Fedor Responds

When the main event between Fedor and Andrei Arlovski was announced, I was not pumped for it. I would have rather seen Josh Barnett get the shot, but recently my feelings have changed.

The psychological warfare between Arlovski's camp, namely Freddie Roach, and Fedor has been fascinating to watch. As I've said before, I believe you can tell a lot about a fight by how the fighters act before the bell rings. Their words will usually give you a solid idea of who is mentally ready and who is scared.

Roach's barrage of criticism was done purely to get a reaction out of Fedor. Arlovski already knows he has the better technical striking game. He doesn't need any pats on the back. The goal was to provoke some sort of reaction out of a fighter who typically shows less emotion than a large rock. It took some time for the telegraphs to reach him, but Fedor has responded and the message is clear, "Arlovski might die."

I got a Michael Jordan feeling reading his responses. Everything he says is measured, but you can tell underneath the surface his competitive juices are flowing and he can't wait to rip his opponent's heart out. I'm glad Roach decided to open his big mouth because at this point in his career, Fedor needs a little push from time to time.

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