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Friday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Friday
5:00 a.m. ET Fox Sports 2: The Ultimate Fighter Nations
Season 1 Episode 7: Canada vs. Australia: Chills and Thrills Richie's win has the Aussies on a roll; 4-time Judo Olympian Dan Kelly faces Canadian striker Sheldon Westcott.
6:00 a.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Unleashed
The best fights from the UFC archives, Rory MacDonald vs. Mike Pyle; Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim; Brendan Schaub vs Mirko Cro Cop; Rashad Evans vs Tito Ortiz.
12:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Unleashed
The best fights from the UFC archives, Nate Diaz fights Jim Miller; Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills; Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira; Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman.
1:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 1: UFC Countdown
UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann Go behind the scenes as six elite fighters prepare for pivotal bouts at UFC 170 on Saturday, February 22.
2:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Ultimate Insider
Thomson/McMann/ Gracies/McGregor
2:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Central
Hosted by "Showdown" Joe Ferraro. UFC highlights and news.
2:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet West: UFC Central
Hosted by "Showdown" Joe Ferraro. UFC highlights and news.
2:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet Ontario:UFC Unleashed
The best fights from the UFC archives
2:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet East: UFC Unleashed
The best fights from the UFC archives
2:30 p.m. ET Fox Sports 2: The Ultimate Fighter Nations
Season 1 Episode 7: Canada vs. Australia: Chills and Thrills Richie's win has the Aussies on a roll; 4-time Judo Olympian Dan Kelly faces Canadian striker Sheldon Westcott.
3:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Unleashed
The best fights from the UFC archives
3:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet West: UFC Unleashed
The best fights from the UFC archives
3:30 p.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Ultimate Insider
Thomson/McMann/ Gracies/McGregor
4:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Main Event
UFC 168: Rousey vs. Tate Heated rivals Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate rematch in one of the most exciting fights in the women's bantamweight division.
5:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Countdown
UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann Go behind the scenes as six elite fighters prepare for pivotal bouts at UFC 170 on Saturday, February 22.
6:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Unleashed
The best fights from the UFC archives, Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva
7:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Weigh-In
UFC 170: Ronda Rousey vs.Sara McMann
8:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Reloaded
UFC 157: Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche
8:00 p.m. ET AXS TV: The Voice Versus
Dana White UFC President Dana White discusses the early days of UFC, boxing vs. MMA, and Fedor Emelianenko.
9:00 p.m. ET AXS TV: Inside MMA
EPISODE: 329 Kenny Rice, Bas Rutten and Ron Kruck discuss UFC 170; Pat Miletich and Michael Schiavello preview Legacy FC 28.
10:00 p.m. ET AXS TV: AXS TV Fights
Legacy Fighting Championship 28 Bubba Bush fights Rakim Cleveland; champion kick boxer Cosmo Alexandre; live from San Antonio.
11:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Weigh-In
UFC 170: Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann Read more -
Top 5 Forum Threads of the Week
By: Jeff Sherwood
How would Fedor Emelianenko handle the current heavyweight champ? | Photo: Taro Irei/Sherdog.com
The comparisons were inevitable.
Not long after Cain Velasquez retained the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title and completed his trilogy with Junior dos Santos by scoring a fifth-round technical knockout over the Brazilian at UFC 166 in Houston, talk turned to whether or not the American Kickboxing Academy ace had entered the discussion for greatest heavyweight of all-time. That brought Russian legend Fedor Emelianenko into the equation. How would Velasquez fare in a hypothetical matchup with the former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder?
Emelianenko -- who turned 37 in September -- went on an historic 28-fight unbeaten streak from April 2001 until June 2010, during which he captured the Pride heavyweight crown and became an almost mythic figure in MMA. Known for his stoic demeanor, soft physique and overwhelming all-around skills, “The Last Emperor” delivered 26 of his 34 professional victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission, a staggering 23 of them inside the first round. His lengthy list of victims includes four former UFC titleholders (Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman), three Olympic medalists (Matt Lindland, Naoya Ogawa and Satoshi Ishii) and three K-1 World Grand Prix winners (Mirko Filipovic, Semmy Schilt and Mark Hunt).
Spawned by Russia’s Red Devil Sport Club, Emelianenko won the Pride heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Brazilian icon Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in March 2003 and never relinquished it. Having never competed inside the UFC, his legacy took a hit after two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Fabricio Werdum submitted him in Strikeforce in June 2010. Emelianenko proceeded to lose his next to bouts to Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson in decisive fashion.
Items of interest on the Sherdog.net forums this week:
Past vs. Present
Question of Superiority
Lasting Effects
Knocking the Klitschkos
Unlikely Alliances
Reader comments are active following the jump. Read more -
Saturday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Saturday
3:00 a.m. ET AXS: The Voice Versus
UFC President Dana White discusses the early days of UFC, boxing vs. MMA, and Fedor Emelianenko.
4:00 a.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Countdown
UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3 Cain Velasquez takes on Junior dos Santos, the only man to beat him; Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson.
6:30 a.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Primetime
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos 3
7:00 a.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Tonight
UFC highlights, analysis and interviews.
8:00 a.m. ET Fox Sports 2: UFC Fight Night
Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet 360: UFC Primetime
UFC 166 Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
7:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet 360: UFC Primetime
UFC 166 Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
8:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet 360: UFC 166 Prelims From Houston.
Prelims Tim Boetsch vs. C.B. Dollaway, Hector Lombard vs. Nate Marquardt, Jessica Eye vs. Sarah Kaufman, K.J. Noons vs. George Sotiropoulos
8:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 1: UFC 166 Prelims From Houston.
Prelims Tim Boetsch vs. C.B. Dollaway, Hector Lombard vs. Nate Marquart, Jessica Eye vs. Sarah Kaufman, K.J. Noons vs. George Sotiropoulos
9:00 p.m. ET MavTV: King of the Cage
World Amatuer Championships From Palms Casino Resort. Read more -
Andrei Arlovski Still Recalls ‘Stupid’ Flying Knee Against Fedor Emelianenko
By: Sherdog.com Staff
Andrei Arlovski, on “Beatdown,” discussing which fight in his career he remembers the most:
“The stupid flying knee against [Fedor] Emelianenko, when I jumped for the f--king flying knee. I never did this and I did it once when I fought Ben Rothwell and I kind of hurt him with a flying knee. People went crazy. My friends went crazy. I thought to myself, ‘… Arlovski, you can do whatever you want.’ It was so stupid. I jumped [for the flying knee against Fedor] and lights out. Definitely I’m not going to do that anymore. … Pretty much often, I think about that stupid move … but it’s OK.”
Follow the jump for reader comments. Read more -
Friday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Friday
3:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC 101: The Moves
Learn the secret moves of the best fighters in the world.
3:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC From All Angles
Former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.
4:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Fight Night
UFC Fight Night 21: Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi in Charlotte, N.C.
10:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Fight Night
UFC Fight Night 21: Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi in Charlotte, N.C.
12:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Fight Night
UFC Fight Night 24: Relive all the action from UFC: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Phil Davis in Seattle.
4:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: Best of PRIDE Fighting Championship
Nick Diaz vs Takanori Gomi.
4:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet 360: UFC Wired
Joe Rogan hosts this UFC highlight show featuring some of the best bouts from years past.
5:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
EPISODE: 112
5:30 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
FOX 8 Fight Flashback: Demetrious Johnson puts his flyweight title on the line; Mauricio Rua trains at the Wildcard boxing gym; Behind the scenes access as Georges St. Pierre.
6:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC 163: Jose Aldo vs. Chan Sung Jung - Prelims
Ian McCall vs. Iliarde Santos; Sergio Moraes vs. Neil Magny; Amanda Nunes vs. Sheila Gaff; Vinny Magalhaes vs. Anthony Perosh. From Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
8:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Michael McDonald vs. Renan Barao
Michael McDonald vs. Renan Barao; Dustin Poirier vs. Cub Swanson; Cyrille Diabate vs. Jimi Manuwa; Jorge Santiago Gunnar Nelson; Ryan Jimmo vs. James Te Huna; Matthew Riddle vs. Che Mills. From London.
9:00 p.m. ET AXS: Inside MMA
EPISODE: 302 Ron Kruck and Bas Rutten preview the World Series of Fighting 4; Carlos Condit and Jeff Curran preview their upcoming fights; Kenny Rice talks with UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
11:30 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
FOX 8 Fight Flashback; Demetrious Johnson puts his flyweight title on the line; Mauricio Rua trains at the Wildcard boxing gym; Behind the scenes access as Georges St. Pierre.
12:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: Best of PRIDE Fighting Championship
Nick Diaz vs Takanori Gomi.
12:00 a.m. ET AXS: The Voice Versus
UFC President Dana White discusses the early days of UFC, boxing vs. MMA, and Fedor Emelianenko. Read more -
Saturday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Saturday
3:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
FX 8: UFC ON FX 8: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold from Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil.
3:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
FOX 7 Fight Flashback Ultimate Fighter upset winner Kelvin Gastelum in studio.
4:00 a.m. ET AXS: Inside MMA
EPISODE: 290 Kenny and Bas Rutten preview UFC on FX 8; a look at transgender fighter Fallon Fox.
6:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping; C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian; Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell; Thiago Tavares vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
8:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
From Iceland emerges Gunnar Nelson; Phil Davis entertains; Alan Belcher's jiu-jitsu skill; visit the Tristar Dorms.
8:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
FOX 7 Fight Flashback Ultimate Fighter upset winner Kelvin Gastelum in studio.
9:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
From Iceland emerges Gunnar Nelson; Phil Davis entertains; Alan Belcher's jiu-jitsu skill; visit the Tristar Dorms.
9:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
FOX 7 Fight Flashback Ultimate Fighter upset winner Kelvin Gastelum in studio.
12:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
FOX 7 Fight Flashback Ultimate Fighter upset winner Kelvin Gastelum in studio.
12:30 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
FX 8: Preview UFC ON FX 8: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold from Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil.
1:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold: Weigh-in
From the Arena Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil.
2:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez
Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez battle for the light heavyweight title; Frank Mir vs. Daniel Cormier; Nate Diaz vs. Josh Thomson. From San Jose, Calif.
6:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold - Prelims
Roger Hollett vs. Fabio Maldonado; Iliarde Santos vs. luri Alcantara; Michel Prazeres vs. Paulo Thiago; John Cholish vs. Gleison Tibau; Mike Rio vs. Francisco Trinaldo; Nik Lentz vs. Hacran Dias. From Santa Catarina, Brazil.
9:00 p.m. ET FX: UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
Joao Zeferino vs. Rafael Natal; Evan Dunham vs. Rafael dos Anjos; Chris Camozzi vs. Jacare Souza; Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold. From Santa Catarina, Brazil.
11:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Post-Fight Show
UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold From the Arena Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil.
11:00 p.m. ET AXS: The Voice vs. Dana White
UFC President Dana White discusses the early days of UFC, boxing vs. MMA, and Fedor Emelianenko.
12:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Post-Fight Show
UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold From the Arena Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil. Read more -
Friday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Friday
1:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping; C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian; Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell; Thiago Tavares vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
3:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold: Weigh-in
From the Arena Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil.
4:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 5 Episode 5: Put Me Back In
5:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
FX 8: Preview UFC ON FX 8: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold from Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil.
5:30 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
FOX 7 Fight Flashback Ultimate Fighter upset winner Kelvin Gastelum in studio.
6:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC 159: Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen - Prelims
Yancy Medeiros vs. Rustam Khabilov; Sheila Gaff vs. Sara McMann; Ovince St. Preux vs. Gian Villante; Johnny Bedford vs. Bryan Caraway. From Newark, N.J.
8:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping; C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian; Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell; Thiago Tavares vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
9:00 p.m. ET AXS: Inside MMA
EPISODE: 290 Kenny and Bas Rutten preview UFC on FX 8; a look at transgender fighter Fallon Fox.
10:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold: Weigh-in
From the Arena Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil.
10:00 p.m. ET AXS: The Voice vs. Dana White
UFC President Dana White discusses the early days of UFC, boxing vs. MMA, and Fedor Emelianenko.
11:00 p.m. ET AXS: Inside MMA
EPISODE: 290 Kenny and Bas Rutten preview UFC on FX 8; a look at transgender fighter Fallon Fox.
11:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Reloaded
UFC 79: Georges St. Pierre vs Matt Hughes; Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva.. Read more -
Sherdog Remembers: Rise of ‘The Last Emperor’
By: Brian Knapp
Fedor Emelianenko was not a household name in mixed martial arts circles before March 16, 2003. He was a 26-year-old heavyweight with a gaudy record and two Pride Fighting Championships appearances under his belt. When Emelianenko climbed into the ring to challenge Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for his heavyweight crown at Pride 25 “Body Blow,” those in the know labeled him an underdog.
Nogueira was thought to be unbeatable by some, as he mixed an unwavering fighting spirit with superb conditioning, world-class submission skills and rugged durability. The Brazilian had not tasted defeat in nearly three years and had recently posted submission wins over the monstrous Bob Sapp, the 6-foot-11 Semmy Schilt and two-time Olympian Dan Henderson in one four-month span. What’s more, Nogueira had never been dominated, having suffered his only setback in a split verdict to Henderson in February 2000.
Emelianenko wiped out his aura of invincibility by establishing one of his own. Over the course of their 20-minute encounter, the stoic Russian brutalized Nogueira with ground-and-pound, short-circuiting his potent submission game. By the end of it, the torch had been passed, a new era had dawned.
The exceptional Emelianenko never relinquished the Pride championship and was regarded as the world’s premier heavyweight for the better part of a decade. Not until his submission defeat to Fabricio Werdum under the Strikeforce banner nearly seven years later did “The Last Emperor” release his spell on the heavyweight division. In his wake lay a vast variety of victims, including 2006 Pride open weight grand prix winner Mirko Filipovic, 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland, the 400-pound Wagner da Conceicao Martins, the 7-foot-2 Hong Man Choi, 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix winner Mark Hunt and four former or future Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholders: Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski. Even now, the shadow he casts remains immense.
Pride 25 -- which took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, on this day 10 years ago -- also featured a quartet of memorable first-round finishes, as Quinton Jackson wiped out Randleman, Henderson thumped Shungo Oyama, Antonio Schembri put away Kazushi Sakuraba and Anderson Silva leveled Carlos Newton. Spurred by a spectacular flying knee and follow-up punches, the victory was Silva’s last inside the Pride ring. His next two appearances within the Japanese promotion resulted in submission defeats to Daiju Takase and Ryo Chonan. Few could have foreseen Silva growing into the inexorable force he has become today.
Still, Pride 25 will go down in the history books as the event in which Emelianenko began his reign over the heavyweights. No one before or since has captured the imagination of the masses quite like the man from Stary Oskol.
Follow the jump for reader comments. Read more -
Poll: Greatest Pound-for-Pound Fighter
Follow the jump for reader comments. Read more -
Top 5 Forum Threads of the Week
By: Jeff Sherwood
Interim titleholder Carlos Condit will face returning champion Georges St. Pierre in a bout to unify the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight crown at UFC 154 on Nov. 17 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The 28-year-old Condit has not fought since he captured a unanimous decision from Nick Diaz in February, and some still wonder whether or not the “Natural Born Killer” should have defended the interim strap at least once before matching skills with St. Pierre.
Other topics of interest on the Sherdog.net forums this week include Fedor Emelianeko’s place in the minds and hearts of Brazilians, the lasting image for which fighters will be remembered and more reaction to Jon Jones’ decision not to compete against Chael Sonnen on short notice at UFC 151.
Right Here Waiting
Fedor Stands Alone
Enduring Images
Nobody’s Jackpot
Give ‘Bones’ a Break
Read more