Affliction Day of Reckoning Post-Mortem
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
Affliction Day of Reckoning is in the books, so let’s take a look at how I predicted the night and offer some insights.
Paul Buentello vs. Kiril Sidelnikov
I said:
Buentello is a vet who will catch the young-gun with a KO punch late in the 2nd.
Prediction: Buentello, KO, Rd.2
It was lopsided as I expected and Buentello did stop him, though my round and form of victory were off. I’ll go – Grade: B+ (3.3)
Kiril was tough but Buentello was a mismatch for him at this stage in his career. That’s basically all I can say about the fight.
As for Paul, he now has a nice home in Affliction and will get another main-card fight at their next event (if there is one). He has never squared-off against Tim Sylvia so expect a showdown with the former UFC champ to be on the horizon.
Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Rameau Thierry Sudoku err.. Sokoudjou
I said:
My maaaaaaain man, Babalu, employs this method by keeping his distance in the first and then takes an already gassed Sokoudjou down and submits him soon after.
Prediction: Babalu, Submission, Rd. 2
It doesn’t get much more exact than this. Grade: A (4.0)
He may have lost the first round, but Babalu looked great in this one by eventually working for a hard-earned takedown and submission. He loves that gator roll.
A fight with Tito Ortiz now makes perfect sense. They have a history of words, are the two biggest light-heavyweights in Affliction and the seeds were already planted in the post-fight interview. After Renato disposes of that chump, he will be 6-0 since leaving the UFC and return home to Uncle Dana and co.
Sokoudjou’s bubble has officially burst. He has dropped 3 of his last 4 and is showing significant deficiencies in both grappling and conditioning. A rematch with Lil’ Nog, who is 4-0 since losing that fight, is in his future. Afterwards, Sokoudjou will have lost 4 of his last 5. I wish he could be brought up much slower than he is, but those wins over Nog and Arona gave him a name.
Vitor Belfort vs. Matt Lindland
I said:
In the end, I’ll say Matt’s wrestling is enough for him to take this to the ground and control the action to a decisions win.
It should be interesting to say the least.
Prediction: Lindland, Decision
Sonofabitch. Just once, I’d like a card where I don’t completely botch a fight. Grade: F (0.0)
It was interesting though, so I was correct in that regard. Particularly interesting, was Lindland trying to takedown the ref a solid 5 minutes after the fight ended. I can’t remember the last time someone got knocked that silly. Of course, in the UFC, they don’t show someone after they are in la-la land so maybe that’s why it seemed so bad.
Its official, Vitor is on a roll. However, we’re still awaiting official word on the full return of “the old Vitor. Don’t get me wrong, he looked sensational on Saturday, but let’s see one more big win before calling him a top fighter. I would love to see him dance with Jorge Santiago. I’m not sure what organization that could take place in, whether Affliction or Sengoku, but it would be a great one.
The hourglass is running out on Lindland.
Josh Barnett vs. Gilbert Yvel
I said:
Barnett will cruise to an easy win by taking it to the ground and working a submission. In the process, he will avoid Gilbert’s eye gouges and attempted shots to the nuts.
The win will set-up a long-awaited showdown with Fedor at the next Affliction event.
Prediction: Barnett, Submission, Rd. 2
Technically, it was a submission and it was a very one-sided affair like I thought it would be. Grade: B+ (3.3)
Barnett was in cruise control for this one and I wish he would have ended it a little sooner. In any event, a fight with Fedor makes the most sense and Barnett seems up for it – too bad Fedor says he won’t fight him because they are friends. It will be interesting to see where this goes.
WAMMA Heavyweight Title Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski
I said:
Look for Fedor to do just fine on the feet before taking it to the ground and securing a submission.
Prediction: Fedor, Submission, Rd. 1
Well, he certainly did fine on his feet. Wasn’t quite what I envisioned though. Still, I had the winner and the round. Grade: B+ (3.3)
I tell you what - Andrei had me getting excited in those first few minutes. He looked crisp, had Fedor backing off and I smelled an upset in the air. Then, it came crashing down faster than Arlovski’s head crashed to the canvas. He is going to be regretting that flying knee for awhile.
Apparently, Arlovski is looking to enter the world of boxing. For some reason I don’t see this happening. Though, in MMA, I’m not sure who his next fight could be – Sylvia has been done to death, he beat Buentello in 15 seconds and Barnett is going to fight Fedor. Not many big-fight choices left for him outside the UFC.
Like I said, Fedor says he won’t fight Barnett due to their friendship, but I imagine an agreement will be worked out. I can’t wait.
GPA: B- (2.78) That Belfort fight really killed me.
Overall, it was a fun card that showcased some of the best talent in the world. I still worry about their roster-depth though. We’re only 2 shows in and a bunch of their big money fights have already been used up. Most reports are saying that they took a bath once again from a financial perspective which isn’t surprising – but they will need to turn that trend around quickly to stay afloat.
By the way, Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia have been paid a combined 2.3 million dollars for 3 minutes 50 seconds of work. Not a bad pay day.
-Ken
http:www.IntelligentlyDefending.com
