Monday Morning Matchmaker: Sylvia and Rothwell

Affliction Veep Tom Atencio wants “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) to fight “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-8) at Affliction’s October sequel if Couture can get a judicial nod to fight; but, if not, Emelianenko will be matched versus either “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (26-5) or “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (13-5).

If Atencio can make Emelianenko v Couture, Barnett and Arlovski will fight for the right follow-up Couture versus Emelianenko, since Couture has intimated his intention to retire win, lose, or draw versus Emelianenko.

However, the more intriguing matchmaking question in the heavyweight division after Saturday night is what to do with “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-5) and “Big” Ben Rothwell (33-6) after their losses. They present two very different matchmaking problems.

“Big” Ben should get no rest after his gutsy brawl versus legit heavyweight stud Arlovski. Rothwell took everything Arlovski dished and dished back until the end.

Rothwell closed distance despite Arlovski’s superior footwork, rolled out of the “Pitbull’s” leg locks, and worked Arlovski over from the top position on the mat.

As soon as Rothwell is healthy, he should get another challenge just a little less monumental than Arlovski.

Adrenaline MMA President Monte Cox, who will probably hold Rothwell for his Adrenaline sequel this autumn, should parachute into whichever Siberian boot camp Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) is teaching Russian soldiers how to snap necks in and convince Kharitonov to take the fight.

Kharitonov is an Arlovski-lite with an international amateur boxing pedigree and combat sambo ranking, but without the refinement and explosiveness of the “Pitbull”.

The match-up allows Rothwell to roll his training for Arlovski over into a camp for a similar opponent and maintain the intensity required to compete near the top.

For Kharitonov, the match-up allows him to return near the top of the division after a year’s holiday, make a splash in the U.S. in the wake of Emelianenko’s Russian wave, and pick-up a big win if he can watch the tape from Saturday night where Arlovski wrote the book on beating Rothwell.

If Kharitonov can’t be lured into the cage for a reasonable purse, “Snowman” Jeff Monson (25-8) provides a sufficient technical challenge to Rothwell in a very different kind of fighter than Arlovski.

Monson could sprinkle a little of his magic jits’ powder on Rothwell and steal Rothwell’s momentum back into big fights, maybe even a rematch with Sylvia.

After Rothwell’s solid showing versus Arlovski, it’s important the rising star not be given a pass in his next fight. Tell him what a good look he gave in Anaheim, get him in the gym, and give him another challenge to stay hungry for.

Sylvia is a different matter altogether. He’s fought and failed versus the three top heavyweights in the world in his last four fights; and, the magnitude of the whole situation in Anaheim got into his head.

Can you blame him? Emelianenko was Sylvia’s last and best opportunity to trump the booing crowds and UFC “co-main event” slights with an irrefutable historical legacy. It may have been his last chance to conquer a legend and create his own legend for posterity.

And, while Emelianenko is naturally aloof of such things and, anyway, was secluded in St. Petersburg, Sylvia was having the import of his task beat into his brain day-in and day-out as he managed the majority of hype duties for the Affliction debut.

Give him a break, at least psychologically.

Match Sylvia versus Adrenaline MMA’s debut heavyweight main event Michael Russow (10-1).

Russow isn’t a gimme’. In fact, the powerful wrestler is a great physical and technical challenge for Sylvia; but, importantly, it’s a low-key fight that Sylvia can focus on without the daily grind of international marketing and promotion.

For Russow, a win would propel him into big fights and all he has to do is watch Couture’s lesson on wrestling Sylvia to a “W”.

On the off chance that Sylvia wants to climb back into the ring in September, a heavyweight in a similar situation is looking for an opponent across the Pacific.

A match-up between Sylvia and “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2) pits two former top five heavyweights who are both struggling with the mind-fuck of going from “I’m really good.” to “How good am I really?”

Sure, they’re both significant challenges for each other; but, Filipovic is righting himself at home, sweet home in Japan and the TLC the Japanese would show a big gaijin like Sylvia would be a stark contrast to the booing he endures at home.

Hell, Sylvia might get fitted for a kimono and never come back from The Land of the Rising Sun, win, lose, or draw versus “Cro Cop”.

Again, nothing is wrong with either fighter physically or technically. Both fighters need to get their minds right and, at least psychologically, they’re evenly matched for an explosive fight in a more comfortable atmosphere.

Cox could make the fight. He’s already loaned out lightweight Eddie Alvarez (15-1) to DREAM with results that have propelled the former Bodog welterweight into the lightweight top ten.

It’s a matter of Sylvia’s agent Monte Cox convincing Sylvia’s promoter Monte Cox that the trip to Tokyo is for the long-term benefit of his heavyweight more than headlining him on the second Adrenaline MMA card.