The Kansas City clash, made public by Titan FC through an official statement to press, pits a pair of powerful pugilists against each other with the two heavyweights combining for seventeen TKOs in twenty-three total victories. Both men are also coming off losses in their previous appearances meaning a win on September 23 is especially important as another defeat could signal the beginning of the end for their successful runs in the sport.

“This one has slugfest written all over it,” Titan Fighting head Joe Kelly glowed when asked about the match-up.

Though Sanchez hasn’t fought since December, the 12-5 striker is 4-2 since his stint in the UFC with three of his triumphs involving a stoppage and a split decision loss saddled in the bunch too. Also worth mentioning, Sanchez has finished eleven of the twelve opponents he’s beaten.

Rogers looked to be something special during the start of his career with ten consecutive wins, eight of which came in the opening round, and an absolute destruction of Andrei Arlovski in mid-2009 at a Strikeforce event. However, things have been “grim” for “The Grim” since then with three losses in four fights and a handful of personal problems to boot.

Titan FC 20 will be broadcast live on HDNet and features former WEC 155-pound champion Jamie Varner in action against 31-14-1 Alonzo Martinez.

PHOTO CREDIT – PROELITE/UFC

News of the match-up was revealed through a statement from HDNet where the card will also be broadcast live come showtime.

Sanchez will be making his promotional debut after compiling a 12-5 overall record including wins in the UFC as well as Bellator. He has finished eleven of the twelve total opponents he’s beaten including eight by way of TKO meaning Lashley should certainly have his hands full considering his last few performances.

The 6-1 physical specimen struggled to put John Ott, normally a middleweight, away in his last outing at Titan FC 17 and showed suspect conditioning once again after gassing out against Chad Griggs in his previous fight. However, Lashley has also shown flashes of brilliance in his young career with four first frame stoppages under his belt.

Titan FC 19 will also feature Rob Kimmons battling Bubba McDaniel in co-headlining action with Alonzo Martinez taking on James Krause earlier in the evening as well.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has confirmed the news of the bout from a source close to Dave Herman.

The bout with Sanchez will undoubtedly mark the toughest test in Herman’s fifteen fight career. Of his fourteen victories, every single one of them he has finished on his own terms. Herman suffered the first defeat of his professional career at a Sengoku event in January of this year to Choi Mu Bae but recently bounced back with an impressive TKO stoppage of Josh Barnes at Bellator 5 on the first of May.

Sanchez put together a winning record of 4-3 during his career with the UFC before recently being released by the organization. It took him only ten seconds to make his first win since being released by the UFC an impressive one as he shut down Jay White by TKO at Bellator 7.

In order to alleviate the bloated roster, up to 50 fighters could be cut over the course of the next several months. FiveOuncesOfPain.com was the first to report that the UFC made a series of cuts over the weekend that included lightweight Rich Clementi, welterweight Luigi Fioravanti, and middleweight Derek Downey.

Five Ounces of Pain has also learned that American Kickboxing Academy light heavyweight Christian Wellisch and heavyweight Eddie Sanchez can now be added to the list as well.

Wellisch was recently cut in response to his split decision loss against Jake O’Brien nearly two weeks ago at UFC 94 in Las Vegas. Even though the bout marked Wellisch’s first at light heavyweight, the defeat served as his second consecutive loss inside of the Octagon.

It is believed that Sanchez was cut earlier this year in response to his unanimous decision loss to Justin McCully during the “UFC Fight for the Troops” event this past December in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The loss to McCully marked two consecutive defeats for Sanchez after having previously lost at UFC 85 this past June via TKO to Antoni Hardonk.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia

Adam Morgan: This is a fight that hardcores around the world have been talking about for quite some time. For awhile there were some mutterings that Fedor was ducking Tim Sylvia. Now we can finally put those rumors to rest. Sylvia is the best opponent that Fedor has faced in a long time and he’s a fighter that poses problems for any heavyweight in the world simply due to his size. If he can keep the fight standing and use his reach to his advantage then he has a chance to frustrate Fedor and win the fight. I don’t see that happening, however. Fedor has fought tall opponents before with better striking (see: Semmy Schilt), and has had no trouble getting the fight to the ground and unloading his vicious ground and pound or a submission. I expect the same to happen here. Sylvia will certainly be a game opponent but will eventually make a mistake that leads to a submission. The submission game is Sylvia’s biggest weakness and I expect Fedor to expose it early. Fedor via submission, round two.

Michael Huckaby: May I go on record as saying I still don’t understand how Sylvia can more than hold his own on the ground with Jeff Monson for twenty-five minutes but the second he hits the ground against Minotauro he taps? I’m not saying Minotauro isn’t leaps and bounds over Monson, I just don’t get it in the big picture. I’m still really worried about a cut stoppage here but as Morgan said Fedor has taken punishment from tall strikers before but eventually he gets inside and gets the fight to the mat where a quick armbar from nowhere ends it. Fedor is the master of the ring and Sylvia is …. good in the cage. I don’t care what guys say, surfaces matter. I do think Tim will hold him off with the jab and keep distance for five minutes but if it were a ten minute first round I believe it would end there. The only sure thing in this fight is that Tim Sylvia will at some point hold the ropes to avoid going down. Winner: Fedor, sub, Rd2

Gary Herman: Fedor is the best fighter in the world. Period. Tim Sylvia is a good fighter that can cause match-up problems. Fedor doesn’t have match-up problems. No fighter in the world is better prepared than Emeliananeko. Can Sylvia hurt Fedor? No. Sylvia’s only chance is with a lucky cut. Fedor knows this. Emelianenko by second round submission.

Paul Balsom: Much like everyone else I’m assuming, this one is pretty simple for me to break down. I think Big Tim thinks he is going to be able to get in that ring and pepper Fedor to death, but I he will underestimate Fedor’s explosiveness and be on the ground before he knows it. Shortly after that, one of Sylvia’s long arms will be getting pretzeled up in some horrible way and he will have no choice but to tap. I don’t think this will be much of a fight, as much as I would like for it to be. All of this, of course, is assuming that 2008 Fedor is the same Fedor we’ve seen only sparsely in the last two years. Fedor Emelianenko via submission in round 1.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell

Adam Morgan: This is by far the most evenly matched fight on the entire card as the former IFL heavyweight champion and highly underrated Ben Rothwell takes on former UFC champion Arlovski. Rothwell has really good power in his hands and Arlovski has some of the fastest hands in all of MMA and a killer instinct. I have to give the size and wrestling advantage to Rothwell, as well as the ability to take a shot. Arlovski’s chin is suspect and Rothwell has the power to knock him out if he catches him clean. I love this fight and I hope it’s a banger but I see Rothwell coming out on top when the dust clears. Ben Rothwell via TKO, round three.

Michael Huckaby: I can’t wait for this fight. My problem is outside of the questionable chin of Arlovski I don’t see a way Ben Rothwell pulls this one out. I also don’t see how someone can insult Mike Whitehead’s level of opposition and not at least question Rothwell’s. I’m all for Roy Nelson but we’re hardly talking dominating performances here. Arlovski is proven and better until shown otherwise. Maybe his moment has already passed him by but this is a new opportunity and, much like Sylvia, a chance to redefine himself. I really expect Arlovski to get a TKO here but I’m going to play it safe. Winner: Arlovski, decision

Gary Herman: I’m surprised so many people are hopping on the Rothwellwagon. It’s about to lose a couple of tires. If Rothwell thinks he can stand with the former UFC champion, he’s mistaken. Arlovski is going to turn it up again in his first fight out of the UFC. Arlovski by second round TKO.

Paul Balsom: As some of you may know, I’m from Chicago, so this is a fight that’s close to home for both fighters. Surprisingly, most people I talk to think Big Ben’s going to whoop up on Arlovski. My immediate thought is to disagree. I know Arlovski has fought plenty of heavyweights that are bigger than he (i.e. Sylvia, Verdum, I may be overlooking someone), but I don’t think Rothwell has faced anyone who has that more lean and explosive frame that Arlovski has. I think Arlovksi can weather some outside attacks by Rothwell long enough to get inside and do damage from there, or take the fight to the ground. If Rothwell comes out throwing hard first, I think it’s an advantage for Arlovksi to throw some nice counter shots and to get him to the ground for some potentially fight-ending strikes. Arlovksi via TKO (ref’s stoppage) in round 3.

Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo

Adam Morgan: These two fighters face off in a rematch of a previous UFC fight where Rizzo KO’d Barnett in the second round. I find it highly unlikely that we’ll see that same thing happen here. That was over six years ago, when Rizzo was at his prime in MMA and Barnett was still developing into the fighter that he is today. Rizzo has shown his age and his wear and tear during the past few years and Barnett will have the clear advantage when it comes to the overall MMA game. Rizzo’s striking is better, but Barnett’s wrestling, ground and pound, and submission game are much better than Rizzo’s. I expect a game fight out of Rizzo but Barnett will eventually overwhelm him. Josh Barnett via TKO, round two.

Michael Huckaby: It wasn’t that long ago in a Duel-like setting far, far away I asked if Rizzo had one more big run left in him after victories over Eilers and Monson and everyone agreed yes. He’s only 34, but that’s an OLD 34. I really think Rizzo is going to bring everything he has into this fight and as I always say styles make the matchups. Even though their previous matchup was roughly 40 years ago I still think the result means something. Unfortunately for Rizzo, Barnett is an absolute warrior with a rock hard chin. At the same time I’m not really seeing a way Barnett finishes this one either outside of a gassed Rizzo giving him something. Winner: Barnett, decision

Gary Herman: Barnett knows what lies ahead with a win – a fight with Fedor Emelianenko (assuming Fedor wins as well). That will be tremendous motivation for him. Plus, he’s not likely to look past Rizzo because Rizzo floored him a few years back. I like Barnett to dominate the positioning in the fight – unloading a lot of ground and pouns and trying submissions. Rizzo will most likely be overwhelmed. Barnett by 30-27 decision – 3x.

Paul Balsom: Don’t freak out when I say that I think this is a good bit of matchmaking. This has the “once defeated fighter looking for redemption” bit to it, but also Rizzo is not anywhere in Barnett’s league now. I think Barnett shows off some powerful wrestling early on and is able to ground-and-pound Rizzo until the ref steps in early. Barnett via TKO in round 1.

Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao

Adam Morgan: Matt Lindland has been given somewhat of a gimme fight in this matchup. Negao is no joke but Lindland should be able to handle him rather easily with his Olympic caliber wrestling and ground and pound. No MMA fighter in the world today, even Dan Henderson and Randy Couture, has adapted their wrestling to MMA better than Lindland. We should see some vintage Lindland here and he should take this one rather easily. Matt Lindland via TKO, round two.

Michael Huckaby: Gimme fight is right and it’s a bad idea. Lindland needs to define himself in the division before complete attention is turned away if it hasn’t already. It was only a year ago he was the greatest middleweight on Earth and now he’s relegated to fighting Negao in an eye roller. To play devil’s advocate, I don’t really know that Lindland is taking this any more seriously than the rest of us are. We’ve seen what can happen to Lindland when he’s not paying attention. Winner: Lindland, sub, Rd2

Gary Herman: Lindland’s really drifted from the MMA spotlight. He hasn’t had a really high profile fight in a while – save the heavyweight (mis)match with Fedor. This is a set-up fight for Lindland to look good. Negao is decent, but he isn’t ready for Lindland. I expect Negao to show up and put up a fight though. Lindland by decision.

Paul Balsom: I think the safe pick is Lindland here, so I will make it. Though Negao is a solid jiu jitsu player, aggressive guys like Lindland are often able to come in and do their damage quick enough to completely negate any potential danger. Lindland via TKO in round 1.

Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead

Adam Morgan: This is a huge step up in competition for Whitehead, as he has never faced a grappler the caliber of Sobral before. He may be on a twelve fight win streak and he may never have been submitted in his MMA career, but there’s a first time for everything. Whitehead has been steadily improving since his time on TUF but he’s no match for a submission artist like Babalu. Babalu has been in some wars with some of the best fighters in the light heavyweight division and Whitehead is just another name on the list. Whitehead will be game and put up a tough fight, but I expect Babalu to find a way to submit him and stop him dead in his tracks. Babalu via submission, round two.

Michael Huckaby: This fight is much more of an enigma to me than it is to Morgan. Babalu is absolutely better but can you say he’s more rounded than Whitehead? If this went to a decision would Sobral’s ground control be good enough to take it? Whitehead is a bear and Babalu’s striking at times looks like a man flailing in a straight jacket. I don’t think Babalu is going to have an easy time at all controlling Whitehead and dominating this fight. Poor competition or not, you don’t get through 30 fights in a career without being submitted through sheer luck. This fight might actually be more of a tossup to me than the Arlovski/Rothwell battle. I love both of these fights. I keep picturing Whitehead dominating on top and getting a little wild trying to end it before getting snagged in a triangle. I have to go with the fight in my head. Winner: Babalu, sub, Rd2

Gary Herman: This fight is golden opportunity for Whitehead. Whitehead will try to make this an ugly fight. Meanwhile, Babalu is a very unpredictable fighter. Will Babalu be at his best or will we see the guy who fought James Irvin? Fortunately for Babalu, the guy that fought Irvin is enough to beat Whitehead. Babalu by decision.

Paul Balsom: I threw this idea out in The DUEL, and I haven’t come up with another scenario in my mind that I think is realistic (aside from Whitehead scoring a flash KO or the like). I like Whitehead to negate Babalu’s submission attacks, and the two to more or less score a draw on the feet. I think Sobral’s offensive ground attacks will score him over Whitehead for a rather slow decision win. Babalu via unanimous decision (29-28).

Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko

Adam Morgan: Buentello is a guy who has good power and decent hands but doesn’t have much in the way of athleticism. What he lacks in athleticism, he makes up for in work ethic. The guy is always game, always willing to fight whoever you put in front of him, and always willing to put on a great show. That being said, there’s nothing about this matchup that I like for Buentello. Emelianenko is a monster in the ring and now that it seems he’s focused on his fighting career and back on track, Buentello should be no match for him. Like I said, expect Buentello to go in the ring and give it his all, but it won’t be enough to match the far superior younger brother of the baddest man on the planet. Aleksander Emelianenko via TKO, round one.

Michael Huckaby: I really like Buentello and I don’t like watching him get beat up. Can we take this time to talk about that Sherdog interview with Aleks? Did he join the Arona/Parisyan Bullcrap Hall of Fame? What a load that was, yet another guy who can never admit when he lost to a better fighter. Alright, back on topic, Emelianenko’s boxing is going to slaughter Buentello fairly early. My dream matchup from the UFC vs PRIDE days was seeing Arlovski vs Aleks and now with Affliction that fight might one day be a possibility in boxing heaven. Winner: A. Emelianenko, KO, Rd2

Gary Herman: Buentello and Emelianenko will stand and bang for as long as the fight lasts. Buentello has a lot of power and Aleks has a lot more skill. Will Buentello catch Aleks? Maybe. Will it be enough? I don’t think so. Emelianenko by first round TKO.

Paul Balsom: This fight seems to totally depend on which of the two fighters we see on Saturday night. If Aleksander comes out looking like he did in his last fight, really aggressive and crisp, this could be a tough night for Buentello. And hopefully Buentello doesn’t look anything like he did in his fight against Overeem in Strikeforce, because Emelianenko may kill him. I see Aleksander coming out looking good on the feet and the fight somehow getting to the ground. At which point, Emelianenko will slap on a wicked arm lock to finish the fight. Emelianenko’s submission win will come in round 2.

Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin

Adam Morgan: This is one of the more interesting matchups on the card for hardcore fans, as it’s always a question as to which Vitor Belfort will show up, especially now that he’s making his debut at 185 lbs. His opponent, Terry Martin, has a rock for a head and extremely powerful hands so he’ll be a task for Vitor to handle. I find it hard to put any kind of faith into Belfort given his past few appearances and fights. He no longer looks like the fighter we once knew when he was in the UFC but it’s also hard to put any stock into Martin. I have my doubts about the outcome of this fight, but I’m going to have to go with the more known commodity in recent months, Terry Martin. Terry Martin via TKO, round three.

Michael Huckaby: I’m under the impression the Belfort that kills halfway decent fighters with strikes died along with Julia Child. At the same time, Martin is in that MMA career arc where you’re in a funk after being a hot young prospect before popping back out onto the main stage. This is a battle of my MMA rules. The old, fading guy who looks downright awful sometimes against the guy who might or might not be ready to hit his stride and prime. This card is getting harder to pick than I thought it would be. You know what, Belfort isn’t easy to finish and I’ve seen Martin gas his way out of fights and get punched late too often. Belfort pulls it out in the third, be it via decision or a late shocking KO. Winner: Belfort, decision

Gary Herman: The “Phenom” Belfort is back. This is the perfect fight for Belfort to look great in. Martin will try to trade with Belfort, and that is not a good idea. Belfort was phenominally fast at 205. If he is mentally prepared, Belfort will be merely a blur at 185. Could we see Belfort vs. Lindland next? I hope so. Belfort by first round KO.

Paul Balsom: If Martin’s junk has recover from his fight at Adrenaline, than I don’t see this going any other way than him out-boxing Belfort into oblivion. As much as I would like to pick Belfort for old times sake, I cannot. Martin via TKO in round 2.

Edwin Dewees vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Adam Morgan: I almost feel bad for Edwin Dewees. He’s so young, has so many fights, has a great amount of potential, but is being fed to the wolves by facing the man we all know as Lil’ Nog. Lil’ Nog has great boxing and spectacular jiu jitsu, just like his brother Minotauro and I don’t expect Dewees to have much for him in the way of resistance. Dewees is a game young fighter and he won’t go quietly into the night but Lil’ Nog is way too much for the youngster. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via submission, round two.

Michael Huckaby: Wait, wait, Little Nog is fighting twice in a year? Is it a leap year? Let’s see, knock him out or submit him, knock him out or submit him? We’ll say punch into submission so I can satisfy both. Winner: Lil’ Nog, sub, Rd2

Gary Herman: This really isn’t a fair fight. Dewees is nowhere near the same class as Lil’ Nog. Dewees was easily submitted by Frank Trigg. I don’t see anyway this fight goes differently. Nogueira by first round submission.

Paul Balsom: There’s really no match in my mind, here. Nogueira goes for a couple quick jabs and dives in for a takedown and slams Dewees to the ground. Shortly thereafter (that’s right, I said “thereafter” in an MMA break down), Nogueira will end it with a submission. Nogueira via submission in round 1.

Ray Lazama vs. Justin Levens

Adam Morgan: Out of all the fights on this card, this has to be the least interesting. Lazama is a mere 5-5 in his professional career and Levens has been nothing more than a gatekeeper, if that. I’ll take Levens in this one just due to experience. Justin Levens via unanimous decision.

Michael Huckaby: I must admit, I was really psyched when Scott Smith vs Justin Levens was about to go down in the WEC and I was talking about how these guys would be hot stuff for years to come. Smith gets booted from the UFC and Levens is an outstanding, let’s see here, 2-8 since coming into that fight. Oh yes, my prospect eyes are glowing. Watch out Joe Silva. I really like Levens but I can’t pick him here against someone with Lazama’s power. 5-5 record be damned, Levens likes to swing and I think he might just not like to get hit in this one. Winner: Lazama, TKO, Rd1

Gary Herman: Levens has been all over the map over the past few years, and I don’t think many states were very good to him. Both guys will try to make the fight as exciting as possible (which may not be much). I hope the fight ends quickly. Lazama by first round TKO.

J.J. Ambrose vs. Mike Pyle

Adam Morgan: J.J. Ambrose has compiled a nice 8-1 record fighting on smaller shows, mainly TFA but he’s never face someone like Mike Pyle before. Sure, Mike Pyle may be one of MMA’s most hated personalities but he is a pretty damn good fighter. Ambrose should be no match for him in Pyle’s first fight under the Affliction banner. Mike Pyle via submission, round two.

Michael Huckaby: Pyle likes to get cute and leave himself open and occasionally it costs him. I can honestly say I’m not really familiar with Ambrose so I’ll take the devil I know and assume Pyle wants to finish this quickly to make his new employers happy. Of course he could be fighting on CBS right now but that’s an entirely different story. Winner: Mike Pyle, sub, Rd1

Gary Herman: Pyle comes from the best camp possible – Xtreme Couture. Ambrose doesn’t. There’s no substitute for being perfectly prepared for a fight. Pyle by second round submission.

Mark Hominick vs. Savant Young

Adam Morgan: Savant Young is coming off an unlikely upset over “Lion” Takeshi in Japan and has to be riding high having beat one of the best 145 lbs. fighters in the world. His wrestling is pretty tight but the rest of his game needs work. Hominick is the opposite. His striking is great but his wrestling is not very good and his subion defense is suspect. I like Hominick here just due to his ability to finish the fight with a combination, but it’s very close. Mark Hominick via TKO, round two.

Michael Huckaby: That Grispi fight still has my head shaking. The Yahya fight, while unacceptable, was atleast understandable. Mark Hominick seems to have no interest in learning how to avoid submissions and I’m going to ride the wave of Savant Young having a Dong Sik Yoon-like ability to improve each and every time out. I think Young really needs to finish this on the ground though because going to a decision means Hominick beat him apart for fifteen minutes. Winner: Young, sub, Rd1

Gary Herman: Savant Young is another up and down fighter. He’s going to try to out-wrestle Hominick, and that’s about all. If Hominick can keep the fight standing, he’ll get the win. I think he will. Hominick by decision.

Paul Balsom: I am a huge fan of this fight, and I’m upset that this fight won’t be airing for me until after the pay-per-view, due to some baseball issues. I like Savant Young in this fight, after a few furious seconds of striking from both parties involved. Savant Young via KO in round 1.

Lets take a look at Fedor’s strengths, and there are a few cubic tons of them. He is a “Master of Sports” in Sambo, the highest honor you can achieve, as well as multiple world championships in Combat Sambo. He is also a black belt in Judo. He was an avid strength trainer in the Russian army and shows the all purpose strength to prove it. His upper body takedowns are some of the best in the division and he has thrown men 50+ pounds heavier than him to the canvas with ease.

He can shift his hips for a submission like a world class lightweight. He is maybe the best arm bar practitioner in all of Mixed Martial Arts, being able to throw the submission from virtually anywhere in the ring with astounding speed.

He is a very under-rated striker with excellent boxing skills and very good leg and body kicks. He has knockout power in both hands and although he throws unorthodox punches he is uncannily accurate with them. He has redefined striking from the guard, his ability to power through an active closed guard is staggering.

As good as Fedor is at every position in the ring, his two greatest attributes as a fighter are gifts that not many in the world possess. He is incredibly instinctive during scramble situations in MMA, I personally have never seen anything quite like it. He almost never loses position during a transition situation. But his greatest talent is his total lack of fear. He has almost no sense of self-preservation and his will to win is truly remarkable. A more complete fighter in this burgeoning sport there is not.

All that said, he is vulnerable in a few areas. I watched quite a bit of tape on Fedor looking for holes in his style for Tim Sylvia to exploit, with special attention paid to his fight with Semmy Schilt and his last fight against a top ten caliber opponent, Mark Hunt. I pinpointed some weak spots in Fedor’s armor of invincibility, but unfortunately for Big Tim, they are in areas that he does not necessarily excel.

Fedor has fought lengthy fighters like Tim before, and has not shown concern about Tim’s 80” reach in recent interviews. In his fights with Semmy Schilt and Hong Man Choi, both 7+ feet tall, he enacted the predictable strategy and took the fight to the ground to even the playing field. Although he couldn’t submit a seasoned veteran like Semmy, he controlled the action and the fight on the ground for all three rounds. Semmy just did not have an answer for Fedor’s smothering base. Against a relative newcomer in Hong Man Choi, he was able to lure him into several arm bar situations, the last one ending the fight.

But neither Schilt nor Choi have Sylvia’s takedown defense nor come from a strong wrestling camp like Miletich. Taking Sylvia down will be a far cry from Choi, as he will first have to navigate through Tim’s reach and excellent jab as well as deal with Tim’s sprawl.

Where Fedor has looked most vulnerable in recent times was unquestionably his fight against Mark Hunt. Hunt is a devastating K-1 striker, who made the jump over to MMA with no grappling acumen and only his size and athleticism to guide him. He got the title shot against Fedor on New Year’s Eve 2006 on the Pride Shockwave card and made the most of it. Hunt’s size gave Fedor fits, as several of Fedor’s takedowns were reversed and as a result put on his back. Once there, Fedor had no answer for Hunt’s girth on top of him. At a possible 275lbs + at the time of the fight, Tim could give Fedor similar issues on the ground.

Fedor was very affected by Hunt’s jab in that fight, often taking poor shots as a result of Hunt’s jab getting through Fedor’s defense. Tim has an excellent jab, and uses it to open up the rest of his striking game. His reach combined with his jab should be able to cause Fedor fits in the beginning of the fight. And the ring favors Tim’s takedown defense, as he can back his posterior through the ropes of the ring to counter Fedor’s takedown attempts. This will be a chess match to watch unfold.

Tim is no grappling wiz by any means, but can hold his own on the ground and is a more agile grappler than his size would lead you to believe. Fedor has shown against Hunt and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira that he does not have the greatest guard and quite frankly can give up position on bottom fairly easily at times. Not sure if it’s his confidence in his submission defense that causes this or his lack of a traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu guard training. Regardless, if he gives up side control or mount to Sylvia, he is more than capable of taking advantage.

As sad as it is to admit, Timmy’s biggest chance to win in this fight is by cut. Everyone in MMA knows how easily Fedor can be cut, especially by accurate strikers like Sylvia. If Tim can survive the first 5 minutes with Fedor, this has to be a huge concern for the Red Devil coaches. Tim has a chance of keeping him at bay for 8-10 minutes until his face is enough of a mess that the American ringside doctors will possibly call this fight. Doctors in Japan are far more lenient than we are here in the states. You hate to see a fight end that way, and I am sure this is echoed by the fighters as well. But you have to face the reality of this possibility. And it’s a very good one.

The odds makers would have you believe that Tim Sylvia has absolutely no chance in this fight. But if the last 18 months in MMA has proven anything to me, it’s that there are no more clear favorites in MMA. The cross-training is too good anymore. Fighters are too well rounded. And everyone has a Punchers chance. I think Tim has more than that, but is it enough against the myth that is Fedor?

Editor’s Update: This contest is now closed. The correct answers we were looking for:

1. Submission (if you named ALL of the different methods, we would have accepted that too)

2. Mark Hunt, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Semmy Schilt

3. 10.

4. 12 and Keith Jardine

5. Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski

6. Oregon, Republican 

7. Onward to V by ICEPICK

FiveOuncesofPain.com wants to send a lucky reader to see some of the best heavyweight MMA fighters in the world: Fedor, Barnett, Rothwell, Arlovski, and Sylvia. That’s right, 5 Oz of Pain has 9th row tickets for Affliction BANNED: Fedor vs. Sylvia PPV (7/19) and we are giving them away to one lucky reader.

How to Win: be the first reader to correctly answer the seven questions below.
All answers MUST be posted in the Comment String of THIS CONTEST POST.

1. What Method of Victory has Fedor ended his last 5 fights with?

2. Name 3 opponents that have been beaten by both Fedor and Josh Barnett.

3. Babalu had a long win streak in between losses to Chuck Liddell – how many wins in a row?

4. How long is Mike Whitehead’s current win streak AND to who did he last lose to? (Two part question)

5. Pedro Rizzo has wins over two fighters on the Affliction BANNED card, name them.

6. A staunch politician, Matt Lindland recently won the primary election for WHICH state and WHICH political party? (Two part question)

7. Name the song title and metal band that is officially designated as “Arlovski’s Theme”

All answers MUST be posted in the Comment String of THIS CONTEST POST.

DISCLAIMER: Only enter this contest if you can attend this event on Sat 7/19 in Anaheim, CA. Winner will be contacted via email (be sure to use a legit email address) and must email their US mailing address to 5 Oz of Pain by midnight 7/16. We will be overnight-ing the tickets to the winner. We will not ship outside of the U.S.

WHEN: Saturday, July 19th at 9pm ET
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Contest teaser: FiveOuncesofPain.com is going to send a lucky reader to see some of the best heavyweight MMA fighters in the world: Fedor, Barnett, Rothwell, Arlovski, and Sylvia.

That’s right, 5 Oz of Pain has 9th row tickets for Affliction BANNED: Fedor vs. Sylvia PPV (7/19) and we will be giving them away to our readers tomorrow, Tuesday 7/15.

So what’s the contest? When can you win? To find out, you’ll need to CHECK THIS SITE early and often tomorrow, Tues 7/15.

DISCLAIMER: Only enter this contest if you can attend this event on Sat 7/19 in Anaheim, CA. Winner will contacted via email (be sure to use a legit email address) and must email their US mailing address to 5 Oz of Pain by midnight 7/16. We will be overnight-ing the tickets to the winner and we will not pay for shipping outside of the U.S.

Tickets to the debut event for the Affliction promotion brought to you exclusively by FiveOuncesofPain.com. This site has given away to its readers: tickets to pay-per-views, signed shirts, signed posters, signed fight gloves, DVDs, health supplements, and piles of MMA gear. What other site is this dedicated to the hardcore MMA fan? The winning answer: None

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In his weekly blog on The Fight Network’s website, Ranallo has revealed why his name is no longer attached to the broadcast.

“For you inquiring minds out there, the reason I am not going to be announcing the Affliction: Banned pay per view on Saturday, July 19th in Anaheim is due to my contractual obligations to EliteXC,” Ranallo stated. “I am looking forward to anchoring The Fight Network’s extensive coverage of the Affliction event and I know that Jay Glazer, Frank Trigg and the Fight Network’s own “Big” John McCarthy will do a superlative job of calling the action.”

Just a reminder that you can listen to Ranallo every Monday through Friday on Fight Network Radio at 3 p.m. ET on Sirius Channel 186. During a recent segment in which BloodyElbow.com’s Luke Thomas was a guest, Ranallo revealed that many of the production elements involved with EliteXC’s first show on CBS (the girls and the fireworks) will not be a part of the promotion’s second telecast on July 26.

This ruling of course will allow the fighters to use elbows on the ground, which has been the most glaring difference between many of the U.S. fight promotions. While organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and EliteXC have always allowed elbows under the unified rules, other promotions such as the International Fight League and Strikeforce have taken away elbows as a legal maneuver.

The main event will be Fedor Emelianenko vs Tim Sylvia for the WAMMA Heavyweight Title. This will be the first champion from the WAMMA sanctioning body. For now this is good with Affliction but according to them the future could hold a number of possibilities:

For now, Atencio says Affliction is happy with their current situation, but he didn’t totally rule out the promotion doing an actual “Affliction” title in their promotion at some point down the road.

“You never know what’s going to happen in the future, but we’re working with WAMMA right now, and if the relationship continues the way it is then absolutely,” he said.

Based on the amount of money Affliction appears willing to pay to crack into the MMA market, they appear a possible destination for the superfight if (when) it finally comes to pass.When questioned about hosting the possible Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko match-up, VP of Affliction Tom Atencio answered positively.

Yes, that’s the fight everyone wants to see,” said Atencio, “That’s the dream fight. Randy doesn’t want to fight anyone else. “

Of course, every organization would like to put on the fight, but there are two things that give Affliction the potential advantage: 1) they are willing to shell out the money and 2) Couture has appeared in Affliction commercials in the past.

We have a great relationship with Randy,” said Atencio.

However, Atencio set the record straight that he has not tampered with anything that Couture is going through with the UFC.

Due to his legal problems, I have not spoken with Randy in any way.”

An interesting note is that if Affliction gets the bout, the match-up would be fought in the ring. That would seem to favor Emelianenko.

More importantly though, let’s hope Couture gets the legal problems worked out so that the fight can finally happen.

They will be joining former referee John McCarthy in the booth. It had been previously announced by The Fight Network that McCarthy and SHOWTIME play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo were going to handle the PPV broadcast chores. Today’s announcement would seem to indicate that Ranallo will not be involved after all:

“Affliction Banned” PPV July 19 in Anaheim

SIGNAL HILL, California (July 7, 2008) – “Affliction Banned,” the greatest MMA show of all-time, will feature an all-star broadcast team for its July 19th pay-per-view event, featuring the WAMMA heavyweight championship fight between the most lethal MMA heavyweight of all-time, Russian M1 superstar legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (27-1), and former UFC heavyweight champion Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia (24-4), live from Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Veteran television sports reporter and announcer, Jay Glazer, will handle blow-by-blow action while MMA fighter Frank Trigg serves as color analyst. Former MMA referee “Big” John McCarthy joins Glazer and Trigg as a ringside commentator and to conduct interviews. Legendary Michael Buffer of “Let’s Get Ready To Rumble” fame will be the ring announcer.

Glazer is a senior writer for FoxSports.com, sideline reporter for NFL® on Fox® since 2004, and was studio host with Trigg on FSN’s PRIDE® Fighting Championship show.

Trigg is a veteran fighter of several MMA organizations, including UFC® and PRIDE®, as well as color commentator and co-host of MMAWeekly and TAGG radio shows.

McCarthy, who has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, refereed 535 fights during his 14 years as an MMA referee. He started refereeing in the UFC’s® second show in 1994, retired this past December, and is recognized as an MMA ambassador all over the world.

Buffer, arguably the most recognizable ring announcer in the world, has announced many of boxing and wrestling’s greatest events for the past quarter-century.

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I think it’s flattering. It means they are paying attention to us,” said Affliction VP Tom Atencio, “It means we are a threat to them. I think people will tape (the UFC) and watch ours.”

That may be what Affliction is saying publicly, but I am sure that behind closed doors they are none too happy. The opposing show will definitely hurt the overall pay-per-views in the short term. However, as we saw back in the late 1990′s with the pro wrestling Monday Night wars, having competing shows can actually increase overall viewership in the long run. Plus, the real winners will be the fans as both companies will be forced to put on the best possible shows all the time to keep people tuned to their program and not the competition.

We’re looking at the end of October / early November for the next show and after that – probably February,” said Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio.

The fact that Affliction is already thinking about it’s next card can only be good news to MMA fans. Sure, that can all change when the final numbers come in from the first show, but after seeing the line-up for next month, I can’t see any reason why we all aren’t hoping for success – or at least enough positive signs that will cause Affliction to keep going.

Nogueira is the twin brother of UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Junkie is reporting that White will not be licensed to fight because he positive for a banned diuretic after a May 31 Xtreme Fighting Association event in Las Vegas.

Nogueira will remain on the card even though a new opponent has not yet been secured. When contacted by Junkie for comment, Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio indicated that the promotion is interested in signing Edwin “Babyface” Dewees as a replacement.

Affliction: Banned will air on pay-per-view and is scheduled to be headlined by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia for the vacant WAMMA along with heavyweight bouts featuring Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo and Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell.

Ranallo, a former play-by-play announcer for PRIDE, is also the play-by-play announcer for mixed martial arts events on SHOWTIME as well as a color commentator for EliteXC events that air on CBS. He also hosts a daily combat sports radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio and Hardcore Sports Radio every weekday from 3-4 p.m. ET.

McCarthy had been a long-time MMA referee before announcing his retirement last year in order to accept a dual executive-announcer with The Fight Network. He also owns a training center based out of California and is a former law enforcement official.

Affliction: Banned will be headlined by a main event featuring former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko taking on former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in a match to decide the first-ever WAMMA heavyweight champion. Other bouts slated for the card include a rematch between former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo; Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell and Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao.

While the announcement may seem a little out of left field, in addition to sponsoring MMA fighters and boxers, the company has also tried to promote its brand through harder rock acts. That being said, the addition of Megadeth to the bill will no doubt be greeted with a negative reaction by many of MMA’s hardcore fans.

Megadeth’s involvement has been rumored for quite some time. At one point, they were initially attached to the card before a source informed FiveOuncesOfPain.com on separate occasions that Korn and Ozzy Osbourne had also been approached as being the event’s featured musical act.

While I will give Megadeth some props since I’ve heard that frontman Dave Mustaine is a big mixed martial arts fan that has trained in the past, I’ve got to be honest in saying that I’ve never been a Megadeth guy. That says a lot coming from someone considers heavy metal his music of choice.

Mustaine is a good guitarist, but I just couldn’t get past his voice. The fact that he also pulled a Jesse Taylor and got booted from Metallica right before they broke big is also something I can’t get past. Some will say this is blasphemous, but I was never into Megadeth or Metallica. For me, it’s an easy call: the greatest heavy metal band ever was Pantera.

In addition to Pantera, I have to say the Deftones and Lamb of God are right up there. Two other heavier acts I always enjoyed that simply never got the due they deserved were the Orange County-based Snot and the Mid Atlantic-based Nothingface. If you’re a fan of either Snot or Nothingface, then I’m a fan of yours.

I was especially curious to see what people were saying about the UFC’s decision to hastily put together a UFC Fight Night card to be televised live on Spike TV on July 19, directly opposite the Affliction: Banned pay-per-view that has been scheduled for that day for several months.

Most of the posts I’ve seen have been critical of the UFC and its President, Dana White, for going ahead trying to take the steam out of Affliction’s inaugural event. Some of the posts I have seen have contained a ton of angst, almost accusing White of being an MMA anti-Christ.

The UFC’s decision to run opposite Affliction is a low blow, but it’s not illegal. Furthermore, there’s no written or unwritten agreement that says promotions cannot hold cards on the same day of each other.

With that said, I actually think what the UFC is doing it’s smart business. Some people are claiming White is being a hypocrite because he’s said in the past that he welcomes competition but then does something like this. But I don’t see how he’s being a hypocrite? He said he welcomes the competition but has never said he was going to roll over for it.

Lest we forget that two recent UFC heavyweight champions, Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, are set to appear the Affliction PPV. While Sylvia was released with one fight left on his contract, the specter of Affliction’s involvement of MMA no doubt hurt the UFC’s leverage at the negotiation table.

Whether the UFC wanted to keep Sylvia around at the right price is debatable, but I don’t think it’s even a question that the UFC did not want to lose Arlovski. Not to mention, if Affliction succeeds, they could potentially recruit and sign many other stars that the UFC had a hand in building.

Seriously, did the same people that are crying now about the UFC’s decision say they felt it was unfair when Affliction signed Arlovski out from under the UFC?

The July 19 UFC Fight Night is not good for the long-term growth of the sport, but it could be good for the long-term growth of the UFC. I can understand why purists do not like the move, but can’t we think logically for a second? White is not a paid good-will ambassador of MMA. He’s paid by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta to run the UFC and ensure it remains the market leader in the sport. Would White be any good at his job if he willingly allowed his competition to overtake him?

I’m not going to sit here and try and tell you that UFC Fight Night 14 isn’t going to hurt Affliction: Banned. The fact is that I am convinced that the UFC card will have a serious adverse financial impact on Affliction’s PPV buyrate. Yes, Affliction has the better card. And yes, we live in the age of DVR and TiVo, so people can watch both, something that I anticipate many hardcore fans doing. But hardcore fans aren’t going to make or break Affliction. With the money it is spending, Affliction needs to breakthrough to the casual audience and convince them to order the PPV in droves in order to have any hope of breaking even.

The problem is, Affliction has done a poor job of marketing “Banned” to the masses. Look, they’ve put together an All-Star card, one so good that I have been thinking paying out of pocket so that I can see it live. They’ve also done a good job of holding press conferences in Los Angeles and New York and making the fighters accessible to the MMA media and hardcore MMA fans. And getting Donald Trump involved was a tremendous coup. But we’re running out of time here and I have not seen a major mainstream media push. Unless a big campaign starts soon, they will not be able to penetrate the casual MMA audience.

Now, even if they come up with an amazing mainstream marketing campaign, Affliction’s debut show is still going to have problems from a pure dollar and cents perspective. By holding a free show opposite Affliction’s PPV, the UFC is giving the casual MMA fan a strong alternative. You and I will be watching both, but if the typical casual fan gets the urge to watch MMA on July 19, chances are that with the economy the way it is, he or she will tune into Spike instead of shelling out $39.95 that they can instead use to fill up their gas tank.

The UFC’s decision to counter-program Affliction is bad for the sport. However, just because something is bad for the sport doesn’t necessarily make it wrong. Assuming it’s not violating anti-trust laws or using strong-arm tactics, the UFC has every right to run its business how it sees fit and to rip White to shreds for making a smart business decision is just plain “crazytalk.”

To the fans who see the MMA industry from the outside looking in, MMA is a sport. But what so many of us overlook is the fact that when it comes to those on the inside, MMA is not only a business, it is also their livelihood. Why shouldn’t the UFC try to protect that livelihood?