First the LA Times, who offers a profile of Fedor Emelianenko:

Wearing a forest-green T-shirt and camouflage shorts, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko wandered through a hotel lobby earlier this week, looking like a weary tourist in need of directions.

As the world’s top-ranked heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts, Emelianenko rarely passes through a restaurant in St. Petersburg, Russia, or a cafe in Tokyo, without drawing attention. During this lunch hour in north Orange County, however, he was happy to blend with his surroundings.

“I try to stay away from all the fanfare,” he said through an interpreter. “I’d much rather prefer a quiet life, so I try to keep people away from me as much as I can.”

Fedor prepares for Sylvia fight @ LA Times

The USA TODAY on the show:

For mixed martial arts packed with power and size, Saturday’s Affliction Banned in Anaheim, Calif., is the ticket.

Filled with arguably five of the world’s 10 best heavyweights, the main event features Russian Fedor Emelianenko, the consensus No. 1 heavyweight, against former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia, who is a top-5 fighter.

Despite Emelianenko’s 27-1 record, the quality of his opponents have been questioned. He also has fought just six times in the past three years and twice in the past 15 months.

Sylvia (24-4, 16 knockouts) isn’t discrediting Emelianenko’s record. “He’s a bad dude.… Every time they put somebody in front of him, he beats him,” Sylvia said.

No one is questioning the quality of Fedor’s career opposition which includes victories over Ricardo Arona, Heath Herring, Mark Hunt, current UFC heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Mirko Cro Cop, Mark ‘The Hammer’ Coleman (twice) and Kevin Randleman. You *can* question his recent opposition–in the past 15 months he’s fought Matt Lindland, a great fighter but a natural middleweight and kickboxer/sideshow attraction turned MMA fighter Hong Man Choi. If you want to talk the ’six times in three years’ in addition to the previous two fights he fought Mirko, Mark Hunt, Mark Coleman, along with huge sideshow act Zuluzhino whom he beat with a one punch KO. Even the past six fights you’ve got two sideshow acts, arguably the best middleweight in the world and three serious heavyweights.

Affliction packing a big punch @ USA TODAY