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Kelvin Hunt: Making the case for Tim Sylvia beating Fedor
By Zach Arnold | July 17, 2008
This weekend, a fight is taking place that to the casual fan bears little significance. However, this fight could very well be the most important fight happening this weekend. Tim Sylvia vs. Fedor Emelianenko is a fight that hardcore fans have been talking about forever and now it’s happening.
This fight answers many questions like:
- Is Fedor still the #1 HW in the world?
- Who was better, PRIDE or UFC?
- Can Fedor survive a crushing 1-2 combo from Sylvia?
- Can Sylvia survive if this fight goes to the ground?
Fedor hasn’t fought a credible opponent since Mark Hunt in December of 2006. Sylvia, on the other hand, has faced: Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira, Brandon Vera, Randy Couture, and Jeff Monson within the past two years. All of these fighters are credible opponents for Sylvia’s resume.
I think this fight will be very similiar to the Fedor/Cro Cop fight that took place back in 2005. Sylvia is a feared striker, just as Mirko was back then but with less kicks in his arsenal.
This will work to his advantage.
Fedor was able to take Mirko down almost at will because of Mirko’s propensity to throw kicks. Sylvia primarily uses his hands moreso than kicks, although he has the ability to kick very well. I think he would be smart to abstain from using kicks often due to risking a takedown. Also, Sylvia is much larger than Cro Cop was back then and has much better cardio, so he will not tire in the later rounds.
Fedor has good standup and throws quick looping punches that overwhelm his opponents.
I think that’s going to be his downfall in this fight.
If Sylvia can keep his composure and throw straight strikes, he’ll have a good night. The following are 3 keys that Sylvia must implement to win this fight:
- Avoid the clinch and keep this fight standing at all costs
- Use combinations and throw punches straight down the middle
- Use his reach and keep Fedor on the defensive
If he does those three things, the odds are that he will win via decision or by doctor stoppage due to cuts (Fedor’s prone to bleed with that thin skin).
Now, let’s talk about the lineage between these two fighters with Big Nog being the common denominator. Currently, Big Nog is the UFC HW champion. He defeated Sylvia to earn that belt. Fedor has two dominating wins over Big Nog via decision. Also, Sylvia lost to Randy Couture via decision and, currently, Couture wants to fight Fedor for the #1 spot. However, if Sylvia defeats Fedor, wouldn’t we need to see Couture vs. Big Nog for the rightful owner of the #1 spot?
In reality, it’s a match we should have seen already. However, Couture isn’t willing to fulfill his contract with the UFC. If Sylvia wins this fight against Fedor, maybe Couture will swallow his pride and do the right thing by fighting Nogueira. Hell, Dana White could toss Frank Mir aside and put Big Nog/Couture on the always stacked December card since Mir hasn’t really earned his shot at the title. However, I do understand why he’s in that spot.
Let’s all sit back and enjoy this one. Sylvia/Fedor could be one for the ages.
Topics: Affliction, Media, MMA, UFC | 58 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Here is why Fedor will win by submission: when Sylvia fought Couture, Nogueira, Monson, etc. where did the fight go?
To the ground. Every time. Sometimes more than once.
At SOME point, in R1, R2 or at the very, very latest R3, Fedor WILL be underneath or on top of Sylvia, on the ground.
And then it’s all over.
Fedor wins. Submission. Bet the farm.
Haha, we’ve got some great analytical discussion going on here. All analysis aside, the fight can go either way and I’m so fucking excited to find out which way it goes.
Hmmm, the sum is greater than the whole of the parts?? Wow, that actually sounds pretty good to me.
And actually, it could be argued that Fedor does EVERYTHING great. But I wont even go there. By far, the thing that is definitely great at, and probably the best in the world, is ground and pound. He has taken ground and pound to another level in MMA. No one punches with as much intensity on the ground as Fedor.
1. Choi in NO WAY is a horrible kickboxer. His “green”-ness was so pronounced that he was able to still compile a 12-4 record against K-1 level competition including being able to take Schiltt, the best kickboxer of his generation, to a decision win. His only losses are decisions against LeBanner, Bonjasky, and being KO’d by Mighty mo which he was able to avenge later.
The Mighty Mo and Schilt fights were ridiculous decisions. Choi was credited with a knockdown after throwing what was at best an unintentional low blow abainst Mo. Schilt was flat out robbed. The rest of his wins? A bunch of pro wrestlers, Gary Goodridge, and three wins over Akebono. If roughly a third of your legit wins in anything other than sumo come against Akebono, it is tough to call you a legit talent.
The sum is greater than the whole of the parts perfectly describes how I feel about Fedor. Fedor is the most well-rounded fighter in the HW division, but I don’t know if I rank him in the top 5 for any single quality, other than GNP. There are better strikers, better wrestlers, and better BJJ artists, but none of them combine it like Fedor.
To those who actually ive credit to Choi as being a decent fighter….you can’t just look at a fighter’s record and say “wow! He IS good!”. There is sometimes more than what meets the eye. Take a good look at Mark Gastineau’s boxing record.
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=16542&cat=boxer
Hey! His record is 15-2-1 with all 15 wins by kayo! Fantastic! Problem? I think about ten of his opponents came out an admitted that they took dives when they went against him. One of them was a pro wrestler. Oh, and he was a terrible fighter except for possibly his punching power (any muscle head football player can knock cans around). And don’t get me started on Primo Carnera…
A few other thoughts I have against Tim Sylvia being successful tonight:
– he has the horrendous coordination/balance of a baby deer on rollerskates
– he’ll be fighting in a ring, rather than in a cage which he’s constantly used to lean on in order to avoid takedowns, and will be susceptible to getting sprung off the ropes etc. (this is where that whole co-ordination/balance thing comes to bite him in the ass)
– this “awesome” takedown defence everyone is talking about is completely predicated on his opponents shooting for doubles or singles from waaay out (see Monson, Rodriguez); and while people seem to remember Nogueira pulling guard on him from the clinch, they seem to forget he was also able to take time down at the end of round 1 from the clinch with a legsweep. Fedor will not be shooting on him but rather attempting to get inside and use the clinch to look for legsweeps and hip throws – which as I said was accomplished by Nogueira who is certainly not known for his takedowns – against an opponent with questionable balance and no cage to lean on for help.
– Sylvia has shown susceptibility to the overhand right (Arlovski, Couture quickly come to mind) and I don’t think Fedor’s a stranger to tossing those type of winging punches. Sylvia will be relying on setting up his jab to ward off Fedor, but if he hangs it out there he’s likely to eat a steady diet of overhand rights from the far fleeter Fedor.
– Sylvia’s grappling game is quite horrible for anyone who watched the clinic that Nog put on him and his non-existent guard, but he’s also ripe for the picking for leglocks, something a multi-time world sambo champion is very well versed in; and please don’t bring up Monson as a counter to him having good sub defence or guard b/c Monson’s ADCC resume is built off winning by points, positioning and bullying opponents rather than being a “slick sub” fighter.
Well we didn’t get to see his takedown defense…or anything for that matter.
How can anyone survive that barrage of punches from Emelianenko? 8 shots in a row and even with half of them blocked? Done.