This mixed martial arts fighter learned the hard way, that attempting an arm bar or what almost looks like a leg scissor choke from an upside down position, isn’t such a good idea. Don’t even waste time, fast forward to about the 2:14 mark and watch the fighter get slammed, head first, into the canvas, resulting in an instantaneous KO. Even more shocking than the actual move is that this is perfectly legal and as you can hear by the crowd, highly encouraged.
What if Magic, in his prime, took on Michael Jordan one-on-one? Could the 1972 Miami Dolphins hang with this years’ New England Patriots? Could Hank Aaron have hit Pedro Martinez at his most dominating? Most dream match-ups only play out in barroom debates. But MMA fans could very well see a battle between two of the top heavyweights in the sport's short history, Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture–as long as the suits can get out of the way.
The chances of M-1 Global, Emelianenko’s fight league, and the UFC (currently in the midst of suing Couture for breach of contract) setting up a joint promotion seems unlikely. But if it came down to buzz rather than lawyers, the fight would be a lock. A video report featuring Emelianenko and Couture facing off while filming a commercial for Affliction last Friday attracted more than 50,000 views on YouTube in its first two days alone.
We sat down with Emelianenko in downtown Los Angeles recently to find out about the status of the potential showdown with Couture, how he found his way to the ring in the first place, and who would win a cage match between George Dubya and his counterpart in Fedor’s native Russia Vladimir Putin.
