Saturday, November 7 11:39 am PT: The Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club monolith is known for stocking virtually everything anyone could possibly want: paper towels, dress socks, and even coffins. And if you need someone to try and beat Fedor Emelianenko, by God, they’ve got one of those, too.
Up until this past spring, Brett Rogers was working in an Illinois Sam’s Club tire department, changing radials and likely getting a slight buzz from the stacks of rubber piled around him. Beating Andrei Arlovski in June has kept him from any job but training: 10-0, he’ll attempt to spin a heavy set of hands in his favor.
Most of Saturday’s attention will be focused on Fedor Emelianenko, but the product of that hype may last less than a round: a middleweight contest between Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Jake Shields could be the dominant “did you see?” Sunday talk of the event.
Shields, who has had virtually no problems at 170 pounds, moved up a class in June to submit the dangerous Robbie Lawler; Miller, while never dominant at either class, has a workman’s ring ethic and typically forces fighters to put in their time. Taking two athletes who rarely bend and don’t fall asleep in the guard tends to be worth the watch.
Wild Card: Miller’s guard: Shields will probably get him down, which means Miller’s ability to contain or shut him down from his back will determine how his face looks after the fight.
Might Look Like: Shields vs. Renato Verissimo, with Shields dropping air strikes down to an outmuscled jiu-jitsu player.
Who Wins: Shields is going to have issues with some of the larger middleweights out there, but Miller isn’t one of them. He can negate Miller’s grappling for a decision.
Saturday, November 7 12:48 am PT: What happens to Rogers on the ground?
Brett Rogers is being given (slight) chances to beat Fedor Emelianenko based on his ability to punch a hole into concrete; little has been seen of him working the canvas, where Emelianenko is incredibly slick. In his favor: Mark Hunt, a ground novice who clocked in near Rogers’ 280-pound frame for his 2006 fight with Fedor, kept Emelianenko immobile for several minutes. But if all he can hope for is some brief control, it’s less of a shot at winning and more a stay of execution.
What happens to Emelianenko on the feet?
A victory is a victory, but for several minutes against Andrei Arlovski, Emelianenko looked uneasy and ineffective.
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