Even under his restrained façade, Fedor Emelianenko can’t hide the acknowledgment that one of his biggest career challenges lies directly ahead.

Emelianenko finally meets Josh Barnett in the main event at Affliction “Trilogy” on Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

The bout, which has been requested by fans since both fighters rose to divisional prominence in Pride Fighting Championships a couple of years ago, pairs Sherdog.com’s No. 1 and No. 2 world-ranked heavyweights against one another in a five-round contest. It will also be Emelianenko’s sixth test against a former UFC champion, and one he says he won’t take lightly.

"The thing about Josh is that even though he may not be as well technically in certain areas, he really makes up for it with his strengths and with his patience and with his abilities," Emelianenko told Sherdog.com News Editor Loretta Hunt in an exclusive video interview. "The fact is he’s definitely up there as one of the most dangerous fighters I’ve ever been in the ring with."

In the wake of his commanding victories over Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, the 32-year-old Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC) discusses how his friendship with Barnett (24-5) will effect his course of action and what he saw in the American’s January win over Gilbert Yvel that will help mold his training for their August showdown.