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Pride's greatest is fighting tonight. He's forty, outweighed by over twenty pounds and, sadly, looks like he lost something during his three years away from the sport – but this thread isn't about that.
The video above is, in my opinion, the best career highlight reel for the GOAT which has ever been made, released just before his ten-year unbeaten streak was brought to an end by Fabricio Werdum, who would go on to break down Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight belt.
There's not really anyone out there who fights like Fedor now. He wasn't ever really a standout at anything in particular, with loose stand-up (but great handspeed and good accuracy) and a far from technical ground game – but he had unrivalled composure, fearless aggression, and transitioned between striking and grappling better than anyone.
He also never really shot for takedowns, being a judo practitioner (who only switched to sambo when his judo career went south). He was all about trips and throws, giving him a fluid style. You didn't see him tied up along the ropes and dirty boxing very often.
Fighters today are different. They circle and feel each other out a lot more, and their striking and grappling games are often pretty disjointed.
Fedor was a man ahead of his time, and I think it'll be a while before we see another heavyweight as rounded and aggressive. We might never see a guy under 6 foot and 240 lbs getting after it at a high level again.
So do take a sec to look back and appreciate the career that defined an era, whatever happens tonight in The Other Promotion™.
The video above is, in my opinion, the best career highlight reel for the GOAT which has ever been made, released just before his ten-year unbeaten streak was brought to an end by Fabricio Werdum, who would go on to break down Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight belt.
There's not really anyone out there who fights like Fedor now. He wasn't ever really a standout at anything in particular, with loose stand-up (but great handspeed and good accuracy) and a far from technical ground game – but he had unrivalled composure, fearless aggression, and transitioned between striking and grappling better than anyone.
He also never really shot for takedowns, being a judo practitioner (who only switched to sambo when his judo career went south). He was all about trips and throws, giving him a fluid style. You didn't see him tied up along the ropes and dirty boxing very often.
Fighters today are different. They circle and feel each other out a lot more, and their striking and grappling games are often pretty disjointed.
Fedor was a man ahead of his time, and I think it'll be a while before we see another heavyweight as rounded and aggressive. We might never see a guy under 6 foot and 240 lbs getting after it at a high level again.
So do take a sec to look back and appreciate the career that defined an era, whatever happens tonight in The Other Promotion™.
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