Could DC beat ‘Prime Fedor’

[Steve-French]

- Russian National Judo Team
- World Sambo Champion
- World MMA champion for 7 years

(He also boxed his whole life and trained with elite Dutch kickboxers)

I was being sarcastic. Stipe was a dual sport division 1 athlete and Golden gloves HW champion. It's every bit as ridiculous to try and discredit Stipe's background as it is Fedor's.

 

[markg171]

check the rankings, half the guys that were relevant back then are STILL in the top 10-15 10 years later, there has been very very little evolution in the heavyweight division in that time, that's simply not true

Ask yourself whether their present day self beats their past self and you’ll have your answer as to why they’re still relevant and top 10. Guys likes Overeem, Werdum, and Hunt are much better fighters nowadays.

I don’t disagree that as a whole the top 15 has fallen as there’s been relatively few talent brought in, but the guys in question you’re alluding to are generally better than they were in the past. Arguing that because they’re still top ranked means the sport hasn’t evolved is moronic when they’re still top ranked precisely because they themselves have evolved and gotten better

 

[Typrune Goatley]

I was being sarcastic. Stipe was a dual sport division 1 athlete and Golden gloves HW champion. It's every bit as ridiculous to try and discredit Stipe's background as it is Fedor's.

 

[Franc Mittelo]

Nobody KO’d PRIME Fedor son.

Dan Henderson KO'd Fedor. Truth

"But but but Fedor wasn't in his prime." Your opinion.

I will take the truth over your opinion. Thank you.

 

[Typrune Goatley]

Ask yourself whether their present day self beats their past self and you’ll have your answer as to why they’re still relevant and top 10. Guys likes Overeem, Werdum, and Hunt are much better fighters nowadays.

I don’t disagree that as a whole the top 15 has fallen as there’s been relatively few talent brought in, but the guys in question you’re alluding to are generally better than they were in the past. Arguing that because they’re still top ranked means the sport hasn’t evolved is moronic when they’re still top ranked pe closely because they themselves have evolved and gotten better

Hunt was younger, faster, stronger, bigger(no 265 limit), had better chin and better striking in 2006. He might have slightly better grappling now but he still usually loses to any good grappler of any era.

Werdum has improved his Muay Thai under old school Chute Boxe coach Rafael Cordeiro but now he is so slow and his takedowns are weaker than ever. When Werdum was in his late 20's he was very fast and very aggressive with takedowns. The current Werdum with kicks matches up better with some guys while the younger faster Werdum would be more effective against certain opponents.

Reem is the same as always. Extremely dangerous offensively but his chin and defense is always a liability. He is a top fighter these days while he still gets KTFO every few fights.

So yes, they have all changed their games but their improvements did not put them over the elites of that era. They still didn't catch up in skills. Hunt would always get submitted by a great grappler like Barnett or Fedor. Werdum would always struggle vs a better striker with good grappling defense like Arlovski and Sergei. Reem will always be one punch away from getting KTFO.

Werdum, Hunt and Reem have made changes but it still doesn't close the gap of how far ahead the elites were in that era.

 

[Typrune Goatley]

Dan Henderson KO'd Fedor. Truth

"But but but Fedor wasn't in his prime." Your opinion.

I will take the truth over your opinion. Thank you.

Fedor is the only HW that went 11 years without getting knocked out. Find me another HW that can say that.

Everyone loses at some point. GSP tapped to strikes versus lightweight Serra. Anderson was submitted by lightweights. Hendo has lost lots of times. Aldo finally lost after 10 years undefeated. Cruz finally lost after going years without a loss. Jones is too insecure to fight without performance enhancing drugs. GSP's best win, Matt Hughes, had a bad decline and sad way to end career.

Everyone loses. The fact that Fedor went 10 years without losing is amazing. We already saw him slowing down after about 7 years but he still kept winning. Eventually it had to end. Nobody can stay on top forever

 

[RudimarChute]

Dan Henderson KO'd Fedor. Truth

"But but but Fedor wasn't in his prime." Your opinion.

I will take the truth over your opinion. Thank you.

You mean fact? Fedor wasn’t even close to prime by the Hendo fight. Fact.

 

[Kleinschuster]

Sorry, but any version of Mark Hunt isn't going to take you down and go for the finish.

Pride Hunt was faster and had way less miles on his chin.

True that. Just think todays Hunt is more versatile. But you'll never know.

 

[Franc Mittelo]

You mean fact? Fedor wasn’t even close to prime by the Hendo fight. Fact.

It is your opinion. I have asked for articles by respectable people, written before the Brett Rogers fight, which expressed that Fedor was over the hill, and Brett Rogers was going to smash him.

After the Dan Henderson loss, Fedor went on a 5 fight winning streak (with 1 very suspicious one). Maybe he just went back to the type of opponents who kept him victorious for all those years.

A reasonable person could say, if Fedor had gone back to Russia and Japan, after beating Brett Rogers, he could have gone 20 years undefeated. LOL

If he had done that, none of his fans would be claiming "he is out of his prime" until maybe his late 30s and early 40's.

I will give him his just due as a pioneer. He can never be GOAT. He ducked the Gold Standard organization. It is what it is.

 

[Typrune Goatley]

I will give him his just due as a pioneer. He can never be GOAT. He ducked the Gold Standard organization. It is what it is.

PRIDE was the gold standard organization. Their HW division was far deeper and more talented. Fedor didn't need to come to the UFC. There were better HWs for him to fight in PRIDE, Affliction and Strikeforce. The UFC did not want to co-promote with M1 and the UFC did not want Fedor to continue competing in Sambo.

Big Nog was the UFC Interim champ in 2008. He had already lost 2x to Fedor. Nog beat Sylvia for the UFC Interim title. Sylvia was beaten by Fedor in 36 seconds.

The UFC champ, Randy Couture, was trying to get out of his contract to fight Fedor outside the UFC.

UFC was 2nd tier.

 

[BowserJr]

Doubtful

Fedors speed, strength and chin coupled with his transition game was like no other

It would be a great fight but I see fedor getting a decision

 

[jeskola]

Hmm, Prime Fedor. If fedor could transform into a huge truck or a robot with a sword he would be unstoppable.

 

[GrizzlyMan]

i've taken liver kicks sparring so i do know. i also know he takes a flush hook and stumbles. nothing from his actions after the hook indicate he's shutting down from a liver kick. his right hand actually stays active reaching for a leg once he hits the ground instead of instinctively shelling up.

Fair play man, in that case that makes two of us, not nice taking one of those. I dunno though, I watched the clip in slow motion and could swear he starts to fold before the hook lands, but either way that's a brutal liver kick. Maybe it's bas rutten's commentary influencing me from all the times I've watched it. I wonder if old iron head ever talked about the fight...

 

[myjohnson9]

I think he would have a decent shot at it but I would see Fedor being too versatile and would ultimately prevail.

What’s your thoughts?

DC stylistically has the best shot against Fedor than any other mma fighter to date. But Fedor would ultimately prevail

 

[kflo]

Fedor's main weapon was whatever he motherfucking wanted it to be.

When people thought he would sub Crocop, he said nah fuck that, it's too easy.

I mean just look at that defense, you'd think he's a k-1 dude.

This dude beat people at their own strengths.

That's the equivalent of Khabib trying to strike with Conor, with the difference being that Conor can only DREAM of achieving Crocop level striking in his career.

he beat semmy and hunt standing? he didn't take cro cop to the ground? he didn't just beat people at their strengths. he used his own. khabib is a different fighter than fedor. he's a much more dominant grappler. he's much more dependent on one skillset. fedor couldn't do what khabib does either.

 

[MCS]

Sure via wrestling to a UD. He isn't beating him on the feet and isn't subbing him, as DC relies on speed at HW, but he's the inferior offensive and defensive boxer with less power and speed on the feet, and the worse kicker, despite his strong wrestling core.

 

[GrizzlyMan]

No ducking? He avoided all the top talent by avoiding the UFC, christ he fought Hong Man Choi and mamy other mugs rather than fight in the UFC.

The potential deal between Fedor and the ufc is well documented, ufc wanted to own him completely when he was consensus number one heavy on the planet. He didn't avoid the ufc, why waste time and money on drawn out negotiations, at the end of the day it's obvious why it was not gonna work out between the ufc/Dana and Fedor, total clash of ethics.

 

[kflo]

Fair play man, in that case that makes two of us, not nice taking one of those. I dunno though, I watched the clip in slow motion and could swear he starts to fold before the hook lands, but either way that's a brutal liver kick. Maybe it's bas rutten's commentary influencing me from all the times I've watched it. I wonder if old iron head ever talked about the fight...

just watch the complete sequence. there's nothing i can see that suggests he's shutting down from the liver shot. his body movements just aren't consistent with that, particularly following his right arm. that's what i see at least. haven't seen fujita discuss though.

 

[JBJISGOAT]

Yes.

 

[GrizzlyMan]

just watch the complete sequence. there's nothing i can see that suggests he's shutting down from the liver shot. his body movements just aren't consistent with that, particularly following his right arm. that's what i see at least. haven't seen fujita discuss though.

i agree with you that he still reacted to grab the leg on the ground, but he still seems to have his wits about him so doesn't seem rocked so much perhaps, he does however look like he's in serious pain, he's grimacing even before the choke goes in which makes me feel like it was the kick that did more damage, and it's just because Fujita is a tough sob, but you could just as easily be right. I love that fight, one of my favourites!