The Breakdown: Affliction 'Day of Reckoning'

Paul Buentello vs. Kirill Sidelnikov

Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’2/245 lbs.
Age: 35
Hometown: Amarillo, Texas
Fighting out of: San Jose, Calif.
Record: 26-10

The stakes: Stuck as a bit player in Affliction’s burgeoning heavyweight division, Buentello has a chance to distinguish himself by taking out Sidelnikov, a Fedor Emelianenko protégé. With Affliction desperate for contenders, Buentello could easily set himself up for a grudge match with the Russian King by snuffing out the Prince.

The breakdown: Given Sidelnikov’s propensity for initiating headfirst striking exchanges, Buentello’s long reach and powerful punching gives him a considerable edge over the young Russian. What Buentello must be wary of is any grappling, as it remains a weakness that opponents will look to zone in on. While the jury’s out on Sidelnikov’s ground game, Buentello would do well to err on the side of caution.

Kirill “Baby Fedor” Sidelnikov Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 5’11/220 lbs.
Age: 20
Hometown: Stary Oskol, Russia
Fighting out of: Stary Oskol. Russia
Record: 5-2

The stakes: A virtual unknown in most circles, Sidelnikov enters Affliction being touted as Emelianenko’s successor in training, a heady distinction for a 20 year-old making his stateside debut. While Emelianenko’s place atop the heavyweight division puts a crimp in Sidelnikov’s long-term ambitions, he has plenty of time to spare and an opportunity to prove that his pay-per-view debut can be attributed more to talent than nepotism.

The breakdown: With Buentello’s considerable reach advantage casting a long shadow on this fight, Sidelnikov must use his superior footwork to frustrate the American’s offense and capitalize on any opportunities he gets to collapse the pocket and work in close quarters.

Above all else, Sidelnikov must maintain his composure when striking, as he often gets wide with his punches -- a poor match for Buentello’s rangy straight strikes. While the ground game may be tempting, Sidelnikov isn’t much of a wrestler and is giving up a lot of size to Buentello, who would love to tee off on the young Russian as he charges forward.

The bottom line: You’d expect a guy with the nickname “Baby Fedor” to have a bit more going for him than the ability to beat up no-names, which is all Sidelnikov has done thus far. Everything we’ve seen from him suggests he’s more hype than anything else. The fact that he seems to enjoy wading forward into striking exchanges will be all the opportunity Buentello needs to teach him what happens when hype meets reality.