RUMOUR: Fedor vs. Cro Cop to headline Affliction show

There is an unconfirmed rumour circling the internet this morning that Affliction are lining up WAMMA heavyweight champion, Fedor Emelianenko to square off with Croatian knockout artist, Mirko Cro Cop at their third event.

If true this would be a sensational move by the promotion, who intend to go head to head with the world’s biggest MMA organisation on July 11th, the UFC.

The pair have met before back in 2005 with Emelianenko winning by unanimous decision but fans of the sport would love to see these two heavyweight legends lock horns again, that is for sure.

Emelianenko has been on a role recently, defeating both Tim Sylvia and Andre Arlovski in the first round to silence many of his critics. Cro Cop too has rediscovered his form since leaving the UFC, gaining a TKO victory over giant Hong Man Choi most recently with a low kick.

By Michael Pepper.

http://www.mmabay.co.uk/Story%2000959.html

I'm not a huge Kenny Florian fan but I do respect him as a fighter.  I also think he fights with a lot of heart and has had some impressive wins.   In my endless quest to get to know more about every fighter possible I ran across this story about Kenny on a blog. 

During the summer of 2003, I had some time off from my full-time job in Boston and went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to enjoy the sun and world-class BJJ training at Gracie Barra. I visited one of my favorite places, Pedra da Gavea. It is a giant rock, almost like a mountain that people climb up to get a workout and enjoy the beautiful views of greenery and waterfalls. Here I could forget about my bills, job and worries back in Boston. Although my back was sore from the hard training, I knew this mountain was where I had to be, as I always felt a powerful energy from this mountain, and greatly respected it.
While descending down the mountain, passing under the waterfall, my group decided to go off the path and explore. There were branches everywhere, ledges, and wet moss all over the rocks. I was very careful where to walk after I saw my buddy slip and land on his rear. As we continued down the rock, I suddenly lost my footing and slipped. I began to slide down the rock feet first. My friend saw that I was getting close to the ledge and moved to grab me before I fell off. He tried to grab my shirt and hold on, but almost fell off himself. Although he let go, he had flipped me around, so now I was heading head first and backwards off the ledge.
I remember falling off the cliff for what felt like an eternity. I also remember coming to the realization that this was how I was going to die. I felt completely sad as I thought about how there were so many things I had wanted to do with my life. I would leave this world without saying goodbye to family and friends, without having any kids to carry my name, without leaving a mark or impression on the world and without getting a chance to live a life I could be truly proud of. Granted I had graduated college and was working a decent job, but I was doing it to earn money and pay my bills. I had always wanted to do something I really loved. I loved teaching martial arts and loved competing in BJJ tournaments, submission wrestling and MMA, but never had the courage to truly dedicate 100% of my time to that endeavor......

Read the rest of the story at http://thesportsdump.com