Arlovski Regrets ‘Flashy’ Move, Fedor Calls First Round Even

Belfort On Fire

Vitor Belfort’s 36-second knockout of Matt Lindland was both beautiful and grotesque. Countering off the Olympic wrestler’s opening left hook, the efficient Belfort floored Lindland with a swift and precise left of his own. He finished the job with a few follow-up rights until referee Nelson “Doc” Hamilton stepped in.

At ringside, spectators stood stunned as the flattened fighter’s left leg twitched uncontrollably as if Lindland had gone into a seizure. Nelson ushered medical staff into the ring immediately and Lindland was slowly cradled to an upright position, then gradually allowed to stand –- mostly due to his protests -- during a tense few minutes.

Belfort circled the ring, torn between celebration and concern for the man he had annihilated.

Backstage, Belfort admitted he felt a bit guilty for showing enthusiasm, but the Brazilian should be allowed his glory. Belfort, 31, is flourishing in Affliction’s middleweight division with back-to-back knockouts and has become a true commodity for the promotion. Unlike the unruly 19-year-old “phenom” that wrecked havoc at UFC 12 and 13, then deflated just as quickly, this Belfort knows how to wield the power and speed that was given to him.

As for Lindland, California State Athletic Commission Assistant Executive Officer Bill Douglas said the fighter went to a local hospital voluntarily after experiencing the second big knockout of his career (Lindland was knocked out cold by David Terrell in 24 seconds at UFC 49 in 2004). Dan Henderson, Lindland’s longtime teammate, said the Team Quest patriarch checked out fine, and was expectedly feeling down about his performance. Lindland returned to the hotel a few hours following the event.

Last But Not Least

Maybe worse than a flash knockout or an appendage-twisting submission, Jay Hieron had to endure an entire evening not knowing when he’d be called to the ring.

Hieron’s fight against Jason High was passed over on the HDNet broadcast due to time constraints, leaving the Xtreme Couture fighter at the mercy of the bouts taking place on the pay-per-view. Hieron had no choice but to stay warmed up throughout the evening, ready to fight on a moment’s notice.

In the end, the former IFL welterweight champion was ushered into the arena following Emelianenko’s dramatic finish over Arlovski, while most of the crowd was exiting.

“It was a long night for me, “ said Hieron. “I was supposed to be the fourth fight. I want to thank my manager, Ken Pav[ia], Randy[Couture] and everybody that kept my head calm.”

A reality of the game? Hieron’s absence from the pay-per-view will likely cost him thousands in sponsorship money.

The Future

With an announced attendance of 13,225 spectators for “Day of Reckoning (paid and comped attendance figures will be released by the CSAC this week), Affliction’s future should be a little safer.

No one can say there is a lack of interest in the product Affliction is peddling. But is the price tag too hefty to continue the run?

Affliction’s Atencio seems confident the promotion will hold its third event in four to five months.

“There has to be competition out there,” said Atencio. “Whether it’s us or someone else, there has to be competition. There cannot be one entity.”

Oscar De La Hoya, representing partner Golden Boy Promotions, said the groups will reconvene on Monday to begin preparation for the next installment.

“This is not a short-term relationship with Golden Boy and Affliction,” said De La Hoya. “This is a long-term relationship where we are looking forward to staging bigger events and staging better fights, even though I don’t know how to get better than this.”