ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The long awaited return of mixed martial arts' consensus top heavyweight
Fedor Emelianenko was made official when he tipped the scales at the Honda Center at a robust 230 pounds Friday for Saturday’s Affliction M-1 Global “Day of Reckoning.” The Russian superstar, returning to the scene of his 36-second waffling of former UFC heavyweight champion
Tim Sylvia, looked calm and collected as he squared off with another former UFC champion,
Andrei Arlovski.
At 237 pounds, Arlovski, who stands nearly a head higher than his opponent, tallied a slight weight advantage in the bout between the world’s top two heavyweights. The Belarusian, known for his fluid movement, will have his hands full with an equally quick Emelianenko.
Josh Barnett weighed in at a trim 248 pounds for his showdown with Dutch
Bad Boy Gilbert Yvel. Yvel, known for his infamous attack on a referee at a show in Finland in 2004, negotiated every condition placed before him by the California State Athletic Commission and was licensed despite a contentious debate in the media. Yvel came in at 240 pounds for the bout.
The second offering from Affliction has been much maligned due to a perceived lack of interest from fans and ticket buyers. Not so says co-promoter Roy Englebrecht.
“We have a good chance to have back-to-back $2-million gates,” Englebrecht told Sherdog.com. “Ticket sales have picked up this week and we are looking forward to a great show.”
Fedor Emelianenko (230) vs.
Andrei Arlovski (237)
Josh Barnett (248) vs.
Gilbert Yvel (240)
Matt Lindland (186) vs.
Vitor Belfort (184)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (205.25) vs.
Renato Sobral (204)
Paul Buentello (244) vs.
Kirill Sidelnikov (229.5)
Dan Lauzon (155.5) vs.
Bobby Green (155.5)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (204.75) vs.
Vladimir Matyushenko (204.5)
Jay Hieron (169.25) vs.
Jason High (170)
Bao Quach (145.5) vs.
L.C. Davis (143.75)
Albert Rios (145) vs.
Antonio Duarte (145)
Brett Cooper (169) vs.
Patrick Speight (169)
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