Article Posted: November 13th, 2009 | By: Josh Turner
Fedor the great? So, let’s talk about the hype machine that is Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) and the better UFC heavyweights Fedor is ducking Strikeforce.
Is he the greatest MMA fighter ever? No.
Has he faced and beaten the best in the game? No.
Fedor is a great fighter, and has faced and defeated some great fighters. He is not the greatest fighter in MMA history. To be the greatest ever, you have to seek out the greats and take them out, over and over. Fedor has faced “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic’s (23-6-2) and fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1) in what most believe were their primes. Fedor has faced fighters larger than himself, such as “Techno Goliath” Hong Man Choi (1-1), and quicker fighters, like tenth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7), and he has always found a way to defeat them.
Each one of the fighters that Fedor has faced and defeated have been defeated by other fighters just the same, and yet those victorious fighters aren’t touted as the greatest ever. Fedor has not faced the super athletes of today and proven that he can keep up with the evolution of the sport. Fedor had the opportunity to face the greatest fighters in the world by signing with the UFC, and opted not to. Fedor isn’t building his legacy as the greatest mixed martial artist to ever live; he is building a winning career. Much like professional boxers and their promoters, Fedor isn’t seeking out the toughest opponents. He is letting his handlers feed him fighters and taking fights he has better odds at winning.
The UFC has always been criticized that they do not have a strong heavyweight class, and until now it’s been true. With fighters entering the Octagon like second-ranked, UFC champ Brock Lesnar (4-1), sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (9-0), Cain Velasquez (6-0), and up-and-comer Todd Duffee (5-0), the tables are turning and now the UFC touts a heavyweight class rivaled by few.
Fedor knew what he was doing by signing with Strikeforce. He was cementing his legacy and ensuring no defeat. If Fedor was worried about being the best fighter in history, he would seek out the top challenges and test his mettle. The UFC has at least three fighters that could easily pick Emelianenko apart.
Big, bad, Brock Lesnar not only has the power to take Fedor down, but has the sheer size needed to nullify Fedor’s wrestling and submission game. Although it would probably turn into another Lesnar lay-and-pray special, Brock would defeat the considerably smaller Fedor. Brock is one of those freak athletes that doesn’t come around often, but when they do make a huge statement. My prediction on that fight would be Lesnar by TKO late in the second if it made it that far.
UFC top heavy weight contender Shane Carwin could possibly pose the largest knock out threat. Fedor has taken some shots before, but nothing like what Carwin can bring. Shane has a strong wrestling background, and would be able to fend off any Fedor takedown attempts. Carwin’s size and strength, along with his flexibility would be able to stuff any submission attempts. Carwin, just like Lesnar, is a freakishly huge, explosive, powerful fighter that is part of the new class of heavyweight; a class that Fedor has no answer for. My call on that fight: Carwin by KO/TKO in the third.
This is probably the pick that will be the one that creates the largest stir. Cain Velasquez, in all of his underestimated power and aggressive hunger, would be too much to Fedor to fend off. Cain is young, explosive, hungry and ridiculously strong all wrapped up in an unassuming middle of the road looking package. Cain doesn’t have the larger-than-life frame like Carwin or Lesnar, but I think we can all agree that he is strong and only getting stronger. Cain’s wrestling would top Fedor, and probably prove too much for Fedor to handle. Cain’s ability to stay on top, and impose his will would prove too much for Fedor resulting in what I’d call a three-round unanimous decision. Cain is someone to keep an eye on, if he isn’t on your radar yet.
Still think Fedor is unbeatable? How about the up and coming heavyweight class like Greg Jackson’s The Ultimate Fighter alum and favorite to win this season’s TUF, Brendan Schaub (3-0)? How about the current knock out record holder Todd Duffee? Strikeforce heavyweight champion “Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (29-10) is so sure that he would defeat Fedor that he isn’t even concerned with fighting him. If your argument here is experience, then why was Fedor’s defeat of Brett Rogers, who less than a year ago was changing tires at his local Sam’s Club, anything to buzz about?
Fedor is a great fighter, fighting mediocre fighters in an attempt to maintain his hype and sell his name. Fedor isn’t going to seek out great challenges and fight the best. Fedor isn’t going to accept any deal the UFC offers. Fedor is going to continue to fight who he can beat, and take those victories all the way to the bank. Fedor is not the greatest fighter ever. He is a great fighter that knows his time and pay checks are limited and doesn’t want to lose his money making appeal. So for now, I’ll agree to call Fedor the greatest MMA fighter that never was.|||He's just regurgitating the Fuhrer's b*******. He must be a WWF fan.|||Actually Dana White admitted on an interview that Fedor isn't scared of the UFC and the problems were due to M1 and Fedors contract with them.|||Ironically that guy wants to see Fedor fight. It's just a fan backlash where they are trying to create a swell of anger in order to push Fedor to sign with the UFC.|||In my opinion, If he went to UFC and beat Brock then what would he do? Fight Nog again? I wouldn't be too interested. Kimbo Slice? Ha! UFC's Heavyweight division isn't the deepest. I'd much rather see Fedor finally fight Barnett! Good look to Barnett for next month also!|||
In my opinion, If he went to UFC and beat Brock then what would he do? Fight Nog again? I wouldn't be too interested. Kimbo Slice? Ha! UFC's Heavyweight division isn't the deepest. I'd much rather see Fedor finally fight Barnett! Good look to Barnett for next month also!
If he did beat Brock then the story would be over pretty quickly yeah. However UFC is great at hyping up a fight so Dana would probably pull a top-contender out of his * again.
Either way, I like Fedor at SF. I mean, theres plenty of good fights to make for him.
And even though many complained when Rogers was announced as his first opponent, it turned out to be a pretty good one.
I would like to see Overeem fight him, if he ever passes at drug test in the US. That's probably more interesting than the fight itself, hahaha.|||
In my opinion, If he went to UFC and beat Brock then what would he do? Fight Nog again? I wouldn't be too interested. Kimbo Slice? Ha! UFC's Heavyweight division isn't the deepest. I'd much rather see Fedor finally fight Barnett! Good look to Barnett for next month also!
Yeah, not like Barnett has ever lost to anyone in the UFC :)
And Kimbo Slice isn't yet part of the UFC HW line-up (that we know of). And even if he was, your laughing at a UFC div that currently features guys like Cain, Lesnar, Mir, Dos Santos, Nog, Carwin and others is ignorance. So facing the likes of what Strikeforce currently offers is sooo much better? Fabricio Werdum lol?? Yeah, three cheers for yet ANOTHER cast-off of the UFC that will be fed to Fedor lol. Rodgers? Yeah, a guy who has NO real training to speak of aside from maybe the last year or so he's been training at an actuall gym is top o' the line right? And really the ONLY other HW worth mentioning for SF is Overeem, and he seems more worried about losing his right to stick needles in his *ss so he can beat people down people by way of performance enhancement that he's content to stay in Japan lol. Oh, and Barnett is also going to have to got through some red tape his self in explaining why he feels the need to take performance enhancer's to fight as well. Yeah, I can see what you mean about the UFC though :)
I'm not going to lie, I did sense some idiocy in that dudes article, but his overall point is true. Fedor is not fighting the best there is. He fights alot of fighters that are either in-experienced, or over the hill. I don't think he's dodging anything personaly, I do think his Ruskie handlers need to be put in check though. I think Fedor DOES want to fight in the UFC, but he has to listen to his mafia bosses. And please, spare me the garbage of "Fedor makes his own decisions" *yawn*. No he doesn't. He's pwned, by the Russian mob, plain and simple. If they can't profit off what he does, NO ONE can. Thats why the UFC can't land him, they want wayyyyy too much in revenue for him, and Dana doesn't see the return in that investment.|||I only read part of this article and it is complete b.s. Fedor isnt ducking anyone. the author of this article is a complete *. yeah ufc has some great comp, but so does strikeforce. allistair is a beast, granted i think his is on roids, but fedor will destroy everyone in the heavyweight division. i believe the fight will happen w/ fedor and brock. brock has to get some more wins and dominate the way fedor does, then fedor will fight and beat him. he only signed a 3 fight deal, so give it another year. ducking people? ha give me a break. he has fought and beat arona, bobalu, semmy schilt, heath herring, minotauro nogueira (the ufc's number 3 heavy weight numerous times, in his prime at that), gary goodridge, fujita, mark coleman and kevin randleman (in their prime), yuji nagata, crocop, andrei, sylvia was a joke, then brett rogers. i was at the fight and it kicked *.... so ducking people. get the F outa here|||
Fedor is not fighting the best there is. He fights alot of fighters that are either in-experienced, or over the hill.
So he needs to fight more experienced fighters like Brock, Velasquez, dos Santos, Carwin, and Todd Duffee? The only fighter in the UFC that's not inexperienced or over the hill is Frank Mir, and he's just not that good.|||
The only fighter in the UFC that's not inexperienced or over the hill is Frank Mir, and he's just not that good.
Brandon Vera, Ian Freeman and Marcio Cruz agree with you:
Bring on Fedor vs Overeem, toughest challenge for Fedor imo.|||Ok Cain is a very talented fighter, but he is way to inexperienced, give it a couple years and yeh he will probably be the best heavyweight in the world! As for Dos Santos he's good but in my opinion he's not championship material like Cain. As for Nog, he is, in my opinion, the best heavyweight in the UFC at the moment but I've already seen enough of Fedor and Nog. Mir? Well I think enough has been said about him.|||
Ok Cain is a very talented fighter, but he is way to inexperienced, give it a couple years and yeh he will probably be the best heavyweight in the world! As for Dos Santos he's good but in my opinion he's not championship material like Cain. As for Nog, he is, in my opinion, the best heavyweight in the UFC at the moment but I've already seen enough of Fedor and Nog. Mir? Well I think enough has been said about him.
I think Velasquez is good, but I don't think he'll be able to beat guys like Lesnar & Carwin who are bigger, hit harder and have equal/better wrestling. Unfortunaly for Cain they are putting him against Nog next, and Velasquez has never fought a bjj guy like Nog before.|||I agree. Nog will win! Then hopefully he will beat Lesnar!|||If the author is sincere in his sentiment he is a moron.
Fedor is using his fighting to build a giant international MMA promotion (M-1). Notions of pride, ego, and fear have nothing to do with how he goes about picking fights.|||
Fedor is not fighting the best there is. He fights alot of fighters that are either in-experienced, or over the hill.
So he needs to fight more experienced fighters like Brock, Velasquez, dos Santos, Carwin, and Todd Duffee? The only fighter in the UFC that's not inexperienced or over the hill is Frank Mir, and he's just not that good.
Lol @ PlayCircus
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