March Madness: The Last Emperor is the last one standing

Fedor wins my title too

This is a continuation of my previous post where I will go into detail about how this March Madness tournament would transpire. 

Pool A: #1. Fedor Emelianenko vs #4. Ben Rothwell

Fedor is considered the best heavyweight in the world and in quite a few circles, the best fighter in the world. His first round opponent is a tough dude with a 30-6 record and former IFL Champion. But Fedor would be too much and one of his dynamite combinations would floor Rothwell early and Fedor would put him away in the first round. 

Pool A: #2. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs #3. Sergei Kharitonov

Cro Cop is a legend in the sport, but his recent performances show he is on his last legs. Meanwhile, Kharitonov is one of the most feared strikers, in fact many say he is a young Cro Cop. In this matchup, I think the pupil becomes the teacher and Kharitonov takes the next step in his career with a knockout victory in the second round. 

Pool Championship: Fedor Emelianenko vs Sergei Kharitonov

A win over Cro Cop is impressive, but Fedor is a whole different animal. Kharitonov would come out smart and maybe score some points, but as the fight went on, Fedor would find the weakness, capitalize on the mistake and win like he always does. 

Pool B: #1. Josh Barnett vs #4. Gabriel Gonzaga

Pretty tough matchup for Barnett to start things off. Gonzaga can submit you from anywhere and is a big guy. He does, however, have a glass chin and Barnett hits hard. I think Barnett gets a takedown and ground-and-pounds his way to victory.

Pool B: #2. Antonio Nogueira vs #3. Alistair Overeem

Classic kickboxer versus grappler matchup. Nogueira has a chin of steel though and would be able to survive the initial barrage of striking Overeem would bring to the table. Overeem would get a little sloppy and desperate, Nogueira would take advantage and secure the submission for the win. 

 

Pool Championship: Josh Barnett vs Antonio Nogueira

These two have met in the past and each man holds a win in the series. This rubber match would be an epic battle, but I would give the nod to Nogueira who has been more active lately and fought better competition. His experience in the UFC should be enough to get a grueling decision over Barnett. 

Pool C: #1. Frank Mir vs #4. Cheick Kongo

I think Kongo is a promising fighter. He is chiseled from stone and hits hard, but Mir is the master of pacing a fight and dictating where it goes. I think the jujitsu ace would be quick to take it to the ground where Kongo has very poor defense. Mir would lock in any submission he wants and win the fight. 

Pool C: #2. Tim Sylvia vs #3. Shane Carwin

I would love to see this fight. Sylvia gets a bad rap, but the man knows how to win, even if it is boring. Carwin is a physical fighter and is one of the hottest prospects in the sport. I think this would be two big guys throwing bombs and having a very physical fight. In the end, Sylvia's experience is too much right now and I think he takes a decision. 

Pool Championship: Frank Mir vs Tim Sylvia

Both are intelligent fighters and both men will try to dictate the pace of the fight and where it goes. Sylvia will try to jab and keep Mir on the fence and I think he would be successful for a while. Eventually, Mir would get an opening and put the big man on the mat. From there Mir could work for a submission much like he did when they first met. 

Pool D: #1. Brock Lesnar vs #4. Randy Couture

This match would go similar to the way it did when these two first met a few months ago. At this stage in his career, Couture is just too old to hang with the athleticism and power Lesnar possesses. Lesnar would win this fight with some ground-and-pound in the second round. 

Pool D: #2. Andrei Arlovski vs #3. Cain Velasquez

This is the best fight of the first round. Arlovski is a devestating striker and Velasquez is the Chosen One as far as the heavyweight division is concerned. Velasquez's cardio and work ethic would give Arlovski fits, but in the end, the super crisp striking of the Pitbull would put the young gun down and Velasquez will have to wait another March before capturing the title. 

Pool Championship: Brock Lesnar vs Andrei Arlovski

Lesnar is seen as the best athlete in the heavyweight division. If that is the case, Arlovski is a close second. Lesnar likes to throw hard punches, but Arlovski would throw accurate punches and at the end of the day quality is better than quantity. Lesnar would taste more leather than he ever has in this match and get KO'd midway through the fight. 

Semifinal: #1. Fedor Emelianenko vs #2. Antonio Nogueira

These two know each other very well and have fought three times. Twice Emelianenko won by decision and the other was ruled a no contest after an accidental cut. I think Fedor would try to knock out Nogueira, but it would end up hitting the mat because Nogueira just doesn't quit. Once on the mat, it would be a battle of wills, but Fedor's uncanny strength and technique in the full guard would get him yet another decision victory. 

Semifinal: #1 Frank Mir vs #2. Andrei Arlovski

Frank Mir has been red hot lately and his striking has improved drastically. Arlovski is training with the best boxing trainer in the world. It would be a very tough fight to call and could go either way. I think Arlovski would win for most of the fight, but I think Mir is the best at capitalizing on mistakes and when that window opens, I think Mir would lock in a quick submission and pull out a comeback victory. 

Final: #1. Fedor Emelianenko vs #1. Frank Mir

I would pay a whole lot of money for this one. I think Mir is in his prime and Fedor showed weakness for the first time in a long time in his last fight. Just as Mir did the impossible and knocked out Nogueira, I think he would have the confidence to do it to Emelianenko. Mir would win most of the fight and have Fedor searching for answers, but just like he did to Arlovski, Fedor would hit Mir with a punch from nowhere and prevent Mir from pulling off an upset and ending the legend of the unbeatable Fedor.

Champion: Fedor Emelianenko

Mosley likes his Margarito shaken, stirred and on the rocks

Saturday night's fight between Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley was a collision I was looking forward to for a long time. I viewed plenty of their old fights as I tried to play out scenarios in my head for how their meeting would transpire. I decided it would end with a ninth round knockout after a close fight for the first five rounds.

I was right...but also completely wrong. The fight ended with a ninth round knockout, but it was Mosley who walked away with the welterweight championship after one of the most impressive performances I have ever seen in a boxing ring. 

"Sugar" Shane looked good as new and implemented one of the most brilliant gameplans. I thought Mosley would need to jump in close, fire off a combination and jump back out to make Margarito chase him. 

Instead, Mosley let Margarito walk right in. And when the Tijuana Tornado would start to close the distance, Mosley would double or even triple up his jab and then unleash lightning fast combinations with plenty of power behind the closing shot. 

The fight may have been Mosley's best performance and the Los Angeles crowd knew it. The crowd was extremely pro-Margarito, but Mosley slowly won the crowd over. Exchanges at the end of the third, fifth and eighth rounds were some of the most dramatic moments of the fight. 

Mosley knocked down Margarito in the eighth round right as the time was expiring. Margarito barely got to his feet and then smiled at Mosley as if to say he knew his title was slipping away. At the beginning of the ninth, Mosley came out and got Margarito on the ropes. Margarito stood and accepted his defeat as Mosley unleashed one last combination as the towel was thrown in. 

Mosley looked unstoppable and I am confident saying he is the true champion in the welterweight division. It was one of the best fights in recent years and if you get a chance to check it out, do so immediately. 

One Punch Wonders

For all the weeks of intense training top-level mixed martial artists go through to prepare for a big fight, there is still a chance a fight could last no longer than a few seconds. Affliction 2 was a perfect example of what can happen with one punch. The two best fights of the night were ended with one big shot. 

In the main event, Fedor Emelianenko retained his WAMMA Heavweight Championship with one perfectly placed right hand to the chin of Andrei Arlovski. The Freddie Roach-trained Arlovski displayed beautiful boxing, using a crisp jab and good angles to keep the unbeatable Emelianenko off balance. 

Arlovski stunned Emelianenko early with a good right and stayed patient, making sure not to rush into a powerful shot from the champion. Later in the round, Arlovski had Emelianenko stumbling again with a powerful kick to the body, but this time "The Pitbull" rushed in. Arlovski went airborne, looking to score with a superman punch, but a quick right hook from the champion landed right on the chin and Arlovski went to sleep immediately. 

Clearly, Arlovski trained hard for this fight and looked great. But one punch can get the job done and Fedor Emelianenko continues to build his legacy to mythological proportions. 

Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort also showed the power of the punch with his very impressive win over Matt Lindland. Belfort showed his hand speed with a beautiful left jab, right hook combination that landed cleanly on Lindland. "The Law" hit the canvas and it took one more punch for Belfort to get the win. 

Belfort looked tremendous Saturday and a middleweight title shot should be in the works for him as he seems to have returned to form. Lindland had a scary moment as he struggled to get to his feet and seemed totally disoriented, but I give credit to the great medical staff on hand as they tended to Lindland immediately and kept him safe. 

Three strikes and he's out?

Featherweight powerhouse Urijah Faber and MMA legend Jens Pulver met for the second time Sunday night and unfortunately for "Lil Evil," the result was the same. 

Faber showed why he is considered the best featherweight in the world (even though he lost the title to Mike Brown in November) by putting Pulver away with efficient striking and a guillotine choke. 

The loss means Pulver has now lost three consecutive fights in the WEC, which would make one think how much he has left. Pulver is a 34 years old, which is still fairly young, but he has fought 31 times. I think there are still good fights left in "Lil Evil," but I don't think he will ever be champion. If he is satisfied to just compete, he should continue. If he wants to be champion, he should probably walk away and focus on coaching since he is a natural in that aspect.

The other main event for WEC on Sunday night was Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner vs Donald Cerrone. Let me just say, Cerrone must be built of granite. I had no idea he could take that type of punishment and I don't think Varner did either. 

Varner retained his championship after a split decision, but there will definitely be a rematch. After an unintentional knee to the side of the head, Varner was awarded a 5-minute recovery period. The champion said he could not see, so the fight was stopped and it went to the scorecards where the judges awarded Varner the decision. 

The crowd booed Varner for being unable to continue, as the knee seemed to barely graze his head and many believe he stopped the fight because he could not throw his punches as effectively after he broke it earlier in the fight. Varner is tough as nails and so is Cerrone. The two will meet again and I expect another war. Hopefully Varner will be ready for another go by June. 

Affliction Preview and Picks

Another big weekend of fights is on tap with Affliction 2, Antonio Margarito vs Shane Mosely and WEC 38. That means I have plenty of picks to make and I will start with Affliction 2. 

The second installment on mixed martial arts action from the clothing company seems like a winner. Oscar De La Hoya is helping promote it, Tito Ortiz is commentating and one of the biggest heavyweight matchups of all time is headlining the card. The event had its road bumps though.

The company has been rumored to be on the verge of bankruptcy, though owner Tom Atencio firmly denies it. They also struggled to sell tickets for the event and the general consensus is the pay-per-view purchases won't be enough to offset the financial losses the event will most likely accumulate. 

If that wasn't enough, it received heartbreaking news just a few days ago when Chris Horodecki was not medically cleared by CSAC to fight Saturday. I was looking forward to Horodecki getting back in action, especially against a quality opponent like Dan Lauzon.

But if this is the last card Affliction puts on, then it is going down in a blaze of glory. Though I think Affliction's new financial backer, Donald Trump, might be able to throw some cash at them if they need it.

Anyways, this isn't an economics class, so lets get to the picks that will be the sure money makers for all you gamblers out there. 

Jay Hieron vs Jason High

Hieron has had a lot of praise lately, and while he has improved, I think he may be getting a little overhyped. However, the Xtreme Couture member draws an inexperienced fighter in Jason High. High is 5-0 with a win over tough Kevin Burns, but Hieron's athleticism and experience should be enough to get the win. 

Hieron via unanimous decision

Paul Buentello vs Kiril Sidelnikov

This is going to be an exciting fight. Buentello loves to go for the knockout and Sidelnikov is Fedor Emelianenko's protege. Though Buentello has faced much better competition and is much more experienced, every future star needs a breakout fight and I think that's what this will be for Sidelnikov. Here is the upset pick.

Sidelnikov via 1st round knockout

Antonio "Minotoro" Nogueira vs Vladimir Matyushenko

This should be a war. Nogueira, the brother of the former UFC heavyweight champion, is a jujitsu ace and is tough as nails. Matyushenko was dominant in the IFL and is also a tough out. I expect Matyushenko to put Nogueira on his back and try to ground and pound, but Nogueira's jujitsu will be too good. The fight will get back on the feet where Nogueira should put Matyushenko down. 

Nogueira via 3rd round knockout

Josh Barnett vs Gilbert Yvel

Yvel is dangerous on his feet, but for some reason I just don't get excited about this matchup. Barnett will look to shoot alot and secure his share of takedowns and probably put Yvel away with some tough work and ground-and-pound offense. Yvel's only chance is a perfectly timed kick on a Barnett shot, but I think this one is pretty much decided. This is the sure bet. 

Barnett via 2nd round TKO stoppage

Vitor Belfort vs Matt Lindland

This is tough. Lindland is maybe the best wrestler in MMA, but he only has two fights in the last two years and is 38 years old. Belfort can be a phenom, like his nickname suggests, but he loses focus at unpredictable times. Lindland trains very hard, but Belfort has confidence with a three-fight winning streak going. If it's on the feet I think Belfort, if it's on the ground it could go either way. Time to make a decision. 

Belfort via 2nd round knockout

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs Renato "Babalu" Sobral

This is probably not right of me, but anytime I think of Babalu I think of him getting knocked out by Jason Lambert. I know Sobral is a great fighter, and people have jumped on his bandwagon again, but I'm not ready to. I know he really wants to fight Tito Ortiz and the only way to do that is win, but I think Sokoudjo is too explosive of a striker and will knock him out. 

Sokoudjo via 1st round knockout

WAMMA Heavyweight Championship: Andrei Arlovski vs Fedor Emelianenko

I am beyond excited for this fight. Arlovski is a Chicago guy and brought in legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach. Emelianenko is...well...he is Emelianenko. This one will have fireworks throughout and while I think Arlovski will have his moments, Emelianenko has no quit. When asked about Arlovski's training with Roach, Fedor just smiled. Not in a cocky way, but in the way you know he has it won. There is something very scary and unexplainable about him. 

Emelianenko retains title via 3rd round knockout