Time for Fedor Emelianenko To Lose the Title?

Well, Fedor's toughest challenge (according to pundits) in a long, long time comes in a week and-a-half. The “Last Emperor” defends his WAMMA belt against Andrei Arlovski in an Affliction-promoted show that has caused quite a stir amongst hardcore and casual fans alike.

From my side, I'm nervous about the fight. You see, I'm a Fedor fan. It was Fedor—his calm attitude and stunning fighting style—that got me really hooked on MMA in the first place, and unlike a lot of the more rabidly fervent Fedor fans, I'm not possessed of an unrealistic belief in his much-lauded reputation as an unstoppable robot.

Fedor can be beaten and, unfortunately, he one day will be beaten. This is a fact dictated by simple logic.

The question is: Will Arlovski be the man to disprove the myth?

I have honestly not been impressed by many of Arlovski's recent fights, and there is no doubt in my mind that Fedor is a superior fighter to the “Pit Bull.” This doesn't mean, however, that Arlovski cannot beat him.

Arlovski is a professional fighter, with an impressive style, a newly-regained aggression and explosiveness, as well as a unmatched hunger for the title (not to mention, reputation) he will gain by conquering the Russian phenom.

This is MMA, and anything can happen, contrary to what many will tell you, it won't be that much of an upset if Arlovski manages to pull off the win.

In some ways it will actually be good for the Affliction promotion if Arlovski does win. As many have pointed out recently there is no heavyweight, outside of the UFC, other than Arlovski and Josh Barnett for Fedor to face competitively.

So, if Fedor beats Arlovski, and then faces Barnett, who I see him trouncing in a dominant fashion, what fights will Affliction have left for him that will be as attractive to the fans?

Or is Affliction banking on stealing more of the UFC's heavyweight talent before that eventuality comes to fruition?

On the other hand, Affliction has more heavyweight title-contenders to offer to Arlovski than they have to offer Fedor. On top of that, Arlovski is less likely to hang on to the title after taking it from Fedor (assuming he wins) than Fedor is if he retains it.

Losing the title might not be attractive for a fighter, but for the promotion it means more fan excitement as the title changes hands and more and more diverse fights can be set up between new champions and contenders.

Once all is said and done, though, next Saturday will be a nerve-wracking experience for me. I don't want to see Fedor lose and the whole match will see me at the edge of my seat, cringing with every blow landed and every submission attempted.

At heart I'm a Fedor fan, and I love knowing that there is, aside from death and taxes, one constant in the universe:

That Fedor is the greatest one there is!