© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
February 11, 2009
All photos copyright 2009 Affliction Clothing
Special thanks to Pamela Rogers
Held at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Affliction: Day of Reckoning presented another huge card that definitely delivered the goods. Ring announcer Michael Williams did an outstanding job, and it was great to see Big John McCarthy and Herb Dean sharing some of the refereeing duties again.
In earlier matches:
Antonio Nogueira def. Vladimir Matyushenko by TKO – 3.12, Round Two.
Brett Cooper def. Patrick Speight by TKO – 4.10, Round Two.
Albert Rios def. Antonio Duarte by unanimous decision.
LC Davis def. Bao Quach by unanimous decision.
The Battles
Dan Lauzon (5’10" 155.5 lb) vs. Bobby Green (5’10" 155.5 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Herb Dean
Southpaw Dan backed away from Bobby’s left and right punches.
4.54: Bobby let loose with a left hook and Dan matched it with a right hook.
4.51: Dan connected with a left, right, left combo before they clinched. Bobby avoided the takedown by locking on a guillotine, then released the choke to unload a barrage of knuckles.
4.35: Green slammed home eight knees to Lauzon’s body.
4.06: Lauzon missed with two left haymakers.
3.56: Green backed Lauzon into the corner with a kick that was deemed a groin shot, and Herb called time out. On replay, the kick appeared to land on the lower stomach rather than the groin area. Ring commentator Jimmy Smith said, "I think that’s a much needed break for Lauzon. I think he was backing up when he was kicked to the groin."
3.42: Dan went for a superman punch and a high kick before failing with the takedown. The pair clinched and fell to the ground as Bobby took half guard.
3.26: Bobby stood, then dropped leather on his downed opponent before Dan also stood, with Bobby taking his back and slamming Dan into the floor via a suplex.
3.10: They stood and Bobby slipped whilst attempting a high kick. Dan charged in to wrap Bobby in a triangle, but Bobby shrugged off the hold and pounded from guard.
2.22: They traded until Green’s knee strike was called a groin shot after Lauzon covered up and dropped to his knees. The replay looked dubious.
Tito Ortiz said, "I really think that Lauzon may be putting on a little theatrics there. I don’t think the strike was that hard. It looked like he hit him right on top of the thigh – maybe on the inside, but I think he’s doing a great acting job tonight."
Bobby Green waited in his corner and shook his head as Lauzon took more time out.
Play resumed and they exchanged before Lauzon claimed yet another kick was to his groin. Bobby protested and the commentators again questioned the low blow, remarking, "I think he’s (Lauzon) milking it." Two points were deducted from Green.
1.32: Bobby had Dan backed into the corner and tugged on his left leg to take him down, then stood over the downed Dan and pounded away.
1.03: Dan went for a leg lock.
0.33: Bobby escaped the submission attempt; however Dan caught him with a rear naked choke.
There was a mixed response from the crowd when Lauzon’s hand was raised after the fight.
Result: Dan Lauzon by RNC – 4.55, Round One.
Paul Buentello (6’2" 244 lb) vs. Kirill Sidelnikov (5’11" 229.5 lb)
– Heavyweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Round One
Both men were testing the water with jabs and throwing the occasional right hand.
4.38: Kirill aggressively backed Paul into the corner where they shared a brief flutter of leather.
4.26: Kirill dispatched a right leg kick and a right cross.
4.19: They clinched, with Paul against the ropes.
4.14: They parted after close-quarter knees, elbows and fists were exchanged.
3.28: Sidelnikov inside leg-kicked and Buentello countered with his right hand.
3.21: Sidelnikov backed Buentello up with a right.
3.15: They traded and clinched.
2.20: They broke free.
2.13: Buentello high-kicked.
2.08: Sidelnikov inside leg-kicked.
1.37: The pair tied up after a spate of jab jousting. Paul was using his six-inch reach advantage to jab and right-uppercut Kirill.
1.15: They broke free and a mouse was clearly visible under Kirill’s left eye.
0.40: The pair clinched up to the bell.
The big screen switched to Fedor Emelianenko casually entering the Honda Center – he could easily have been mistaken for a shopper perusing the stalls in a marketplace.
Round Two
Paul kept busy with his thumping jabs – each punch was power packed and proved a difficult barrier for Kirill to infiltrate.
2.58: Kirill leg-kicked.
2.50: They traded and Sidelnikov forced Buentello back with a thunderous right hand. He unloaded a barrage of fists that sent Buentello into the corner before they tied up.
1.55: The pair parted.
1.36: Sidelnikov shot for Buentello’s leg; Buentello sprawled and fell onto Sidelnikov’s back, then chose to resume the vertical battle.
1.26: Paul tagged Kirill with a left, right, left combo – the latter whiplashing Kirill’s head back, but the brave Russian kept coming.
1.16: Paul worked his jab/right uppercut combo.
1.01: Paul whiplashed Kirill’s head with another powerhouse jab.
0.58: Kirill sent up a high kick that whizzed past Paul’s face.
0.34: Kirill ducked under an incoming high kick.
After two 5-minute rounds, Paul Buentello’s jabs were still packing dynamite.
Round Three
Buentello’s jabs to the head and body were unrelenting.
3.22: Sidelnikov tried to close the gap and was punished by Buentello’s uppercut.
2.24: They tied up in the corner and collapsed to the canvas, then stood back up.
1.56: They exchanged jabs, with Buentello’s more powerful hand blasting Sidelnikov back a number of paces. Buentello’s jabs were crushing rock-breakers.
1.49: Paul leg-kicked and Kirill dropped to the floor and Big John called time out to refit Kirill’s mouthguard. The crowd booed at the stoppage – it wasn’t their mouth or their butt in the ring. Moments later, Big John halted play and the ring physician stopped the fight.
The 20-year-old Sidelnikov was tough as nails, but the more experienced Buentello was a sledgehammer.
Result: Paul Buentello by TKO – 4.18, Round Three.
Renato Sobral (6’1" 204 lb) vs. Rameau Sokoudjou (6’0" 205 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Round One
Leather was exchanged before Babalu leg-kicked and shot in for the takedown; however Rameau sprawled and shrugged him off.
4.05: They banged and tied up. Babalu took Rameau down, but Rameau sprang to his feet and the pair locked up against the ropes.
3.25: Big John restarted the game.
3.03: They embraced and Sobral tugged Sokoudjou to the mats before Sokoudjou worked elbows and knuckles from Sobral’s guard.
1.41: The pair stood.
1.39: Babalu was after the takedown; eventually it was Rameau who swept Babalu to the floor. They climbed to their feet and clinched.
0.30: Big John separated them.
Round Two
4.51: Sobral’s head jolted from a Sokoudjou uppercut, and Sobral responded with a salvo of punches, followed by a takedown at 4.29, when he g’n’ped from guard.
3.20: Big John restarted them at center ring after Sokoudjou slid his head outside the ropes.
3.09: Babalu took half guard and g’n’ped before getting Rameau’s back and applying an anaconda choke. Rameau tapped.
Result: Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral by anaconda choke – 2.36, Round Two.
Vitor Belfort (6’0" 184 lb) vs. Matt Lindland (6’0" 186 lb)
– Middleweight
Referee: Dr. Nelson Hamilton
4.48: Southpaw Belfort probed with his right hand, then leg-kicked.
4.30: Matt moved in with a left and Vitor exploded, slamming with a counter right, and an overhand left that downed Matt, before Vitor g’n’ped with a right-hand volley.
This was a replay of the David Terrell KO of Lindland
Result: Vitor Belfort by KO – 0.37, Round One.
Josh Barnett (6’3" 248 lb) vs. Gilbert Yvel (6’2" 240 lb)
– Heavyweight
Referee: Herb Dean
Round One
4.40: Gilbert side-stepped a lunging right from Josh.
4.15: Gilbert leg-kicked.
4.02: He high-kicked; Josh caught the leg and used it to take Gilbert down before getting half guard.
3.40: Barnett initiated his g’n’p game.
2.55: Barnett went for a kimura on Yvel’s left arm; Yvel resisted well and fired powerful shots from below.
1.52: Barnett took side control.
1.38: Yvel had Barnett back in half guard.
1.31: Josh tried the kimura again, but Gilbert was immune to the hold.
1.11: Josh got the mount.
0.36: Gilbert rolled and surrendered his back, then covered up well before rolling onto his back.
0.08: Gilbert escaped from below and the pair stood.
Round Two
Yvel attacked Barnett’s body with a kick and fists, causing Barnett to clinch and take him down. Barnett was not interested in standing and banging it out with the Dutchman.
4.45: Barnett assumed half guard, then side control.
3.46: He looked for the kimura again.
3.20: Barnett gave up the ghost and adopted the g’n’p approach.
3.02: He mounted Yvel.
2.32: Gilbert covered up, kept his head moving from side to side, and struck back with powerful blows from underneath. He was proving to be a difficult opponent for Josh to finish, and at times had Josh covering up whilst on top.
0.51: Gilbert connected with jarring fists that whipped Josh’s head back.
0.22: A frustrated Barnett looked for a neck crank, then appeared to set his sights on an arm bar. Yvel seized the opportunity to slip into guard and began g’n’p-ing. He stood and dropped a series of blows on Barnett before the bell sounded.
Round Three
4.43: Josh leg-kicked as Gilbert countered with a combo of fists. Josh latched onto Gilbert and scored a big takedown.
4.23: Barnett went from half guard to mount, before beating Yvel with g’n’p and forcing him to tap.
Result: Josh Barnett by tapout due to g’n’p – 3.05, Round Three.
Fedor Emelianenko (6’0" 230 lb) vs. Andrei Arlovski (6’4" 237 lb)
– Heavyweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Andrei Arlovski comes out full of beans and sporting a double-backed US/Belarus flag. Fedor Emelianenko strolls out gazing at the floor. When Big John McCarthy calls both men to center ring, Fedor is still looking down at the canvas, taking the stare-down expression literally. Interestingly, the stats reveal both men have a 74-inch reach, despite Andrei being four inches taller. Fedor’s fighting style is listed as sambo/judo, whilst Andrei’s is sambo/kickboxing.
Andrei leg-kicks; Fedor attempts to catch the foot but misses. Fedor throws a left and a right; Andrei responds with his own left-right combo that forces Fedor back.
4.38: Arlovski leg-kicks. Both fighters throw menacing mitts that don’t quite find the mark.
4.29: Arlovski ducks away from Emelianenko’s lunging left.
4.15: Arlovski leg-kicks.
4.07: Emelianenko sends a left hand sailing over Arlovski’s head as Andrei delivers a right body shot.
4.03: Fedor steps back from an inside leg kick.
3.59: Fedor steps back from a leg kick.
3.52: There’s another flurry and Fedor delivers a powerful left to the body.
3.44: Andrei avoids Fedor’s incoming left and counters with a right uppercut before they clinch. Andrei’s back is to the ropes and Fedor knees to the body.
3.33: Arlovski tries to sweep Emelianenko, but the takedown is resisted.
3.29: Emelianenko knees to the body.
3.23: Andrei thwarts a sweep from Fedor.
3.17: Fedor knees to the body.
3.10: Andrei returns the knee.
2.56: Emelianenko throws a short left hand into Arlovski’s midsection.
2.48: Arlovski knees to the body.
2.39: Emelianenko throws left uppercuts.
2.30: Big John breaks the clinch.
2.12: Andrei hurls a left and a right.
1.58: He lands a right cross.
1.55: Andrei jabs to the body.
1.53: He throws a left to the body and a right to the head.
1.51: Arlovski front-kicks to the body, which propels Emelianenko into the ropes. Fedor bounces back off the ropes as Andrei closes in with a left leaping knee. Both of his feet are off the ground as Fedor cracks him with a skull-rattling overhand right. Andrei is out before he hits the canvas.
Result: Fedor Emelianenko by KO – 3.34, Round One.
For more on Fedor Emelianenko:
https://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-fedor_emelianenko.htm.
