Steve Mazzagatti got his first crack at being a referee in the octagon way back at UFC 43 and it has been a bumpy road scattered with questionable decisions ever since.

One of his more questionable calls of recent memory was dragged back into the limelight in a recent Maxim Magazine profile on Brock Lesnar and his upcoming rematch with Frank Mir for the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight championship at UFC 100.

The pair’s first meeting at UFC 81 ended in controversy after Lesnar was prohibited from mauling Mir upon Mazzagatti’s decision to stand the two men up to deduct a point from Lesnar for punches to the back of the head. Whether Lesnar was warned or not is unclear. What is clear is if Mazzagatti had warned Lesnar, he hadn’t been overly vocal about it prior to deducting the point. Mir being finished seemed imminent at the time of the stand-up. Lesnar was caught in a knee bar to force the tapout shortly after the separation.

“Frank knows deep down that he lost that fight,” Lesnar was quoted as saying to Maxim. “He got a Christmas present.”

UFC President Dana White also chimed in during the feature and made his feelings on Mazzagatti as a referee quite clear.

“That referee has no business being in this business,” said White.

According to figures released by CSAC, Affliction: Banned’s total attendance at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. was 14,832. The total revenue drawn from the gate is listed as $2,085,510. The live gate numbers are very respectable and look even better when you consider that the promotion did not have to do any heavy papering. The paid attendance for the show was 11,242 with 3,590 complimentary tickets issued for the event.

The total comps for the show is nothing to be proud of, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of either. Considering that the event was held in the Los Angeles area and Affliction has many corporate partners through its clothing line, the number could have been worse.

It should be noted that reports of the event being a sellout were erroneous. According to the CSAC report obtained by FiveOuncesOfPain.com, a total of 740 tickets went unsold.

CSAC also released a report yesterday that contained the official salary numbers for the fighters that competed at “Banned.” While some media outlets had speculated that Affliction’s payroll for their first ever event could exceed $5 million, that’s not the case, according to CSAC. According to the commission, the payroll for “Banned” was $3.3 million. However, it should be noted that the salary figures released do not take into account signing or other special bonuses that may have been awarded to key fighters at their time of signing on for the event.

In the case of new WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, he is only shown with a guarantee of $300,000 for the event. Considering that his management had been seeking a contract that would pay Fedor between $1.5-2 million per fight, it wouldn’t be surprising if he received additional compensation prior to the event.

The highest listed compensated fighter on the card was former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, who received a $800,000 guarantee in spite of losing in just 36 seconds.

Other big financial winners from the event include Vitor Belfort, Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, and Ben Rothwell.

– Fedor Emelianenko: $300,000 (no win bonus) def. Tim Sylvia: $800,000

– Andrei Arlovski: $750,000 (includes $250,000 win bonus) def. Ben Rothwell: $250,000

– Josh Barnett: $300,000 (no win bonus) def. Pedro Rizzo: $70,000

– Mark Hominick: $10,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus) def. Trenell “Savant” Young: $7,000

– Renato “Babalu” Sobral: $90,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus) def: Mike Whitehead: $50,000

– Matt Lindland: $300,000 (includes $75,000 win bonus) def. Fabio “Negao” Nascimento: $20,00O

– Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: $50,000 (no win bonus) def. Edwin Dewees: $15,000

– Mike Pyle: $20,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus) J.J. Ambrose: $5,000

– ** Ray Lizama: $3,000 vs. Justin Levens: $6000: This bout was canceled due to time constraints, however, both fighters were still compensated.

– Vitor Belfort: $140,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus) def. Terry Martin: $30,000

– Paul Buentello: $80,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus) def. Gary Goodridge: $25,000

Five Ounces of Pain has also learned that Goodridge was not originally contracted to fight as an alternate as has been reported by some web sites. Goodridge was at the event to watch as a fan and was only approached about fighting after it was learned that CSAC would not license Aleksander Emelianenko.

Photo of Fedor Emelianenko for Five Ounces of Pain by: Reid Watanabe

Overall which event did you like better:

UFC Fight Night 14 Silva vs. Irvin
or
Affliction BANNED Fedor vs Sylvia??

VOTE now, our latest poll is located in the left-hand column of the site. Also share your thoughts about the overall events here.

Over the last several weeks, 5 Oz of Pain had been running a poll asking readers how they would be watching the fights this past weekend:

39% (910) readers responded:  I’ll pay to watch Affliction, and TIVO the UFC.
32% (748) readers responded:  I’ll watch UFC and catch Affliction on the internet.
23% (539) readers responded:  I’ll only watch UFC free on Spike.
6% (147) readers responded:  I’ll only watch Affliction on pay-per-view.

As the fights took place, did you flip back and forth?  Did you watch Spike then catch Fedor vs. Sylvia online?

Check out more Silva vs. Irvin content here and Fedor vs. Sylvia content here.

So I’m thinking “Okay, we’ll wait a few minutes.” A few minutes go by and another message comes up that says “Your purchase cannot be processed, please call your local office.” So I called and got put on hold for what seemed like days. Not getting through to anyone at the local office, I called 1-800-Comcast to see if they could help me. I got put on hold even longer at the 1-800-Comcast number than I did at the local number. So I hopped online to get into a Live Chat to see what the deal was. At this point the event had already started and I was put into a queue on their live chat support and I was sixth in line.

I finally get into the chat room, tell the person what’s going on and he tries to fix it. Still no dice. By this time I had found an alternate way to watch the pay per view so I wasn’t too worried about it so I told the guy to just cancel my order and be done with it. I don’t know how many of you deal with Comcast, but I’ve only had them for two months and their service has been downright terrible. This was just the icing on the cake for me. The guy kept trying to fix it after I told him to cancel it and I finally had to be an asshole about it and tell him to cancel the order, make sure I don’t get billed for it, and be done with it.

Now, I don’t know if this was just an issue with my local Comcast provider or whether it was widespread. I’ve heard a couple of other people comment about the same issue. That’s why I’m posting this little anecdote because if it was widespread, Affliction cannot be happy. Comcast is the biggest cable provider in the U.S. and if something was going on with their service at the time, it could affect Affliction’s buyrate and could possibly have cost them quite a bit of money.

So my question to you readers is: Did Comcast screw you on Affliction: Banned last night? If so, please comment in the comments section. We’d like to hear your story to see just how widespread the problem was. If it was widespread then this could be a big story and could hurt Affliction’s bottom line. We want to hear from you.

• Fedor Emelianenko (230) vs. Tim Sylvia (263)
• Andrei Arlovski (241) vs. Ben Rothwell (264)
• Josh Barnett (256) vs. Pedro Rizzo (242)
• Renato “Babalu” Sobral (201) vs. Mike Whitehead (206)
• Matt Lindland (185) vs. Fabio “Negao” Nascimento (185)
• Edwin Dewees (205) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205)
• J.J. Ambrose (170) vs. Mike Pyle (171)
• Ray Lazama (186) vs. Justin Levens (189) *
• Vitor Belfort (185) vs. Terry Martin (185.5)
• Mark Hominick (144) vs. Trenell “Savant” Young (145)

- Though Sherdog then came through again, stating Gary Goodridge would be named as a replacement on the Affliction card against Buentello since he was already licensed to fight in the state.

- James Irvin originally weighed in at 207.5lbs for his main event against Anderson Silva but on his second try made 206lbs to get to the light-heavyweight limit. Every fighter on the UFC card made weight for their fights on Saturday.

- Everyone made weight for the Affliction: Banned card (Fedor: 230lbs, Sylvia: 263lbs) outside of Justin Levens. Levens weighed in at 189lbs for his middleweight bout but was granted his fight against Ray Lazama, though he will give up a percentage of his purse to him.

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.

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Saturday night’s pay-per-view broadcast will run a full four hours and will feature eight bouts. Additionally, FSN will air three bouts, rather than the previously reported two fights.

In other words, between FSN and PPV, the entire “Banned” fight card will be televised.

This is getting pretty intense. Let’s backtrack. Affliction announces a card to be held on July 19th. The UFC counters by putting together a free card on basic cable television that features the best pound for pound fighter in the world, Anderson Silva, in the main event. Then Affliction says that they’ll show two undercard fights on FSN for free as well. In response, the UFC counter-programs with UFC: Unleashed airings as well as re-airing the Silva vs. Irvin countdown show during that timeslot.

Now, the UFC has gone ahead and gone live with the show nationwide according to this report. Usually the UFC airs its live Spike broadcasts on a three hour delay on the West Coast but Silva vs. Irvin will be shown live nationwide. And now this: Affliction running a four hour broadcast, showing eight fights, as well as three undercard fights for free on FSN. It’s like dueling banjos, folks. And as MMA fans, you’ve gotta love it.

View Affliction BANNED fight card HERE.

Below is a master list of all the MMA that will be airing over the next 10 days.
Damn, son. That is A LOT of mixed martial arts. My DVR is gonna get a workout.
What will YOU be watching?

All times Eastern.

Thurs 7/17

• UFC Countdown: Silva vs Irvin – 11pm – Spike TV (premier)

Friday 7/18

• UFC Countdown: Silva vs Irvin – 11am – Spike TV (re-air)
• Inside MMA – 9:30pm – HDNet
• Best of DREAM 4 Middleweight Grand Prix – 10:30pm – HDNet

Saturday 7/19

• UFC Unleashed – 4pm-7pm – Spike TV
• UFC Countdown: Silva vs Irvin – 7pm – Spike TV (re-air)
• Affliction BANNED Undercard: Emelianenko vs. Buentello – 8 pm – Fox Sports Net (live)
• Ultimate Knockouts 5 – 8pm – Spike TV
• UFC Fight Night 14: Silva vs. Irvin – 9pm-Midnight – Spike TV (live)
• Affliction BANNED: Fedor vs. Sylvia – 9pm – PayPerView (live)
• UFC Fight Night 14: Silva vs. Irvin – Midnight-3am – Spike TV (re-air)

Monday 7/21

• Dream 5: Lightweight Grand Prix Finals – 2am – HDNet (live)
• Dream 5: Lightweight Grand Prix Finals – 10pm – HDNet (re-air)

Saturday 7/26

• CBS/EliteXC Smith vs. Lawler II – 9pm – CBS (live)
• UFC 84 Penn vs. Sherk – 9pm – Spike TV (re-air)

(if we missed anything, let us know)

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
WHAT: FiveOuncesOfPain.com’s Live Results and Chat!

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