The greatest heavyweight mixed martial artist of all time, Fedor Emelianenko, faces the talented and tough Antonio Silva in a first round bout in the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament.
How do these guys stack up?
Fedor: 34 years old, 6’0″, 74″ reach
Silva: 31 years old, 6’4″, 82″ reach
What have they done lately?
Fedor: L Fabricio Werdum (SUB), W Brett Rogers (TKO), W Andrei Arlovski (KO)
Silva: W Mike Kyle (TKO), W Andrei Arlovski (DEC), L Fabricio Werdum (DEC)
How did these guys get here?
Fedor Emelianenko had gone 29 fights without losing before June of last year when he fell into the triangle choke of Fabricio Werdum. Fedor was the long time #1 fighter in the heavyweight division, defeating almost any heavyweight worth defeating and mixing in some “freakshow” fights such as bouts against the huge Hong Man Choi and Zuluzinho. While many newer fans to the sport were surprised to see the amount of danger Fedor would end up in during bouts against the likes of Arlovski and Rogers, long time fans know that overcoming early threats is what has defined his legendary career. With the loss to Werdum, some feel that he lacks the same “invincible aura” he carried for so long, but Saturday night provides him with a chance to regain some of that.
Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva is a huge man thanks to a pituitary gland tumor. His unmistakable huge head has been known to break the hands that connect on it. Silva was the first and only heavyweight champion in the now defunct EliteXC promotion and has only lost once since 2007. Silva is presented with the opportunity to put his solid striking and ground game to use when he battles Fedor in the biggest fight of his career.
Why should you care?
It’s Fedor in his first bout since losing to Werdum and it’s not an easy one at that. Silva will look to connect early and put Fedor on the defensive but he’ll be in danger of being finished at any point.