida and Cane? The superstitition (it should be a word, meaning "somebody who practices or likes superstitions," but just looking at the middle of the word makes me feel as though I have a stutter) in me says Sokoudjou by quick knockout, but I'm going with Babalu in this one.

Winner: Renato Sobral, Sumission, Round 3

Todd Bergman: I'm probably going to be in the majority here but I think that Soku will win this fight by big-time KO, and here's why. The transition from the ring to the cage messed with Soku's striking. He was constantly being bullied up against the cage and wasn't able to free swing like he did in PRIDE. Babalu has shown that he can be extremely careless sometimes in fights and can be knocked out. Thus, I think that Soku will catch Babalu early and finish him with strikes in the 1st Round.

Winner: Sokoudjou, TKO, Round 1

John Curry: My favorite fight of the night. I have discussed this fight during this week's Fact or Fiction, so I am not going to go into it again.

Winner: Babalu Sobral, Submission, Round 3

Ryan Seymour: It was a bit disappointing to see Sokoudjou get released from his UFC contract, but when this fight was announced, I was disappointed no more. Sokoudjou is an explosive striker with a good background in Judo. I think Sokoudjou's best bet is to keep this fight standing because Babalu is a step above him on the ground. Babula looked good against Southworth, needing only one elbow shot to finish the fight. I expect this fight to be a war and it is one of fights I am most looking forward to.

Winner: Renato Sobral, Decision

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Heavyweight bout: Josh Barnett vs. Gilbert Yvel


Jonathan Solomon: After taking 2007 off, Barnett went undefeated through three fights last year. With wins over Hidehiko Yoshida, Jeff "Don't Photograph Me" Monson and Pedro Rizzo, Barnett is looking to be in prime shape to fight the Fedor/Arlovski winner. The man standing in his way is Gilbert Yvel, who also went 3-0 in 2008. There is no doubt Yvel will look to stand and strike with Barnett who can either box or wrestle his way to victory. Barnett better take the fight with Fedor should he win. Enough stalling!

Winner: Josh Barnett, Submission, Round 1

Dustin James: I really miss seeing Gilbert Yvel back in the National picture...OK, that was a horrible lie but at least I can say I tried. Since 2006 Yvel has earned seven consecutive victories and finished every single opponent. I'm not going to lie, his competition was less-than-impressive and he's really going to have to step up his game when he faces Josh Barnett. Barnett really needs to get a win here so we can finally see that Barnett/Fedor fight that was suppose to happen many moons ago. Let's just hope Yvel doesn't do anything stupid like KO the ref......

Winner: Josh Barnett, Submission, Round 2

Dan Plunkett: Assuming Affliction doesn't call it quits after this event, the winner of this fight will fight the winner of Fedor vs. Arlovski. I think Barnett is going to take this fight to the ground, as he has the clear advantage there. From there, I see him getting the submission win to go on and fight the best heavyweight in the world.

Winner: Josh Barnett, Submission, Round 1

Todd Bergman: Hello "Mr. Yellow Card" Yvel. Being a bully is something that Yvel is apparently very proud of. Well in this fight, he will be bullied, and I doubt that he's going to like it. Barnett will be too much on the ground for Gilbert. Yvel has taken a step in the positive direction by training at Xtreme Couture, but Barnett will take this very one-sided bout by Submission in the 1st.

Winner: Josh Barnett, Submission, Round 1

John Curry: So we have Barnett's last "Tune-up" fight before the winner of Fedor/Arlovski. Barnett is the man on the ground in the heavyweight division and can go toe to toe with anyone. The question is whether or not he buys into his own hype against Yvel. Yvel on the other hand is no pushover. Listen to me when I say this, you do not want to stand and bang against Yvel. Yvel TKO'd Cheik Kongo which is no small feat, however when he fights anyone with some serious ground game he has difficulty finishing fights which is apparent by his decision losses to Hendo, Belfort, Jeremy Horn. If Barnett takes this to the ground we will be looking at Barnett winning, if he can survive the instant barrage of punches Yvel will throw at him in the first sixty seconds.

Winner: Josh Barnett, Decision

Ryan Seymour: Barnett was rumored to face Fedor when this event was announced, so to see him against Yvel is a bit of a disappointment. Barnett showed some improved striking in his last fight for affliction against Pedro Rizzo. The Dutchman in Gilbert Yvel certainly lives up to his nickname as being "The Hurricane". When this man fights it can be crazy, even getting dirty at times, as you should have noticed from his previous fights. Barnett has a clear advantage on the ground and although he might eat some shots, I think he will be able to clinch up with Yvel and take him down. Once on the ground, I think Barnett will be able to secure a submission.

Winner: Josh Barnett, Submission, Round 1

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WAMMA Heavyweight Championship bout: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski

Jonathan Solomon: It is about time this fight finally happens. Even with Barnett hanging around, this may be the last major heavyweight fight that intrigues the masses. Fedor has the aura surrounding him but I doubt Arlovski has nightmares about the phenom. On their feet, if you listen to Freddie Roach, Arlovski is Mike Tyson. Once Fedor lands a blow, we'll see how well Arlovski's chin can stand. The problem I see for Arlovski is the ground game. If the fight goes to the ground, Fedor should be able to have his way with Arlovski. Remember, Roy F'N Nelson was able to take him down and control him (no offense meant at all). I would be a fool to say Fedor would not have the same success. Once that bell rings, each man may throw some strikes. Arlovski will look to end it early because no man wants to go to a decision. If Arlovski lands something, he will throw tons of combos but he will also have to defend strikes from Fedor. Once Arlovski is defending, Fedor can take him down and end the fight there. I just hope this fight lasts longer than 36 seconds.

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko, Submission, Round 2

Dustin James: And it's on! I'm really looking forward to this fight. I think a lot of people may be overlooking Arlovski here. There's one thing people really need to know before picking this fight and that's that Arlovski has won 5 fights in a row against some pretty stiff competition (Fabricio Werdum, Ben Rothwell, Roy Nelson, among others) since losing to Tim Sylvia twice back in 2006. As for Fedor? Since 2006, he is also 5-0 with all wins coming via submission against decent competition (Mark Coleman, Matt Lindland, Tim Sylvia, among others) but Arlovski has never been submitted. Is that bad news for Fedor? Could be. It also could be bad news for Fedor seeing as Arlovski's stand-up looks to have improved significantly since losing to Sylvia. But can you REALLY pick against Fedor? Some people will get brave, but I'm not one of them. If Fedor takes this fight to the ground, it's over.

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko, Submission, Round 2

Dan Plunkett: It's sad to see that one of the biggest fights that will take place all year is being overshadowed by, in my opinion at least, an even bigger fight just a week later. Nevertheless, I am still very excited for a fight between the two best heavyweights in the world. Arlovski has won five in a row since losing to Tim Sylvia all the way back at UFC 61 in 2006, all but one of those wins came by some form of knockout. Fedor has never lost a fight. Let's face it, that official loss on his record is crap, he lost because of a cut sustained by a head butt, which was illegal in the competition. Arlovski is a much better technical boxer than Fedor, which is why a lot of people are giving him a good chance to upset Fedor here. Even though Fedor's stand up is hardly technical, it's very effective for him. He throws seemingly wild punches from strange angles that are somehow accurate. His punching power is top of the line, and he's only been rocked once, which happened after Fujita hit him in the equilibrium, but no fear, "The Last Emperor" as they call him recovered quickly and ended up submitting Fujita. Arlovski's performance on the ground in his most recent fight was not the type that would give Fedor much of a threat. I have no idea where this fight will be contested. Arlovski would probably like to stand, but his chin has been questioned after his knockout loss to Tim Sylvia, and with a guy that hits as hard as Fedor that's not good. I would think Fedor would take this to the ground and unleash some of his vicious ground and pound, but you just never know. I see a few possible outcomes for this fight. Arlovski will either win by some kind of knockout, a cut, or possibly a submission. Fedor will either win by some kind of knockout, standing or from ground and pound, submission, or possibly a decision, though I don't think this fight will go the distance.

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko, TKO, Round 3

Todd Bergman: Will Freddie Roach's boxing help Arlovski take out the Mad Russian? I don't think so. I really enjoy reading articles where someone is trying to be the guy that predicts the end of Fedor. It hasn't happened so far, so why would it happen now? Arlvoski lacks the ability to control Fedor on the ground and has shown his chin isn't strong enough for him to stand in there and bang with heavy hitters. Arlovski does have one positive thing going for him and that is that he doesn't waste time on strikes and is fairly accurate when he throws. However, all of that won't matter, of course, when he is lying on his back seeing stars while the referee is stopping the fight due to Fedor's vicious Ground-N-Pound. Bring on Barnett!

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko, TKO, Round 2

John Curry: Wow. I tell you I am looking forward to this fight. The master of MMA Fedor versus the man everyone forgot who dominated the UFC for years, Arlovski. This has the potential of been one of the most exciting and competitive fights the Mixed Martial Arts has seen in years. Fedor's weak spot is his stand-up and Arlovski's is his ground game per say. In order to maximize his ability against the seemingly unbeatable Fedor, Arlovski has been training with the man who makes champions, Freddie Roach. I am going against the grain here and picking……….

Winner: Andrei Arlovski, TKO, Round 2

Ryan Seymour: What a fight this will be, "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko takes on "The Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski. Fedor is virtually undefeated with a controversial loss coming early in his career due to an illegal elbow. Every time you think he is going to get beaten, he performs at his best and finds a way to win. Andrei Arlovski has some good boxing but I think Fedor will be able to hold is own in that department. If Fedor is able to get this to the ground, Arlovski is going to have a lot of trouble. I expect this to stay on the feet until Fedor decides to take it to the ground, where he has the clear advantage.

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko, Submission, Round 2