Quick picks:

Overeem v. Brett Rogers – Hmm.. interesting matchup, two strikers. I’m picking Overeem over Rogers.
Antonio Bigfoot Silva v. Andre Arlovski – Man, I want Andre to win this… I’m hoping his chin is good tonight.
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza v. Joey Villasenor – Jacare by submission
Roger Gracie v. Kevin Randleman – I’m a Randleman fan…but I think he’s getting submitted tonight.

No I won’t be “live blogging”, because I will be “live partying” while watching the event. Will this be the fight where Fedor shows a weakness? Nah…I don’t think so.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeats Vladimir Matyushenko by KO (knee)

Dan Lauzon defeats Bobby Green via submission (rear naked choke)

Paul Buentello defeats Kirill Sidelnikov via TKO (doctor stoppage)

Renato “Babalu” Sobral defeats Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou by submission (anaconda choke)

Ok, I’ll start blogging a little bit now as I’m able to be in front of the computer for a few minutes.

Damn, Matt Lindland got WRECKED by Vitor Belfort.. Round one, 37 seconds..I hope dude is OK, he was totally out of it for several minutes, and had much trouble trying to stand up. One of the worst scenes in MMA for awhile.

Josh Barnett vs. Gilbert Yvel – Barnett beat on Gilbert Yvel for most of 3 rounds, which Yvel was mounted by Barnett nearly the entire time before tapping out due to strikes in round 3. Barnett wins by tapout in round 3. I guess Barnett gets the winner of Fedor/Arlovski now.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski – Well, Arlovski did great with his striking, and even clinching, and he looked like he had Fedor in a bit of trouble before Fedor threw a right hand upside Arlovski’s suspect chin. The result was Andrei Arlovski laying face down on the mat. Fedor wins in round 1 by KO.

January 22, 2009

On the brink of one of the biggest events in MMA history, Affliction, M-1 Global, Donald Trump, Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and The Reunion Parties are proud to present an exclusive star-studded event at one the hottest nightclubs in Hollywood! Prepare to party with MMA’s biggest stars such as Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gilbert Yvel, Babalu, Matyushenko, and many more. The red carpet will be out and the paparazzi will be in full effect as MMA All-Stars and celebrity guests make their appearance at Club Ritual. This is an event that you do not want to miss!

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS; AFFLICTION’S & M-1 GLOBAL’S “DAY OF RECONING” OFFICIAL PRE-PARTY PRIOR TO THE BIG EVENT AT THE HONDA CENTER IN ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA!

Get ready to meet the fighters and celebrities, win tickets to the main event “Fedor vs. Arlovski,” get free Affliction t-shirts, rock the dance floor to the beats of Hollywood’s top DJ’s, and be a part of one of the hottest events of 2009!

This amazing night features…

* “Fedor vs. Arlovski” official Afflictionan & M-1 Global Pre-Party!
* Appearances by Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko, Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Vladimir Matyushenko, Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel, Kirill “Baby Fedor” Sidelnikov, Gegard Mousasi, and many more…
* Ability to meet and party with the fighters
* Red Carpet Celebrity Event
* Celebrity guest appearances
* Ticket giveaways to the “Fedor vs Arlovski” fight every hour
* Affliction T-Shirt giveaways all night long
* Signed merchandise giveaways by the fighters
* Sexy Go-Go dancers
* Hollywood’s top DJ’s spinning the best in Hip-Hop, House, Electronic, Top-40, Trance
* 3 bars, 2 rooms
* Huge outside patio
* Bottle service recommended
* 21 and over

Where: Club Ritual 1743 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028

When: Thursday, January 22nd, 9PM-2AM

PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY TO BE GUARANTEED ENTRANCE TO THIS EVENT!

Ticket and VIP table info:

To purchase tickets and for more info please visit: www.TheReunionParties.com

For any event related info and bottle service please call 818-430-9953 or 323-646-8615.

MMARated is reporting that Affliction VP Tom Atencio confirmed with them that Fedor Emelianenko will be fighting Andrei Arlovski on the January 24th Affliction show. The event will be an MMA only event, but was originally supposed to be a MMA & Boxing event, co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, however, Atencio said “We sat down with them and couldn’t come up with a main event boxing match that everyone wanted.”

This fight will be for the WAMMA Heavyweight Championship

Epic insult from Andrei Arlovksi to Tim Sylvia, regarding the rumors of Sylvia dating Arlovski’s ex-girlfriend.

According to ESPN.com, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski will be making his pro boxing debut on HBO:

MMA star Andrei Arlovski, the former UFC heavyweight champion from Belarus, has been training for a boxing career under the tutelage of trainer Freddie Roach. Arlovski, who has an MMA bout July 19, likely will make his professional boxing debut Sept. 13 (HBO PPV) in the opening fight on the Casamayor-Marquez card in Las Vegas, according to Golden Boy.

SIGNAL HILL, California (June 30, 2008) – There are a number of reasons not to miss the mega mixed martial arts extravaganza, “Affliction Banned,” this July 19th at Honda Center in Anaheim, California — not least of which is the unbelievable main event — a dream match-up between heavyweight champs Fedor Emilianenko and Tim Sylvia. But the list of transcendent fight talent doesn’t end there. In one of the biggest cards in the history of the sport, the inaugural fight event of Affliction Entertainment will feature an unprecedented line-up of the best MMA combatants competing against each other, including a brutal, full contact bout between the two heavyweight powerhouses, Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski and “Big” Ben Rothwell.

Former UFC® Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski is a 6’ 4”, 240-pound former cop from Belarus with dangerous stand up skills, a brutal right punch, and deft mobility and striking accuracy. Arlovski tears into his opponents, often dealing out devastating damage before the other fighter even has time to recover. Considered one of the top ten ranked heavyweight fighters in the world, “The Pitbull” is one of the world’s most complete MMA fighters, as well as one of its most fearsome. This dreaded competitor gets high marks in grappling ability and massive striking power. He has won notable victories over Tim Sylvia, Paul Buentello, Vladimir Matyushenko, Fabricio Werdum and Wesley “Cabbage” Correira, among others. For his upcoming fight with Rothwell, Arlovski has been training with legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach, who has trained many boxing champions such as Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Manny Pacquiao. Arlovski’s hard work combined with sheer talent and strong mental preparedness give his opponents plenty to worry about in the ring.

Arlovski will face-off with former IFL® heavyweight standout Ben Rothwell, who is riding an impressive 13-fight winning streak and is currently ranked as the number 10 best heavyweight fighter in the world. At 6’5″ and 265 pounds, this gritty, determined Wisconsin native is a force to reckon with in the ring—just ask anyone who has squared off against him. A young fighter full of zest and energy and a personality as big as his frame, Rothwell is one of the most entertaining athletes in MMA—Rothwell never fails to deliver. And he has an impeccable record, rattling off 11 knockouts among his first 17 MMA victories with a flair that crowds eat up. A wicked combination of aggression, power and style drives Rothwell’s numerous victories. The sheer force with which this giant strikes his opponents leads to the frequent knockouts he is famous for. But his brute strength is tempered by a good measure of agility, allowing him to inflict accurate and precise punishment. “Big” Ben’s fierce ring presence and heavy-handedness often has opponents voluntarily choosing to leave the ring to avoid serious injury.

The brawl between the ferocious “Pitbull” and giant “Big” Ben is sure to please sports fans hungry for a truly ballistic competition and a performance full of charisma. These two magnetic, world-class fighters always put on a great show. With their collective striking power and bigger-than-life personalities, these well-matched opponents combine powerful fighting techniques with a spark of showmanship that electrifies their audience. Both fighters are known for their tremendous hard-hitting styles and numerous victories. Their bouts often end in knockouts — explosive, expedient, and purely exciting. On July 19th in Anaheim, fans will bear witness to a dynamic exhibition of prowess, as these two crowd-pleasing and accomplished warriors deal out a gallon of pain for guts and glory for “Affliction Banned.”

“Affliction Banned,” headlined by the WAMMA heavyweight title bout between Russian superstar Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia, is stacked with so much world-class talent that it had to be separated into two live shows produced for broadcast. The night’s activities will kick off with “Affliction Live,” a one-hour, free live telecast on FSN (Fox Sports Net) starting at 5 PM Pacific (8 PM/ET) and setting the stage for “Affliction Banned” – five super fights on pay-per-view starting at 6 PM/PT (9 PM/ET) via iN DEMAND, TVN, Shaw Communications, Viewers Choice Canada, DirecTV, DISH Network, Bell ExpressVue and Star Choice in the United States and Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95.

The heavy metal band Megadeth, led by frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Dave Mustaine, will be performing live at the event.

In the main event, Anderson Silva defeated Dan Henderson to retain the UFC Middleweight Championship. Silva submitted Dan Henderson with a rear-naked choke in round 2. Anderson Silva controlled the stand-up game, but Henderson was able to take Silva to the ground in round 1 and possibly won that round, but had nothing going in round two on the ground.

Evan Tanner is not a contender for the 185lb championship. He  didn’t look like he could find his range against Yushin Okami, and was ultimately knocked out with a knee. If he were fighting Anderson Silva, it would have happened much earlier in the fight.

Heath Herring looked good against Cheick Kongo, and wona split decision. It should’ve been a unanimous decision for Heath Herring.

Chris Leben KO’d Allesio Sakara in round one.

Jorge Gurgel won a decision over John Halverson

Diego Sanchez punched David Bielkheden into submission

Josh Koscheck and Dustin Hazelett fought a good fight, both got rocked throughout the slugfest, and Dustin Hazelett was TKO’d by Koscheck.

Luke Cummo lost a decision to Luigi Fioravanti

Andre Arlovski TKO’d Jake O’Brien

Jon Fitch won a decision over Chris Wilson