Andrei Arlovski vs. Fedor Emelianenko January

Here’s the announcement we’ve been waiting for, and it comes from MMARated.com:

MMARated.com has learned that WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko will face Andrei Arlovski at the upcoming Affliction show tentatively scheduled for January 24th in Anaheim, Calif.

- Source

While I would have been interested in seeing a Arlovski vs. Barnett showdown for the number one contender spot, this news will work just fine. Arlovski is coming off of two knockdown defeats of IFL veterans, while Fedor is coming off of a first round destruction of Tim Sylvia. It will be interesting to see how this match plays out. Arlovski has looked prone to takedowns and Jiu-Jitsu, while also trying to shake the aura of having a weak chin. Fedor looked great against Sylvia, but didn’t look his best against Choi or Lindland.