Affliction II: Emelianenko's Reign: Something To Believe in?

The Stage

2008 was the most exciting year in the history of Mixed Martial Arts—and well it should have been. The sport has been growing by leaps and bounds, the various weight classes (even the formerly anemic heavyweight division) are stacked with dynamic, multi-dimensional athletes and, even as the old Pride vs UFC rivalries are evaporating, we are at last seeing the (former) Pride vs UFC contests that had only been dreamed of.

It is ironic that such a vibrant year has been so fraught with upsets and disappointments. We have seen stellar careers derailed and, most recently, the shattering of some of our most dearly-held illusions.

We love to romanticize our favorite fighters, using superlatives and declaring what will happen and that which cannot be done in the most absolute terms. It’s natural and it’s important on a human level to do so, but it is fantasy.

The following are a handful of shards from the last year or so of illusions gone up in smoke.

The Invincibles

Four particular fighters have been ascribed superhuman qualities. Three will be discussed here, initially.

Wanderlei Silva’s aura of invincibility, while hard-earned, has been unraveling steadily since his loss to Mark Hunt several years ago. After that shocking mismatch where Silva gave up at least 70 pounds, the "Axe Murderer" has taken considerable punishment from top-level fighters.

A classic left high-kick knockout courtesy of "Crocop". A left-hook knockout from heavy-handed Dan Henderson. Three rounds of sustained damage from Chuck Liddell.

Silva’s career seemed on the mend after a savage and wildly celebrated knockout win over Keith Jardine, but in his next fight, Wanderlei would find that he was no longer Quinton Jackson’s kryptonite. A flush left hook from his old rival would render the Brazilian beast limp and completely unconscious for the third time in his last five fights.

When people talk about jaws of stone, and the ability to take profound punishment without being knocked out, the two names that filter to the surface tend to be Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mark Hunt.

Noguiera’s fame comes from countless come-from-behind victories where he was pummeled mercilessly by the likes of Mirko "Crocop", Bob Sapp, Heath Herring, Tim Silvia, and the great Fedor Emelianenko.

With the exception of his contests with Emelianenko, Nogueira’s resilience would allow him to persevere until the auspicious moment when he could secure a submission win from the jaws of defeat. He had never been knocked out or submitted in nearly 40 professional fights.

Of all people, former UFC champion Frank Mir dashed this record to pieces on the canvas by taking Nogueira down repeatedly in December, dealing the great Brazilian his first TKO loss of his career and snatching the interim heavyweight title from the hands of the crafty grappler.

Just days later, Mark Hunt would taste unconsciousness for the first time outside the comfort of his bed. Hunt had absorbed huge blows throughout his career—even standing back up, unthinkably, after being knocked down by a perfectly landed left high kick, courtesy of Mirko "Crocop."

This past New Year's Eve in Japan, knockout artist Melvin Manhoeff, who replaced Jerome LeBanner on short notice, made quick work of Hunt, knocking him out in the opening seconds of their bout.

All things come to an end, it seems.

Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir have turned the heavyweight division on end by defeating Randy Couture and Noguiera respectively, leaving a former WWE star and a formerly down and out, newly-rehabilitated veteran left to fight for king of the mound.

The UFC light-heavyweight title is being passed around like a "hot-potato" in a kindergarten class.

The derailing of Kimbo Slice’s fluffy career toppled an entire organization.

Former contenders Mirko "Crocop" Filipovic and Fabricio Wedrum have become, respectively, an injured kickboxer with a shattered self-image, and a torpid, tattooed, 250-pound sloth.

The Fantasy

What myths remain?

One comes to mind: the ascribed superhuman qualities of "The Last Emperor," Fedor Emelianenko. Intellectually speaking, one can rationalize that the 28-1-1 Russian – widely considered the world’s best heavyweight fighter—is in fact a mortal.

Now, we understand that he doesn’t always dominate every moment of every match. Renato Sobral, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman, and even Mark Hunt have each put the Sambo champion in uncomfortable positions on his back – or on his head, in the case of Randleman’s mind-blowing slam.

We know that, while he is incredibly fast, he’s not so fast that he doesn’t get hit. To name a few, Kohsaka, Fujita, Filipovic, Lindland, and Choi have all put leather to the face of the Russian and left cuts, bruises, and a broken nose.

We know that he bleeds. At least, we presume that it is blood from what we perceive to be cut skin.

This writer does his best to maintain that anything can happen to any fighter in any given fight and that, by extension of this logic, Fedor Emelianenko can be beat. Of course he can. He’s even got a loss on his record.

But logic yields to the fantastical when one sees his highlight reel. Throughout his career Emelianenko has out-grappled grapplers, out-struck strikers, submitted the very large and the small, weathered knockout punches, and seems to be impervious to neck-breaking slams.

He has instant knockout power, incredible speed, transitions like a breakdancer when on his back, and the stamina to pummel his opponents for the duration of a fight.

Although he is often criticized for being insulated from top competition, Fedor’s destructive ways seem to be indiscriminant. He is happy to fight a middleweight one day, an unranked, 7'0" giant the next and then—whether for our sake or his own—topple a top ranked heavyweight in 36 seconds flat. Whether his opponent is a wrestler or a kickboxer doesn’t really seem to matter.

The chief agent of Fedor Emelianenko’s success appears to be sheer will. He has commented on the poverty in which he was raised and having had to share a jacket with his brother, stating that each time an opponent stands before him, he perceives that man as someone who would send him back to that place in his life.

It would seem that, whether or not the man can be beaten, he won’t be beaten. Or such is the fantasy.

Fantasy will face reality this Jan. 24 in California when he faces Top-five ranked heavyweight Andrei Arlovski. The Belarusian "Pit Bull" is truly on a tear and his stand-up fighting, honed and refined under the tutelage of his boxing coach Freddie Roach, is downright scary.

Arlovski brings to the table a mix that Emelianenko has not encountered for some time: speed, agility, and technical stand-up fighting with knockout power. Emelianenko is accustomed to being either faster or stronger than his opponents, if not both, and that will not be the case with Arlovski. It is unlikely that the number one ranked Russian will swarm Arlovski in the opening seconds as he does so frequently.

We are likely to see a more cautious and cerebral performance, perhaps like his famed 2005 match with Mirko Filipovic.

In that match, everyone presumed that Mirko would win the fight standing, and that Fedor would win it on the ground. To the surprise of all, Fedor kept most of that fight standing, moving forward, pressing the action, closing the distance, but doing a fair amount of counter-striking.

As technical a striker as Filipovic was, and as cat-like as his reflexes were, Fedor was faster and he picked the Croatian contender apart for twenty minutes en route to a one-sided victory.

But that was 2005, and that was not Arlovski. On Jan. 24, we can expect Arlovski to show different strengths and weaknesses from those of "Crocop". Right now, Arlovski is at the top of his game. He is fast and aggressive, and given his reach and technical acumen, Fedor is not as likely to dominate a stand-up war as he did with Filipovic.

However, whereas Filipovic was very successful in warding off submissions, the ground will likely be Arlovski’s Achilles' heel. In his most recent bout, Arlovski spent a disturbing stretch of time on his back, at the mercy of an unranked heavyweight.

He was taken down at will, and he was fortunate to have gotten up to finish the fight while standing.

Emelianenko will not be so merciful. If Arlovski is not able to ward off takedowns and if he cannot punish Emelianenko’s attempts, he will find himself helpless on his back and will likely meet his demise via armbar.

The technical striker meets the all-around wizard, and the wizard has a daunting record. The reinvented boxer who won’t be stopped, and the living legend who won’t be beat. Will Emelianenko work his magic and feed the fantasy of his invincibility, or will Arlovski’s fists break the spell?

Anything can happen. What will happen? The best thing to do is to lose your illusions, keep your eyes peeled, and enjoy the ride.