After turning down a lucrative offer to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship last fall, Fedor Emelianenko has since changed the face of mixed martial arts' heavyweight division.

In response to Emelianenko's decision, Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski -- some of UFC's biggest names who have each held the heavyweight title -- chose to leave the promotion and seek the best fighters in their class elsewhere.

While Couture remains in limbo as lawsuits over his resignation play out in court, Arlovski and fellow ex-UFC champ, Josh Barnett, prepare to battle in Affliction's debut event "Banned" in Anaheim, Calif., on July 19. In the card's main event, Sylvia (26-5) gets his shot at the renowned Emelianenko.

"Fighters want to know not if they're the organizational champion, [but] if they are truly the No. 1 guy on the planet," said Pat Miletich, Sylvia's longtime trainer. "As both a fighter and a fan, that's common sense."

Affliction, a high-end clothing label that established it roots in MMA through sponsorship of fighters, Saturday's pay-per-view event (airing at 9 p.m. ET) features up to five of the world's top 10 heavyweights, depending on the rankings. Emelianenko, an unassuming 31-year-old Russian who's dominated the division since 2003, tops every list.

"It's a huge opportunity for me," said Sylvia, a 6-foot-8, former two-time UFC titleholder. "Fedor's ranked No. 1. It's my first fight out of the UFC, the WAMMA belt is on the line. It's just time to prove everyone wrong once again. [Emelianenko's] fought big guys -- he hasn't fought big guys of my caliber. I think that's going to play a role."

Despite Sylvia's considerable size advantage and résumé that includes more experience against quality opposition in the past three years, few outside of the American's camp expect a victory for him.

"His size is certainly a factor but it's also a reason I'm so excited to take this fight -- not only because of his size but also his talent," Emelianenko said. "I feel it's a good opportunity to [disprove] any doubters about my skills or that I've been away from the ring for a while."

Meeting in the Honda Center, which, according to Affliction vice president Tom Atencio as of Wednesday, had 10,700 of its 13,000 seats sold for a $2 million gate, neither Sylvia or Emelianenko should anticipate a home-field advantage when they face off in the first sanctioned fight of the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts, a new organization aimed at promoting the sport's integrity and unifying its results and rankings.

But, for Emelianenko, Saturday introduces him to American MMA fans, many of whom are merely casual followers and have just recently caught on to the sport's rapid growth. Though he fought in the States in 2006 when the Japanese promotion, PRIDE Fighting Championships, hit Las Vegas, Emelianenko fought at a time when MMA was just getting its first taste of mass-appeal. Plus, PRIDE's organizers were hardly adept at catering to a North American audience.

For Affliction, which joined European promoter M-1 to feature Emelianenko, much of the event's marketing centers on pushing the champion's image into Russian communities throughout America. As Russia's most popular athlete (according to a poll conducted among the country's sports fans), Emelianenko and his camp recognize that establishing his name here is crucial to propelling his status as a popular staple in MMA.

"It's very important for me just to come to the United States, not just to have the U.S. fans appreciate what I do, but also to represent my country and make sure people know about Russia," Emelianenko said.