Flair Country
07-20-2008, 08:27 PM
ANAHEIM, California (July 19, 2008) History was made tonight when Fedor The Last Emperor Emelianenko captured the inaugural WAMMA heavyweight title headlining Affliction Banned, the greatest line-up of mixed-martial-arts fights ever presented in one night, before an enthusiastic, capacity crowd of 13,989, including many Hollywood and sports celebrities at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Emelianenko (28-1) cemented his legacy as the greatest MMA heavyweight fighter ever, arguably the No. 1 pound-for-pound MMA warrior of all-time, by forcing former 2-time UFC® heavyweight title-holder Tim The Maine-iac Sylvia (24-5) to tapout only 31-seonds into the first round of the main event.
After the fight Emelianenko, the former undisputed PRIDE® heavyweight champion and Russian M-1 legend, named superstar Randy Couture as his choice to fight next in what would be an All-World showdown of MMAs two biggest stars.
Affliction Banned, presented by Affliction Entertainment in association with Roy Englebrecht Promotions, featured half of the top 10 heavyweights in the world fighting on pay-per-view. Im extremely happy, Affliction vice president Tom Atencio said about the show. It was an amazing crowd with amazing fights. Look for us again in November.
The co-feature of the night was a classic MMA war between a pair of punishing strikers. Former UFC® heavyweight title-holder Andrei The Pitbull Arlovski (13-5) exploded with a barrage of punches and kicks from all angles en route to a third-round KO of ex-IFL® titlist Big Ben Rothwell (29-6).
The PPV action continued with three more monster battles as heavyweight Josh The Baby Faced Assassin Barnett (23-5) fought stateside for the first time in two years and avenged his only loss by knock out (7 years ago) with a vicious one-punch (left hook) stoppage of Pedro The Rock Rizzo (16-8); light heavyweight Renato Babalu Sobral (30-7) out-dueled three-time All-American wrestler Mike Whitehead (20-6) by third-round decision; 2000 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist and Oregon House of Representative candidate, Matt The Law Lindland (21-5) took a three-round decision versus middleweight Fabio Negao Nascimento (8-4).
Also on the Affliction Banned PPV show, heavyweight Antonio Rogerio Minotoro Nogueira (14-3) scored a first-round win by technical knockout against Edwin Babyface Dewees (35-13); welterweight Mike Quicksand Pyle (18-5-1) defeated JJ Ambrose (9-2) by second-round submission; lightweight Mark The Machine Hominick (16-8) made Savant Young (8-8) tapout in the second round.
Affliction Live on FSN kicked-off the evening with Paul The Headhunter Buentello (26-10) winning a three-round decision against Gary Big Daddy Goodrich (23-18-1), while Victor The Phenom Belfort (17-8) knocked out veteran Terry Martin (16-5) in the second round of their middleweight bout.
To download all video, photos and PR-related media go to: http://www.afflictionbanned.com/media.html
OFFICIAL RESULTS FROM AFFLICTION BANNED
HEAVYWEIGHTS: Fedor Emelianenko (28-1, 6 KOs, 15 Submissions), Stary Oskol, Russia WSUB1 (0:36) Tim Sylvia (24-5, 16 KOs 2 Submissions) (Emelianenko wins inaugural WAMMA Heavyweight Title).
Andrei Arlovski (13-5, 8 KOs, 3 Submissions), Chicago, Illinois by way of Belarus WKO3 (1:13) Ben Rothwell (29-6, 17 KOs, 10 Submissions); Josh Barnett (23-5, 5 KOs, 14 Submissions), Seattle, Washington WKO2 (1:44) Pedro Rizzo (16-8, 9 KOs), Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; Paul Buentello (26-10, 16 KOs, 9 Submissions), Amarillo, Texas WDEC3 (30-27, 30-27, 3-27) Gary Goodrich (23-18-1, 13 KOs, 9 Submissions), Barrie, Canada; Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3, 3 KOs, 5 Submissions), Rio de Janeriro, Brazil WTKO1 (4:06) Edwin Dewees (35-13, 3 KOs, 28 Submissions)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS: Renato Sobral (30-7, 2 KOs, 16 Submissions), Costa Mesa, California by way of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil WDEC3 (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Mike Whitehead (20-6, 5 KOs, 10 Submissions), Salt Lake City, Utah.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS: Matt Lindland (21-5, 6 KOs, 8 Submissions), Eagle Creek, Oregon WDEC3 (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) Fabio Nascimento (8-4, 4 KOs, 2 Submissions), San Paulo, Brazil; Vitor Belfort (16-8, 10 KOs, 2 Submissions), Las Vegas, Nevada by Curitiba, Brazil WKO2 (3:12) Terry Martin (16-5, 10 KOs, 5 Submissions), Chicago, Illinois.
WELTERWEIGHTS: Mike Pyle (18-5-1, 2 KOs, 15 Submissions), Las Vegas, Nevada WSUB1 (2:51) JJ Ambrose (9-2, 2 KOs, 4 Submissions), Lakewood, California.
LIGHTWEIGHTS: Mark Hominick (16-8, 7 KOs, 6 Submissions) WSUB2 (2:25) Savant Young (9-8, 2 KOs, 4 Submissions), Pasadena, California.
POST FIGHT QUOTES
Fedor Emelianenko: I was very pleased with my performance. Everything I wanted to do I was able to do.
Yeah I was hoping I would end the fight then (first time he took Sylvia to the mat). I was prepared to fight standing up, but I knew I had a better chance to end it on the ground.
You never know how short or long the fight will be, but I just wanted to end it as quickly as possible. I just wanted to show the fans my skills.
I was very pleasantly impressed by how many people came out and I hope to come back soon.
I would be very honored to fight Randy Couture.
Tim Sylvia: He got off first and then I had so much going through my mind. He got off first, landed the big punch, jumped on me, and got the submission.
I was amazed at how good he is. The guys a stud. I dont think hes human. Hes incredible. I dont think anybodys going to beat him for a while.
Andrei Arlovski: I think they got their moneys worth tonight. I did a lot of work on my boxing.
The game plan was to take him down. I didnt think Id get him down but I did come back. I didnt show my jiu-jitsu but I showed my boxing. I won the fight.
I want to dedicate the fight to my grandmother who passed away a few months ago.
Tomorrow Ill see what I did wrong, but tonight Im going to celebrate this victory. Im very excited. Ive fought many great fighters and tonight I wanted to show my best performance.
I want to fight Fedor, Josh or anybody Affliction chooses.
Freddie Roach (Arlovskis boxing trainer): I think boxing is what won the fight. The other guy was good on the ground and controlled it a little bit. Andreis boxing helped. His hands are really good and weve been talking about being a professional boxer.
Ben Rothwell: I hit him with some shots. Obviously it wasnt enough.
I was wearing him down but it didnt do much, considering the combination he pulled off.
My shots slowed him down a little bit but it didnt do much.
Josh Barnett: Hes as stellar fighter and it could have been me laying on the canvas."
I wanted to take him down; you cant chase a guy like that. He holds back because he waits to gauge you. When Im in the ring with him I know what hes doing.
I heard the crowd boo but I made up for it.
Floyd Mayweather is No.1 for a reason. His defense is unbelievable. When I made him miss two or three punches, I was loving it.
The win is great. Even though he beat me I hate that I had to beat him. Pedro Rizzo has a heart of gold.
I was changing levels a lot. My footwork wasnt what I wanted. I clipped him at the top of the head and when he put his foot back, he wobbled. When I saw he was unstable, I came forward. I knew he wouldnt be able to get out of the way.
Renato Sobral: I have been working a lot on my boxing with my coach. He was very strong. People forget that I can strike. Ill make people remember.
I tried to finish the fight but I couldnt. Two times I had the choke, but the ropes gave me some problems.
Whitehead is a good fighter; good striker.
I keep working on my jiu-jitsu and always like to finish my fights with a submission. But he was very smart.
Matt Lindland: I hit him with some huge shots. I had that thing (choke) so tight I was squeezing him hard enough to choke him out, but not enough to tire my arms out.
He was tough. It was no joke. I hit him with some good shots. I love choking out Black Belts, so hes a tough guy.
After I had him on the ground, I was thinking it was going to be an easy night. He fell into the choke slam. He really is strong.
I have to get my ass in the gym and get into better shape. Im running for the people of District 52 and I want to represent the people of Oregon.
He was so damn tough; he was the real deal.
Gerweck
Emelianenko (28-1) cemented his legacy as the greatest MMA heavyweight fighter ever, arguably the No. 1 pound-for-pound MMA warrior of all-time, by forcing former 2-time UFC® heavyweight title-holder Tim The Maine-iac Sylvia (24-5) to tapout only 31-seonds into the first round of the main event.
After the fight Emelianenko, the former undisputed PRIDE® heavyweight champion and Russian M-1 legend, named superstar Randy Couture as his choice to fight next in what would be an All-World showdown of MMAs two biggest stars.
Affliction Banned, presented by Affliction Entertainment in association with Roy Englebrecht Promotions, featured half of the top 10 heavyweights in the world fighting on pay-per-view. Im extremely happy, Affliction vice president Tom Atencio said about the show. It was an amazing crowd with amazing fights. Look for us again in November.
The co-feature of the night was a classic MMA war between a pair of punishing strikers. Former UFC® heavyweight title-holder Andrei The Pitbull Arlovski (13-5) exploded with a barrage of punches and kicks from all angles en route to a third-round KO of ex-IFL® titlist Big Ben Rothwell (29-6).
The PPV action continued with three more monster battles as heavyweight Josh The Baby Faced Assassin Barnett (23-5) fought stateside for the first time in two years and avenged his only loss by knock out (7 years ago) with a vicious one-punch (left hook) stoppage of Pedro The Rock Rizzo (16-8); light heavyweight Renato Babalu Sobral (30-7) out-dueled three-time All-American wrestler Mike Whitehead (20-6) by third-round decision; 2000 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist and Oregon House of Representative candidate, Matt The Law Lindland (21-5) took a three-round decision versus middleweight Fabio Negao Nascimento (8-4).
Also on the Affliction Banned PPV show, heavyweight Antonio Rogerio Minotoro Nogueira (14-3) scored a first-round win by technical knockout against Edwin Babyface Dewees (35-13); welterweight Mike Quicksand Pyle (18-5-1) defeated JJ Ambrose (9-2) by second-round submission; lightweight Mark The Machine Hominick (16-8) made Savant Young (8-8) tapout in the second round.
Affliction Live on FSN kicked-off the evening with Paul The Headhunter Buentello (26-10) winning a three-round decision against Gary Big Daddy Goodrich (23-18-1), while Victor The Phenom Belfort (17-8) knocked out veteran Terry Martin (16-5) in the second round of their middleweight bout.
To download all video, photos and PR-related media go to: http://www.afflictionbanned.com/media.html
OFFICIAL RESULTS FROM AFFLICTION BANNED
HEAVYWEIGHTS: Fedor Emelianenko (28-1, 6 KOs, 15 Submissions), Stary Oskol, Russia WSUB1 (0:36) Tim Sylvia (24-5, 16 KOs 2 Submissions) (Emelianenko wins inaugural WAMMA Heavyweight Title).
Andrei Arlovski (13-5, 8 KOs, 3 Submissions), Chicago, Illinois by way of Belarus WKO3 (1:13) Ben Rothwell (29-6, 17 KOs, 10 Submissions); Josh Barnett (23-5, 5 KOs, 14 Submissions), Seattle, Washington WKO2 (1:44) Pedro Rizzo (16-8, 9 KOs), Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; Paul Buentello (26-10, 16 KOs, 9 Submissions), Amarillo, Texas WDEC3 (30-27, 30-27, 3-27) Gary Goodrich (23-18-1, 13 KOs, 9 Submissions), Barrie, Canada; Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3, 3 KOs, 5 Submissions), Rio de Janeriro, Brazil WTKO1 (4:06) Edwin Dewees (35-13, 3 KOs, 28 Submissions)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS: Renato Sobral (30-7, 2 KOs, 16 Submissions), Costa Mesa, California by way of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil WDEC3 (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Mike Whitehead (20-6, 5 KOs, 10 Submissions), Salt Lake City, Utah.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS: Matt Lindland (21-5, 6 KOs, 8 Submissions), Eagle Creek, Oregon WDEC3 (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) Fabio Nascimento (8-4, 4 KOs, 2 Submissions), San Paulo, Brazil; Vitor Belfort (16-8, 10 KOs, 2 Submissions), Las Vegas, Nevada by Curitiba, Brazil WKO2 (3:12) Terry Martin (16-5, 10 KOs, 5 Submissions), Chicago, Illinois.
WELTERWEIGHTS: Mike Pyle (18-5-1, 2 KOs, 15 Submissions), Las Vegas, Nevada WSUB1 (2:51) JJ Ambrose (9-2, 2 KOs, 4 Submissions), Lakewood, California.
LIGHTWEIGHTS: Mark Hominick (16-8, 7 KOs, 6 Submissions) WSUB2 (2:25) Savant Young (9-8, 2 KOs, 4 Submissions), Pasadena, California.
POST FIGHT QUOTES
Fedor Emelianenko: I was very pleased with my performance. Everything I wanted to do I was able to do.
Yeah I was hoping I would end the fight then (first time he took Sylvia to the mat). I was prepared to fight standing up, but I knew I had a better chance to end it on the ground.
You never know how short or long the fight will be, but I just wanted to end it as quickly as possible. I just wanted to show the fans my skills.
I was very pleasantly impressed by how many people came out and I hope to come back soon.
I would be very honored to fight Randy Couture.
Tim Sylvia: He got off first and then I had so much going through my mind. He got off first, landed the big punch, jumped on me, and got the submission.
I was amazed at how good he is. The guys a stud. I dont think hes human. Hes incredible. I dont think anybodys going to beat him for a while.
Andrei Arlovski: I think they got their moneys worth tonight. I did a lot of work on my boxing.
The game plan was to take him down. I didnt think Id get him down but I did come back. I didnt show my jiu-jitsu but I showed my boxing. I won the fight.
I want to dedicate the fight to my grandmother who passed away a few months ago.
Tomorrow Ill see what I did wrong, but tonight Im going to celebrate this victory. Im very excited. Ive fought many great fighters and tonight I wanted to show my best performance.
I want to fight Fedor, Josh or anybody Affliction chooses.
Freddie Roach (Arlovskis boxing trainer): I think boxing is what won the fight. The other guy was good on the ground and controlled it a little bit. Andreis boxing helped. His hands are really good and weve been talking about being a professional boxer.
Ben Rothwell: I hit him with some shots. Obviously it wasnt enough.
I was wearing him down but it didnt do much, considering the combination he pulled off.
My shots slowed him down a little bit but it didnt do much.
Josh Barnett: Hes as stellar fighter and it could have been me laying on the canvas."
I wanted to take him down; you cant chase a guy like that. He holds back because he waits to gauge you. When Im in the ring with him I know what hes doing.
I heard the crowd boo but I made up for it.
Floyd Mayweather is No.1 for a reason. His defense is unbelievable. When I made him miss two or three punches, I was loving it.
The win is great. Even though he beat me I hate that I had to beat him. Pedro Rizzo has a heart of gold.
I was changing levels a lot. My footwork wasnt what I wanted. I clipped him at the top of the head and when he put his foot back, he wobbled. When I saw he was unstable, I came forward. I knew he wouldnt be able to get out of the way.
Renato Sobral: I have been working a lot on my boxing with my coach. He was very strong. People forget that I can strike. Ill make people remember.
I tried to finish the fight but I couldnt. Two times I had the choke, but the ropes gave me some problems.
Whitehead is a good fighter; good striker.
I keep working on my jiu-jitsu and always like to finish my fights with a submission. But he was very smart.
Matt Lindland: I hit him with some huge shots. I had that thing (choke) so tight I was squeezing him hard enough to choke him out, but not enough to tire my arms out.
He was tough. It was no joke. I hit him with some good shots. I love choking out Black Belts, so hes a tough guy.
After I had him on the ground, I was thinking it was going to be an easy night. He fell into the choke slam. He really is strong.
I have to get my ass in the gym and get into better shape. Im running for the people of District 52 and I want to represent the people of Oregon.
He was so damn tough; he was the real deal.
Gerweck