Affliction Day of Reckoning - Is Fedor Best Fighter on the Planet?

On Saturday, Jan. 24 the online Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski in the main event at—Affliction—''Day of Reckoning'' at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

When the cage door closes these two adversaries will be battling it out to prove who will be recognized as the dominant heavyweight mixed martial artist of the world. sports betting favorite priced at -375, making for juicy value of +235 on Arlovski.

Countless MMA wagering fanatics rank Emelianenko as one of the sport's greatest heavyweights, and the champion's record of 28-1 with six victories coming by way of knock and 15 via submissions, makes that case hard to argue and backs his versatility in the cage. His only loss came at the hands of Tsuyoshi Kohsaka at the King of Kings 2000 Block B event on December 22, 2000, via controversial doctor stoppage due to a cut 17 seconds into the fight that was sustained by a then undetected illegal elbow.

He has two wins on his resume against current interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Noguiera. Other wins against some of MMA's biggest names include six-time All-Japan Judo Champion Naoya Ogawa, Heath Herring, PRIDE 2000 Grand Prix winner, UFC's first ever heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer Mark Coleman, former K-1 star Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović and Tim Sylvia in his most recent fight on July 19, 2008 when he submitted the former UFC champ in 36 seconds of Round 1 with rear naked choke.

Emelianenko consistently dominates opponents, utilizing his overwhelming strength, technique, and strategy to his advantage. With his forceful takedowns and ground control skills, he's won his last four fights in the opening round. Saturday's fight will be only his third bout on American soil.

Arlovski has a solid MMA record of 14-5, wins constructed from eight knockouts, three submissions and three decisions. He too is considered one of the top-ranked heavyweights in the sport today, a reputation earned as being one of the most well-rounded fighters on the planet. He's become a dangerous striker with power in both hands, which was showcased in his recent outing at “Affliction Banned” where he knocked out Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson in EliteXC’s Heat. He's riding a five-fight winning streak heading into this bout.

For a heavyweight, Arlovski is extremely fast with remarkable mobility and striking power. Speed, mobility and power is a trio of talent rarely found in heavyweights. Like Emelianenko, Arlovski has victories against some of the most feared and respected men in the business such as British light heavyweight champion Ian Freeman, former IFL light heavyweight champion Vladimir Matyushenko, Tim Sylvia, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Márcio Cruz and two-time world Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Fabricio Werdum.

Analysis: Emelianenko has made a habit of finishing fights in a hurry and has hardly been tested recently. But if Arlovski takes the Russian deep into the fight, cardio shouldn't be a factor because Emelianenko trains vigorously twice a day-once in the morning at 10am and again at 5pm. He first does cardio before every training session. Then he works on technique and strength, finishing with grappling and sparring. He trains with partners from the M-1 Global and Red Devil stable of fighters, which is a combination of youthful athleticism and veteran skills.