WHO IS THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD?

[DUCE]

In continuation from my ranting on the UFC 70 thread. I enjoyed that free show. There where three solid heavyweight battles that boiled down to be not so great of fights. Gonzaga vs. Mirko was awesome. Highlight reel karma. Kongo and Silva.... What the hell? Honestly, if they wanted this card to be one of the greatest cards free on TV they should have tweeked these guys around. (This is all on afterthought though. When I saw the card I thought it would be alot better then it was.) No complaints from me but as far as style matchups go I'd par them up like this;

C Kongo vs. Werdum
Gab Gonzaga vs. Assuerio Silva
Arlovski vs.Cro Cop

That in my opinion would be a better style matchup for more entertaining bouts. Kongo/Silva and Werdum/Arlovski were below par as far as entertainment value goes.
WHO IS THE CHAMP?
[glow=red,2,300]WHO SHOULD BE IN THE TOP TEN?[/glow]

Honorable mentions
Ricco Rodriguez 25-6-1

www.sherdog.com/Videos/Videos.asp?v_id=816
Ricco? Where are you bro? What you love your rice and beans? Huh, you hate Timmah and want to knock his teeth out? Yeah, you should have won that decision against Big Nog...

All of this and more can be from numerous interviews from the ex UFC Champ. He man won the KOTC title and was Mark Kerr's training partner during his smashing machine days. Huh? You want a million dollars to fight again??? This is the main reason Ricco will fade away. He might be Tito's friend and has defeated Arlovski but the fact that he is overweight, has close ties with bad connections(drugs are bad Mr Kerr), and well his attitude may be the nail in the coffin for his great career.

Heath "Texas Crazy Horse" Herring 27-12-0

This guy is a great fighter. Always entertaining and at one time a threat to Pride's world title. He broke a few fighter's streaks and he is on a viral video knocking the taste out of Nakao's kiss stealing mouth. I hope Heath can get his winning ways back. Maybe get an IFL team?

Fabricio Werdum 9 - 3 - 1

Just shy of being top ten. That loss against Arlovski is very harmfull to his standing. Firstly, if Dana White is going to listen to his idiot annouce team(half the stuff that comes out of their mouth doesn't happen or is incorrect) then Werdum is not coming back because he was stalling the fight. Arlovski said himself "boxing coach said stick with jab not go down to ground." This match was a bad match of styles or a booking problem. How much money was in the winners purse? Hmmmm? Not enough to get Arlovski to go Jiu Jitsu like his last match. Secondly, UFC NOW owns Pride... so Werdum has himself in a pickle jar. Bad move Fab if you can't get another match from Zuffa. Bodog? IFL team? Jungle Fight? K-1?

Jake O'Brien 10 - 0 - 0
His record speaks for him. He beat Herring. He is someone to watch.

Jeff Monson 23 - 6 - 0
The snowman took the main event last Pride. Will he remain? Whos next? Are they grooming him for a showdown his Fedor?


Dan "The Beast" Severn 77-14-7
This guy fought three times in February! He is a legend. Sure he looks like Freddy Mercury but that doesn'tmake him a joke! Dan won the Ultimate Ultimate!

[DUCE]

[glow=red,2,300]THE TOP TEN(IMO)[/glow]

10. Brandon "The Truth" Vera 8 - 0

Why the Truth so high up here? Jake O'Brien has two more wins, right? He destroyed Frank Mir and Justin Eilers. His win over Assuerio Silva was like lighting. No one has done that to him before. This might be a short stay for "The Truth" but he deserves it. I'd like to see him fight Timmah!

[glow=red,2,300]9[/glow] Alexander Emelianenko/ Andrei Arlovski

Aleksander Emelianenko 10 - 3
He recently beat Eric Pele who was on a 5-0 winning streak against some names(Bobby Hoffman and Travis Fulton). His loss against Werdum was a downer but his win against Sergai Kharitonov still gets him top ten contention. Don't count out Fedor's little bro in any fight!
A tie!

Andrei Arlovski11 - 5 - 0
Andrei has never been a favorite of mine and to be fair I had to question if he should be here or not. He broke my heart destroying Vladimir Matyushenko I think his victory against Werdum was the ticket to getting back into contention. Marcio Cruz wasn't much of a fight for him. His UFC reign wasn't marked by defences against world class fighters. Justin Eilers and Paul Buentello... I like Paul he is a KOTC champ. Its hard to rank him high after two loses to Timmah and one victory against a world class fighter in Werdum. I'd love to see him fight(and lose) Cro Cop, Couture, Fedor, Big Nog, and hell why not Heath Herring? He should fight at least two more fighters before getting a title shot consideration. Timmah and Arlovski should never fight again unless they are in a grand prix final...

8.) GABRIEL GONZAGA 8 - 1
<-actual picture post UFC 70
Gab what have you really done to get a match with Cro Cop? Did Cro Cop ask for it? Did you accept a low purse amount for the winner? Screw this guys octagon ability! Man, this guys got some political genius behind him! Why did you drop your arm Mirko? How did he know? What a shot! Is Randy going to Tito spank him? Does he have another plan for his fight with Couture? Was this his moment to flash in the pan? Lets look at Gabriel Gonzaga...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Gonzaga
Well... he is 12 days older then me... Hey! It says he is 9-1? The UFC profile says 7-1 and sherdog says 8-1. Who is Mark Potvin? GAh.. stupid wikis! (google says Mark Potvin hung himself with a shower curtain...)

Uhh.... so he has beaten up Charlie Brown also? www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=10381


Good grief! Someone callllllllll...........

CAPTAIN AMERICA!

[DUCE]

7. Mark Hunt 5-3

He has fought every one of his fights in Pride. A former K-1 main stay. Fought VERY well against Fedor. I have heard little about whats next for Hunt. He said he was going to train harder for his fights in 2007. The Zuffa pride snuff has removed him from the mainstream media. Whats up Mark? You still plaining on improving your game or are you at a loss for the future? I noticed he was on the poster for Pride 34. He was listed as fighting TBA. Then he was no longer on the card.

Something fishy is going on...

6. Sergei Kharitonov 14 - 3

2006 was a horrible year for Kharitonov. Hes back though. Hes got wins over Werdum, Shilt, Rizzo, Rua, and Choi. Sergei could fit into the title picture in the UFC or get some of Jeff Monson. The future is still bright for him

5.Tim "Maine-iac" Sylvia 23 - 3

(note the love in Dana's eyes for Andrei)
TIMMAH! What multi time champ has had a series of embarring scenes and lack of popularity like Tim(besides his buddy Mat)?If I woke up one day I found out I was Tim Sylvia I wouldn't feel so bad about it. He is a centerpeice of the HW division. The ex champ who gets a rematch some time in the future. He is now the dark horse. Tim would stack up good against Gonzaga right? Maybe if his back injury gets better he can beat Randy? Cro Cop can't beat his reach and KO power? What about a Fedor showdown? Well, lets see whats on Tim's mind via his blog;
"Matt and I are in St. Louis, MO today and tomorrow for the NRA show. I got my 3rd cortisone shot for my back and if this doesn't work out, I'll have surgery in 2 weeks. Heading up to Oregon on Wednesday for some turkey hunting, I'll be hanging out with my buddies from BowTech Archery while I'm up there"

Seems like he is focused on supporting the NRA and getting his back taken care of. Turkey hunting? But its not even November...

[DUCE]

4. Josh Barnett 20-5

The pop that was heard round the world! That was Josh's piss test popping and his UFC Heavyweight title dropping. After UFC 36 he had only just recently got his stuff in order to fight in Nevada. He has beaten Couture, Nog, Schilt, Aleksander Emelianenko, Mark Hunt, McGee, and Severn. He made it to the final of the Grand Prix last year. There are talks about him fighting Fedor.

3. Randy Couture 15-8

Great comeback. Seems to be Couture's story again and again.

2. Mirko "Cro Cop"Filipovic 22 - 5 - 2

Said he was going to be doing some serious thinking about the future. One thing I know is that Cro Cop has to be thinking about a rematch. 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix winner.

1. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira 29 - 4 - 1

Should be the man to beat right now.

[DUCE]

This man is the heavyweight champion of the world.

Fedor Emelianenko 26 - 1

[vansabu]

Dude Matt isnt the only buddy Timmay has you forgot me !!!!!! Anyway I enjoyed this . Very informative and LOL funny - great work, thanks for the time you put into this.

[DUCE]

vansabu said:

Dude Matt isnt the only buddy Timmay has you forgot me !!!!!! Anyway I enjoyed this . Very informative and LOL funny - great work, thanks for the time you put into this.

Your very welcome. Saturday's UFC was inspiring. I'd mark out if Gonzaga beat Couture and Timmah in the coming year.

[dukedave]

duce said:

Saturday's UFC was inspiring. I'd mark out if Gonzaga beat Couture and Timmah in the coming year.

No!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not Timmay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, wait, I'm not vansabu. Gonzaga kicking Timmay's head literally off his shoulders would be cool.

[vansabu]

He will never reach his leg up there to catch him - it might hit his ribs. LOL ....Randy and Gonzaga seems to be a good match up. I hope they tear the house down.

[pikemojo]

This was fun and a good look at who we can (hopefully) look forward to seeing in the future. Thanks.

[DUCE]

I am thinking about doing a light heavyweight and welterweight champion thread after I finish making a few support charactors and puting up the rest of the Saturday Night Slam Master Bootlegs(Muscle bomber duo) in the bootlegs section. Thanks

[JMello]

Very informative and no one can deny, Fedor is the man to beat currently. Who will be the one to pull it off?

[vansabu]

Whatch out for the big comeback from THE MAINE-IAC !!!!! HE will bust some heads when he returns - HE WILL BE CHAMPION ONE DAY SOON !!!!!!

[dukedave]

vansabu said:

HE WILL BE WEC CHAMPION ONE DAY SOON !!!!!!

Well, that's not showing too much confidence.

[DUCE]

Doug Marshal better run or not go turkey hunting this season

[dukedave]

Marshall is the WEC light Heavyweight champ so I don't think Timmay will be able to make 205. However, I don't even know who their Heavyweight champ is. The WEC doesn't even have a listing of their champions and the last Heavyweight title fight was over a year ago. Maybe they should just give it to Timmay and have him fight his remaining fights for WEC to promote them.

Anywho, Marshall is a complete idiot. Here's a Marshall quote after his win last night.


"The WEC is the top of the food chain baby," Marshall shouted. "And I'm the one with the target on my back. Anybody who wants to fight me they got to call up the WEC and they can find me."

If we're lucky they'll send Irvin back to hand him his lunch again and shut him up.

[DUCE]

Justin Eilers vs. Doug Marshall for the WEC Heavyweight title

[habbalah]

The straight dope.

These are things the way I see them. Not how I want to.. just how it appears to be to me.

Mark Hunt if (and only if) Zuffa does take over Pride he shouldn't be ranked. He can't make the heavy weight limit so he's a lame duck and has no further place to prove himself.

It's a shame but that's just how it is. I don't feel a need to argue Arlovski. Fighters have started to buy fans bs. Werdum before fighting Arlvoski claimed he had a glass jaw. He saw the fan hype and it didn't take him any way. The moral of the story is don't buy internet B.S,

Either Arlvoski will prove himself or he won't. But by God if he does I'll be here to grind it on in.

GABRIEL GONZAGA
Skys the limit. If he can stay hungry.. and on target I think he's destined for great things. If he starts beleiving he's the man and starts taking it easy... well we've seen that before in the ufc.

Sergai... first of.. I Love Seriga, he's a class act. He could possibly beat almost anyone out there..... He just hasn't been fighting like it lately. I hear he's fighting Josh in K-1 hero's soon. I hope he Ko's the otaku.

Tim S.

Well than counting out Tim is only going to set me up to look really, really stupid later on. Being boring doesn't make you less of a fighter. it just makes you less of a fighter I'd want to pay to see. Again I'll bet my buttom dollar he'll see his title match. Before 2008 is up. But I guess I'll be eating Crow if he ever touches the belt again.

I guess Nog could have a heart attack and Randy could retire.

Josh B.
I think it's all down hill for the baby face assian. I think he's going to go to down to the bush leagues to avoid having to put up with the Wonder that is Dana White land. It's a shame. To know Josh won't see the talent he deserves, and not because a lack of performance. It's like watchign Frank Shamrock all over agian in slow motion.

Randy Couture

Mr free roll. Honestly he doesn't have much to prove to me, or any of his die hard fans. Anything we get after this point is just grazy. I smile picturing Randy getting the chance to beat Fedor...or clash with Nog... but anything else just feels so,... so, so to me.
I want Randy to destroy the stars that I've had to hear about for years.. as being better for years... Gabe (awesome as he is) just isn't one of those.

Cro Cop
Heh I love watching you fall down officer. I hope you get up one more time so I can enjoy the show agian.

Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira
Hair to the throne of my favorite fighters after Randy retires. I hope he gets the ufc belt.. I hope he gets Fedor some day. No one else deserves it like he does.

Fedor

The mma standard of excellence. I think the only reason why I can't make him my number one favorite fighter.. is that I would have nothing left to chear for. The only sure bet in mma.

[habbalah]

Stole this from the Dog... just felt it should fit here.

Many of the questions focused on Fedor's recent fight in the BODOGFight "Russia vs. USA" tournament, held in Saint Petersburg on April 14.
Q: Lindland admired your armbar in his last interview. He indicated that he has never seen it done that way before, and that it was an unusual way to do it. He said that he did not think he was in danger until he felt his arm straighten. What was it? Sambo? Jiu-jitsu? Catch wrestling? Something new?
A: That submission was standard, the implementation was mine. I blocked his arm by squeezing it very tightly with my legs.
Q: Did you see the fight between Gonzaga and CroCop in the last UFC? What did you think of Gonzaga? What was CroCop's mistake?
A: I saw that fight. It was clear that Gonzaga had studied CroCop very well, and he was able to do some things that other fighters had not done before. That is, he followed a predefined plan. He had a very intelligent strategy. CroCop could not get into the fight, even though his level of skill was above Gonzaga's.
Q: In the last two fights you fought from the top position and won via submission. Tell us, why didn't we see the ground and pound techniques we are so used to seeing from you?
A: There was no need for it. I felt that I will be able to win via submission.
Q: Dana White said recently that the losses of former Pride fighters in UFC show that the level of Pride fighters have always been inferior to UFC. What's your opinion of the UFC fighters, for example, Couture, or Arlovski?
A: I don't think that fighters in Pride are weaker than the ones in the UFC. In my opinion, the Pride fighter roster is stronger. I really like Randy Couture; I really respect him as a fighter and as a person. He deserves admiration. Andrey Arlovski is a very tough fighter, and I like his matches. Although, he does not always use his strongest qualities.
Q: Do you have any experience with elbow strikes? Is it going to be hard for you to adjust to the UFC rules if you compete in that organization?
A: I do use elbow strikes, and I am working on that technique. I don't think I'll have any difficulties with the rules.
Q: Hello, Fedor. I am 17 years old, and I live in Yakutsk, Russia. I'd like to come to the Red Devil club and study Mixed Martial Arts. Do you have a special program for out-of-towners? Is it possible to train with you, personally?
A: We now have an academy in Saint-Petersburg that's associated with the Red Devil club, and we have a gym.
So far we haven't worked with visiting fighters.
It is possible to train with me, but that's more likely in Stary Oskol, since I am there more often.
Q: Fedor, some websites say that in 2001 you fought with Martin Lazarev in an MMA match at the RINGS Russia vs. Bulgaria II show. More established sited do not have that fight. Did it really happen?
A: I did "fight" with Martin Lazarev, but that was in 2000. I won via a choke.
Q: I read in one of your interviews that you were thinking of becoming a politician. Is it true? If so, then why? In my opinion, athletes who become politicians lose the respect of their fans, and don't achieve anything notable in politics either. Look at Karelin, for example.
A: I am not planning to become a politician.
Q: My name is Cyrill. I am 14, and I've been studying boxing for two years. Can I come from Saint Petersburg to Stary Oskol and join your training camp? What should I do? Who should I call?A: Why don't we start small. Let's meet in Saint Petersburg in the Red Devil club.


Q: Where does your nickname "The Last Emperor" come from?
A: That's what the Japanese fans call me.
Q: Hello, Fedor! When are you planning to retire? Are you afraid of losing and retiring defeated?
A: In the nearest future we'll sign a contract for a year or two, so I am not planning to retire at least for that long. I try not to think about losing, and I will not lose on purpose.
Q: One notable characteristic of Russian fighters is that they are completely calm before and during the fight. It's impossible to see any signs of nervousness. Where does this calmness come from? Is there some special psychological training?
A: There is no special training, it's just a character trait. As one gains experience, one learns to get one's emotions in order for a fight.
Q: What's more important for you as a fighter: the ability to earn good money, or the worldwide popularity and fame of the best fighter in the heavyweight division and in all of MMA?
A: All of these factors are important for me. Remaining the best heavyweight fighter is the most important one.
Q: Is there and particular fighter you would like to compete with in the future?
A: Yes. Rulon Gardner, the Olympic champion who defeated Aleksander Karelin.
Q: Are you planning to hold a seminar in Finland?
A: I haven't received any offers to do that so far.
Q: Do you ever have dreams where you are in a ring, and do you usually win, like in reality, or does the fight not go according to plan?
A: I do sometimes have dreams where I am fighting, but I don't try to remember those dreams or try to attribute any meaning to them.
Q: Why didn't you take part in the filming of the "Pride Decade" program? A large part of the program was dedicated to you, and everyone said that you are the greatest fighter in the world.
A: I haven't received any offers to participate in that program. This is the first time I hear about it.
Q: I'd like to know the status of the championship belt, although it is just a formality. Since you are not under a contract right now, and since you are in negotiations with Zuffa, have they threatened to take away your title? Do you still have your championship belts?
A: During the first stages of negotiations there really were threats to take away the title. At this point, it's no longer a problem. It seems that we have found some common ground.
My championship belts are in a sports academy in Stary Oskol, so that kids who study there can see them and have something to strive for.
Q: When are you going to compete in Russia again? Where is it going to be?
A: One of the conditions of our next contract will be participation in the next Mix Fight show in Russia. It's planned for next year, and will be held, most likely, in Moscow, in the Fall.
Q: Do you prefer rules that include elbows and a cage, or a ring and no elbows?
A: As far as I know, from now on UFC and Pride will have identical rules.
Q: Could you provide regular comments on MMA shows and fighters performances? You could just mentions some key points, mistakes, advantages, etc, and the the web guy could just put it all on the web site...
A: I don't really have much time to watch the shows....
Q: How is your youngest brother, Ivan, doing? How's Cyrill (Sidelnikov)? Have they recovered from the injuries?
A: Ivan is not going to compete in MMA. Cyrill is progressing well. He has recovered from the injury and has started training again.
Q: How was it talking to Putin? Any memorable moments?
A: We had tea with Vladimir Vladimirovich and discussed various topics. He mentioned that he watches the fights when he can and that he is very interested in our performances.


Q: How did you like competing in Saint Petersburg? Was the support even remotely close to the Japanese 40,000 people shows?
A: I liked it a lot. Our audience is on par with the Japanese fans. We could feel that people in the audience weren't watching MMA for the first time, and that they understood what was going on in the ring. Pride needed several years to get to that point in Japan.
Q: The most common topic on English-language forums after your fight with Lindland was whether the ropes helped you, and whether the rules were broken.
A: I didn't hold the ropes, I leaned on the top rope, and it was not a conscious reaction. I don't think that the rules were broken.
Q: Were you afraid that the fight was going to be stopped because of the cut? Was that the reason that you applied the armbar that fast?
A: I tried not to think about the cut. I continued to fight in my normal pace, and focused on making the right decisions.
Q: Are you planning to have more kids? Someone has to follow in your footsteps...
A: Of course. We have to support the president's plans, right?
Q: All the best to you. Good luck in building the house, and having more kids. And good luck in cranking up the submissions, like you did with Lindland - they don't deserve any breaks.
A: I didn't want to crank the submission like that, it happened only because I felt that Matt could escape the position. I really respect that fighter; he reminds me a lot of Randy Couture.
Q: I noticed that you rarely use strikes to the liver (well, except for the fight with Goodridge). Why is that?
A: I attack the places that I see as targets in that particular moment. It happens automatically.
Q: What do you think about "spiking" - throwing the opponents on the ground head first? Have you ever had an opportunity and the desire to throw someone that way in a fight?
A: I had opportunities like that, but I never had any desire to spike anyone.
Q: Do you have any fears or phobias?
A: No.
Q: Would you accept a challenge from any fighter?
A: I'll accept a challenge from anyone, as long as the contract is fair.
Q: Do you consider yourself the best heavyweight fighter in the world?
A: I never considered myself the best fighter.

Q: Do you have any heroes?
A: Yes. Yuri Vlasov, Soviet weightlifter.
Q: Do you think one of your brothers might take your place in the future? Is that something you want?
A: I'd like that, but I am afraid it will never happen.
Q: What's your favorite food?A: I eat everything - and there is a lot of good food out there.
Q: Do you follow a diet? What is it?
A: I don't have a diet. My only rule is that I try to eat less fatty food and avoid cakes and candy.
Q: Do you have any "surprises" that you have not utilized in your fights yet?
A: My coach thinks that I've shown only 50% of my capabilities.
Q: Do you usually have a game plan, at least for the first moments of the match?
A: I don't usually have a very defined plan, but I do have certain things sketched out.
Q: You missed a punch during the first seconds of your fight with Matt Lindland. Was it unexpected, or were you unable to react fast enough?
A: I saw that punch, but I misjudged the distance a bit.
Q: Do you think that your future opponents will try to use the same strategy against you: throw a quick punch without getting into a heavy exchange, use the momentum to push the fight to the ropes, and attempt to take the fight to the ground trying to gain the top position?
A: I'll take that mistake into account.
Q: Are you going to prepare to counter this strategy?
A: Of course.
Q: How would you rate the leglock you applied in your last fight?
A: I accomplished what I wanted.
Q: Are you planning to do leglocks more often?
A: I am working on my submissions, and I'd like to get them to be perfect.
Q: How was your vacation?
A: It was great, very relaxing. I loved going to the gym.
Q: Matt Lindland said in his interview that he'd like to have a rematch. Do you think he will be able to perform even better?
A: I'd like to have a rematch with Matt. He is a very interesting fighter.
Q: Fedor, when are you competing next?
A: At this point, I can tell you that I will definitely compete in the World Combat Sambo Championship in Czech Republic. I don't have an MMA contract at this moment.
Q: Who do you consider to be the most dangerous super-heavyweight in Pride and in the world, besides yourself?
A: My coach just walked in, and I think it's probably him. I am afraid of him more than anyone else. He can leave me without breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Q: If you could fight any fighter in the history of combat sports, who would it be?
A: I never thought about that.
Q: Would you like to fight in K-1?
A: We haven't received any offers from K-1.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vladimir Voronov, Fedor's head coach, was also able to participate in the online meeting. Here are the questions that fans asked Vladimir:
Q: You work with every athlete in Fedor's team and in Red Devil. Why is it that none of them have been able to approach Fedor's level? There is a huge gap between them. What is the reason? Fedor says that he does not have any special genetic traits he was born with.
A: When Fedor started competing in MMA, he already was an International Master of Sport in Judo and Sambo. We've been working with Red Devil for three years now, and a lot of the young fighters have really improved, but this amount of time is just not enough to reach Fedor's level.
Q: Besides training established fighters, do you train beginners, or do you only work with professionals?
A: The guys that join our team come from a variety of combat sports, and they usually have zero striking skills. If they don't have enough willpower and patience, there is really no place for them in this sport.
Q: As a coach, how early do you think one should start training in MMA? What is the best background for it?
A: It's hard to say. The best age is probably around 16 or 17, but they should have some experience in one combat sport or another.
Q: How do you select people for the team? Do you have anyone from other regions of Russia?
A: We have guys from completely different parts of Russia, anywhere from Caucuses to Moscow. They just haven't competed yet. Really, we don't invite anyone personally to the team. The guys just find us themselves.
Q: What were the reasons for the losses of our guys to the Americans in the St.Petersburg show?
A: First of all, only Yulia and Dmitriy Samoilov lost their matches, and both of them were leading on points. Samoilov did not have enough competition experience, and Yulia simply did not follow the plan developed by the coaches.
Q: There are a lot of questions about Aleksander (Emelianenko's) shape. The fight with Pele left us with more questions than answers. What are your comments?
A: Aleksander was not there in the first stage of our training camp in Kislovodsk, and that affected his shape. As far as the fight goes, you really should ask Aleksander himself, since he prepared for this fight on his own.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Hunting.

[DUCE]

MMA Weekly's ranking as of 23rd of May

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)

#1 Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko

2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

3. Mirko Cro Cop

4. Josh Barnett

5. Randy Couture

6. Gabriel Gonzaga

7. Tim Sylvia

8. Andrei Arlovski

9. Fabricio Werdum

10. Aleksander Emelianenko