When Fedor announced his return to MMA the forums lit up. Finally we would see the 39 year old Russian face the best in the world. He would return and beat the top heavyweight fighters on the planet and wear the GOAT crown firmly on his head. Then – in typical Emelianenko fashion – he signs with anyone not named the UFC.
If Fedor is truly the greatest, or one of the greatest of all time he could easily step in to the Octagon and hold his own. The way the landscape constantly changes in the UFC means he could be champion if the stars align. Just ask Minotauro and Brock Lesnar. Fedor is available at a perfect time. Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir are top contenders and Fedor has smashed Arlovski in to a “living death” once before. Thanks for the term Ken Shamrock. None of the young bucks could easily beat him and he has an equal chance to beat them just like Arlovski did Travis Browne.
The Last Emperor has just as much of a chance as anyone to wear the gold.
Pride 2.0 doesn’t hold any viable challengers except legends who have long faded. Pedro Rizzo was one of his victims towards the beginning of his first retirement. Rizzo was last relevant a billion years ago and foreshadowed the level of competition of Fedor is now comfortable facing. I guess getting obliterated by Dan Henderson will shatter your confidence enough where Brett Rogers and Kimbo Slice may start looking like desirable opponents for you again. After losing to Werdum, Bigfoot Silva, and Hendo that was it for him. He looked like a broken man and by all accounts he was.
Fan boys everywhere were excited to hear Fedor might actually sign with the UFC. News sites lit up and fake Emelianenko accounts were posting bogus reports that he signed with the home of the best fighters in the world. Reports have surfaced that much of the talk was started by interested parties to get his name at the top of the news sites again. Once it was – they pulled the rug out from underneath us. Genius marketing.
Cro Cop at least had the stones to take his beatings in the UFC. In fact, he has much more respect from hardcore fans than Fedor right now. If you want to be remembered as the best you have to fight more real fighters than freak shows. Let’s face Fedor has fought a whole lot of freak shows in his career. Just Wikipedia Fedor Emelianenko and look at the list of fighters he has defeated in his long career. Some of them are legends but NONE of them are UFC greats unless you count Tim Sylvia, Mark Hunt, and Andrei Arlovski. He has beaten fighters who have been moderately successful in the UFC after their Pride runs.
If a miracle happens and Fedor decides to man up and sign with the premier organization he needs to win and win convincingly. If he does not fight anyone of note he will definitely lose his top 10 GOAT ranking. There are too many younger fighters doing what he cannot and that’s dominate in the UFC.
Fedor’s resume is largely built upon his wins over Cro Cop and Big Nog…but overall I think GSP and/or Jon Jones have better resume’s…they fought the murderer’s row of their division and won in dominant fashion.
“Some of them are legends but NONE of them are UFC greats unless you count Tim Sylvia, Mark Hunt, and Andrei Arlovski. He has beaten fighters who have been moderately successful in the UFC after their Pride runs.”
Not sure where but I think Big Nog fits in there somewhere? he had some success in the UFC no? Won a title against Sylvia?