When Andrei Arlovski fights Fedor Emelianenko in three weeks at Affliction: Day of Reckoning, he's going to be a significant underdog. Fedor is, after all, the best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world.But Arlovski is working with the boxing trainer Freddie Roach, and Roach thinks he's identified some significant weaknesses in Fedor's game. He tells Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated:
"He's flat-footed, has no technique, but he can punch," Roach said after the ping-ping-pings of a well-worn round timer died down and onlookers cleared out of his popularized Wild Card Boxing Club. "That always helps. He's accurate. He'll follow you right to the floor, so he's aggressive. But that aggressiveness can be used to our advantage, I think."Roach also said Fedor's stance is flawed, and Arlovski, who approaches opponents in a traditional boxing stance, seems to think he'll be able to pick Fedor apart.
Of course, talking about a game plan is a lot easier than executing it against Fedor. But if there's anyone in MMA who has an advantage over Fedor on his feet, it's Arlovski. With Roach's help, he's got a puncher's chance.
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I am still not decided on who I think will win this one.
I will probably go with Fedor because until he looses you have to favor him. But I would not be surprised to See arlovski come out on top
This is a very good fight. It is really unfortunate it does not get more attention
They call him one of the smartest trainer in boxing..he is just trying to get in Fedor's head. Guess what coach..be ready to pick up andrei's teeth when the fight is over. I know that you guys want Fedor to stand up with andrei desperately because thats the only pin hole chance andrei has got. Fedor will find a way to win anyways.
It is interesting to see how this particular promotion is turning into a boxer vs. grappler showcase and this despite the fact that both fighters possess the traditional MMA skill set. While Arlovski is indeed a strong standup fighter the fight will inevitably go to the floor. The real question is not how long it will take Arlovski to knock out Fedor, but how long it will take Fedor to submit Arlovski. All things being equal the general rule is simple; 'a strong ground game trumps a strong stand up game.' Arlovski is a character, fun to watch and easy to like. I think it would be good for the game to have him win. But let's be real, he is a longshot at best and a victory would be a major upset. Look for Fedor to submit him in the second or third round. Oh, and by the way, watch for Lesnar to ground-and-pound Mir into oblivion next go-around. Rock on.
Does Roach really think that fedor is gonna stand up with andrei, fedor will do exactly what he did against a great striker like cro Cop, Sylvia, and even Minatauro and that is take them to the ground and either submit andrei or ground and pound him till the fight is over. Fedor is a smart fighter and andrei cant beat him just yet
Fedor stood with Cro-cop most of the fight ... it only went to the ground in the 2nd half or so.
I know Arlovski's interested in a boxing career, but he better have more up-his-sleeve than bosing Fedor. The biggest reason Fedor hasn't lost a fight(besides one illegal elbow cut) are his strategies and being able to execute them. He'll no doubt be prepared for Arlovski's style(Russian trainers aren't ignorant of boxing technique), and somehow he'll use boxing technique against Arlovski. I wouldn't be surprised to see Fedor bring unseen skills into this fight, possibly leg kicks and sacrificing being taken down to setup submissions.
Likewise, Arvolski's camp must be training a groundgame to counter Fedor, though they wont be letting secrets out about that. Honestly I have no clue what Arlovski's biggest strengths would be on the ground, so I wonder what Fedor's plan will be there.
This should be a fascinating, technical fight. My vote goes to Fedor in taking the win(if anyone cares to hear my opinion), though a decision win seems most likely to me. I picture it being reminiscent of the Fedor-Cro Cop fight.
Take care,
Jason
It's good that this fight is happening and as far as who would win Fedor would have to be considered a favorite, he has beaten some guys that I am not to sure Arlovski could have beaten but also at this point until someone beats Fedor he is going to be considered a favorite in every mma fight he is in. If Fedor does win this fight I would like to see him fight Josh bartnett. That aside as far as the ufc goes even though signing Fedor has been unsuccesful so far there has been no mention that I am aware of, of Dana wanting to sign Josh or Arlovski. Also I think Dana should reconsider trying to resign Cro Crop and move him to the light heavyweight division, that would make things rather interesting for the fighters in that weight class to go up against Mirko.
Someone needs to remind Freddy that when they get into the ring that they are going to be doing more thann boxing ... technical boxing is a good skill to have, but as soon as you put on MMA gloves, throw in the kicks, takedowns, judo/sambo, jiu jitsu ... it's no longer anything close to a boxing match.
Bottomline - Arlovski has poor takedown defense ... always has. Fedor can lead with the left and have the clinch no problem. That being said Fedor may look to prove something in this fight by standing with Arlovski, as he did much of the fight with Cro-cop.
I really don't see why it is sooo impossible for AA to beat Fedor. I think this is a class example of the uneducated underestimating what is definately a top 10 HW in MMA in Andrei. I foresee an upset (Frank Mir - Nogueria anyone?).
Steven, if you're so educated please enlighten us on where Arlovski has the advantage over Fedor? Of course it's MMA and anyone could win, but give an intelligent response if you're the only educated person here.
And no the Mir-Nogueria example is a bad one. It's been apparent that Big Nog's been on the decline since Heath Herring and Tim Sylvia nearly beat him. Then what happened when Sylvia tried to beat Fedor? He's at the peak of his career and showing no wear and tear like Nogeria has.
you guys are very entertaining. why are some of you guys giving roach a hard time. roach simply stated, that he thinks arlovski's skills can counter fedor's agdression. that's it. put your pide and ego a side for a minute and appreciate the opinion of a man who knows boxing. and i know just reading the word boxing makes your blood boil, but boxing is an invalueable tool in any fighting ring. since when does a strong ground game gaurentee a victory? how many gramplers have been kicked and punched for a round or two and then was finished by a knockout or a submission. arlovski is not a boxer, he is a mma fighter, he is simply attempting to become a more dangerous fighter. if you would embrace boxing and see how much value it brings to a fight, you would start to see how many of the best mma fighters train in boxing with pro boxers.dana white started the whoe boxing is dead campaign and all his little usefull idiots are just doing what thet think dana white would want them to do. mma is such a young sport, it is still evolving, growing and still trying to figure its self out. in another 5 years, we will begin to see mma fighters go into pro boxing, pro boxers learn mma, mma fighters in the olympics, pro kick boxers step into mma ect.... all because they have become proficient in multiple fighting deciplines..... all because fighters have embraced diiferent methods of fighting, put it all together and devople a personal style. all this means, is that the limits are endless. in my opinion, most of the current fhighters today will be obsolite in another 5+ years.
Ponce, fighters have a limited amount of time and resources to develop skills. Take any single martial art and it'll take years to master. Then in MMA you need to master at least 2 different disciplines and have knowledge of others. It's too bad that we peak in our 20's for nearly every sport, and within that amount of time extremely difficult to combine skills that at times contrasting - grappling and striking take different characteristics in order to excel.
you are right jason, fighters have al imited amount of time. however, i said nonthing about mastering multiple disciplines .im talking about people who have already mastered one discipline and now are looking to become proficient ( not master) in other disciplines. it is very possible and is happening before your eyes. read about the current fighters training camps and the new implematations in their routines, they are trying to achieve what you say they can not. and i have news for you, all the top athletes in every sport have peeked in their early thirties not their twenties. check the stats. however, ones athletes peek usualy lasts ony a couple of years. mma is still so young, fighters are still having a hard time figuring it all out. reading about a fighter trying to become a more "rounded fighter" simply means that the fighter is suffering defiencies in their current fight game.the sport of mma is going to look awesome in 5 more years.
Ponce, top athletes do not peak in their 30's in every sport. Look at world records in Track and Field for example. Usain Bolt is 22 years old and has sprinted faster than anyone in history, do you think he'll be better in 8 years? Look at world champions in Judo, Wrestling, Boxing... any martial art, athletes start losing their speed in their later 20's but can use experience and smarts to keep up. Especially contact sports like boxing where the wear-and-tear gives boxers a 'real age' much older. Nogueria is an example in MMA, he's 32 now and nowhere near as good as he used to be.
Anyone can win or lose a fight, but the reason Fedor is a heavy favorite is because he is fearless and has incredible heart ... he simply can't lose. For him it is not an option. Arlovski has been broken mentally and lost many times ... he has been knocked out 4 times!!
Rothwell and Nelson were Arlovski's tune-up fights ... taking 3 rounds to KO Rothwell & taking 2 rounds and a bad referee stand-up to beat Nelson doesn't impress me very much ... beating a former UFC heavyweight champ and current top 10 heavyweight in 36 seconds impresses me!
yes jasaon you are right about the speed. most athletes are faster in their 20's than in their early 30's. but it takes more that just great athletics to be the best. how old was floyd mayweather when he retired? ( he was in his prime ) now was he a bit slower than he was, than in his 20's, sure, but he was better. now that goes for most of the top ahtletes. when was evander holyfield in his prime... when he beat tyson the first time. he was 30. im glad you mentioned judo, because thats my sport. our judo players peak at about 28. if pure athletics would win fights, then we would be looking at a lot more black fighters. but pure athletics does not win fights or win football games or win judo mathes. determination does, experience does, being wise in your training, avoid taking a beating in traing camp and in your fights makes you a great fighter or player..... great talking with you jason, lets just agree to dis agree.
Good points there Ponce, I agree with what you're saying now. And we do have Judo in common, which has helped me understand how long it takes to be technically profient in martial arts - it does take time and is more than strength/speed!
I think Andrei Arlovski could have an upset victory over Fedor Emelianenko. Andrei knows this is fight of his life to become the Great One. I think Andrei is putting his heart, soul, body, and mind into this fight with the training he's going through. He also has a great team in getting Andrei prepared for this fight.
With this upcoming fight, I'm going to put my money on the underdog, Andrei Arlovski. If there is one person who could win over Fedor, Andrei is the man who could pull it off.
Just a side note: A couple of months ago I saw Andrei at a fight as a spectator. Andrei is about one of the nicest fighters that you could run across. He has a heart of gold! While at that fight my kids got to have a picture taken with him. But, he took pictures with anyone who wanted to have a picture taken with him. He must have taken over a hundred pictures with his fans. I like it when a fighter isn't a big headed thug punk fighter. :-)