I consider Fedor the GOAT but it is not hard to see that father time has caught up with him, just like he catches up to us all. A bunch of newcomers to the sport will say that he never was a great but, to me, that is like judging Babe Ruth in his last season, Michael Jordan during his run with the Wizards or Joe Montana in his stint with the Chiefs ( I can see young bucks scratching there heads or burning up the "google-machine"). Many Lebron James fans consider him the greatest of all time but some of those were too young to witness Jordan play in his prime. It is disrespectful to base an athletes entire career on his last performance but these judgements will never cease. In Fedor's era, he faced the best that the sport had to offer and he fought without seeking any advantages other than skill. He did not cut weight and he could have, being that he was a small heavyweight walking around at, roughly, a chubby 230 pounds. He competed on an international level and has never tested positive for PEDs and has always conducted himself in a manner that epitomizes sportsmanship.
The debate will go on and on as to who the GOAT is or will be but Fedor has set the standard for these debates and his name will always be mentioned as MMA continues to search for its new "GOAT."
Long live the Last Emperor.