True to form, Andrei Arlovski looked impressive with his boxing stance while Fedor Emelianenko seemed awkwardly out of balance most of the time. Like your next-door pudgy Russian fellow, Fedor is the last person you’d think as someone with a title as awesome as World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts champion.

Judging from the boxing-like spectacle of the first couple of minutes of the first round of Affliction: Day of Reckoning, it was obvious that Arlovski was in control of the game. He looked imposing with his height advantage while Fedor seemed vulnerable with his head well-exposed and his firsts lowered as if unsure of what to do. Whether it is his way of assessing his opponent, or it is his way of making foes grow more daring and lose all caution, the “Last Emperor” succeeded in appearing to be like someone in trouble during the first minutes of most of his matches. And it works! Remember his bouts with Kazuyuki Fujita and Kevin Randleman?

Arlovski must have bought Fedor’s “helpless” stance hook, line and sinker that he even got so cocky he made a blunder. The first couple of minutes were so good for Arlovski. His one-two combination punches saw Fedor’s head bobbing like a bouy in the sea everytime Arlovski makes a hit. He should have continued with that game plan until (who knows? Have some faith!) he lands tens of punches on that pudgy Russian head…until that pudgy Russian brain gets sore from all the shaking and bumping against that pudgy little skull of his.

But he didn’t. Poor Arlovski got overconfident and cocky he wanted to use his signature flair: the flying knee.

And one freakin punch from Fedor was all it took and it’s over.

Funny thing is: we could not help but mention that with this knockout punch, the Seth Petruzelli lucky punch that put Kimbo Slice to oblivion comes to mind.

Remember when Kimbo was getting Petruzelli cornered and the latter was trying keep Kimbo at bay with his foot with his right fist flailing while the other hand on the cage to keep his balance? And then Kimbo fell!

Fedor was cornered, Arlovski got reckless and went with his flying knee. Fedor’s overhand right seemed to have a mind of its own and found its mark. The next thing you see is Arlovski face down on the mat while Fedor confirms his being a bad-ass.

Here’s what Arlovski has to say, “I let myself down and I let my trainers down. They gave me a game plan and I don’t know why I didn’t follow the game plan and threw the flying knee.”