Fedor Emelianenko vs Tim Sylvia Odds and Predictions

J.D Driscoll - July 15th, 2008 .

The most talked about man in the MMA world Fedor Emelianenko steps into the ring for the first time in 2008 and for only his second fight on US soil. He takes on the former two time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia , a dangerous sticker with a huge height and reach advantage at Affliction clothing’s inaugural MMA event billed Affliction: Banned . For those of you not familiar with Fedor you would be well advised look him up at Youtube . The man is a human highlight reel. His record stands at 27-1. His only loss was due to a technicality, a loss that he later avenged. For all intense and purposes that man is undefeated. His record is probably the most impressive of any top MMA fighter in the world today.

As always if you’re looking for a sportsbook to bet on the fight, I recommend heading over to either Bodog or Bookmaker . You cant go wrong with either of the two. All odds listed below are correct at the time of publishing.

The Last Emperor

The Russian has arguably faced bigger and even better strikers in his career however has been relatively inactive in the past two years. His last two fights have been to unranked opponents in the heavyweight division in Matt Lindland and giant K1 star Choi Hong-man . Despite submitting both opponents early in the first round, many in the MMA community have argued that he has not been active enough to remain the top ranked heavyweight fighter in the world. The last top heavyweight he has faced was feared Pride striker Mark Hunt . The majority of the fight didn’t go as expected with Fedor finding himself in several difficult positions on the ground. Fedor survived Hunts early onslaught, eventually submitting Hunt with a kimura late in the first round.

Shortly there after the UFC acquired Pride but failed to revive the ailing company. Many of Pride best fighters chose the octagon as their new home with Fedor one of the few refusing to sign with the organization. Thus the great debate began. Is Fedor still the best heavyweight in the world. For years the answers was unanimous. He had conquered all challengers before him during his time in Pride. Should he overcome former UFC champion Tim Sylvia on Saturday, July 19, at Affliction inaugural event the answer will remain yes.

The Maniac

Fedor comes into the fight as the clear favorite despite his 7 month long layoff.  Odds makers at Bodog sportsbook have installed him as the -400 favorite with Sylvia the +275 outsider.

While Sylvia may not have the same fanatical following or street credibility as the Russian he is by no means a pushover. His size alone will cause major problems for any heavyweight. In the past he has had the least successes against skilled grapplers. Three of his four loses have come via submission, the other a unanimous decision loss to Randy Couture .

His strategy will be straight froward and can be summed up in a few words: “Brawl and Sprawl”. He had Nogueira in a lot of trouble at UFC 81, rocking him several times however was less than impressive on the ground only surviving a couple of minutes before being submitted by the Brazilian jujitsu expert . The “Unified Rules” makes Emelianenko an even scarier proposition on the ground, his ground and pound was devastating in Pride, one can only imagine how devastating his ground game will look with the introduction of elbows.

If Sylvia is able to utilize his jab and stay on his feet things could turn interesting. Cuts in particular have always been a major problem for Emelianenko and could play a factor if the fight goes into the latter rounds.

Predictions

Fedor has not fought for over 7 months, his last two fights have been to unranked opponents. He will be fighting for a new organization, under new rules, in very different circumstances than what he has been used to. Moving from one organization to another has proven tricky in the past. Certainly ring rust could be a factor. Fighting in the the US wont be an issue. In fact Fedor will be the crowd favorite.   Don’t be surprised if he is not at his absolute best however having said all that I still cant see this man being beaten right now. He is the Tiger Woods of MMA.

For more expert MMA picks and predictions for Afflictions debut card make sure to visit our homepage. We will publish the Las Vegas odds as they become available. For live play by play of the event visit our friends at the Savage Science.

 

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2 comments | Add One

1. 1 Affliction Banned Odds and Betting Lines - 07/16/2008 at 10:14 pm

    

   [...] taking on former two time UFC heaver weight champion Tim “The Maniac” Sylvia. Check out JD’s predictions and picks of Fedor vs Sylvia fight here . Aside from the spectacular main event the card is stacked with some of MMA biggest names [...]

    

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2. 2 UFC Silva vs. Irvin Odds, Ultimate Fight Night Odds - 07/17/2008 at 11:05 pm

    

   [...] than ever. For our complete coverage for all of this weeks MMA action make sure to check out JD’s picks for the Fedor vs Sylvia fight and his analysis of the Affliction Banned odds [...]

    

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