Did UFC need Fedor or did Fedor need UFC?

[David Street]

I think he would have made the UFC Hall of Fame if he had.

 

[Ibm]

Ahh yes sign on at the tail end of his career then Dana can say see he couldn't even hack it in the UFC. . .

There would be no dispute that he never stepped up, also he would have made more money.

 

[no fat chicks]

There would be no dispute that he never stepped up, also he would have made more money.

The time to sign was right after Sylvia I think

 

[immyaxl]

Is UFC's heavyweight class forever tarnish because they not sign Fedor?
Or is Fedor legacy tarnish because he not sign UFC?

I think the UFC heavyweight is never have the legitimacy it need cause it never had Fedor. People like Volkov and Olenik cannot replace what Fedor would achieve UFC.

Neither needed each other. Both did just fine & made a lot of money.

 

[TJH Exitium]

Neither needed the other.

I think UFC lost more by not getting Fedor under contract though. He would have brought a lot of eyes and PPV numbers. There would have been several good matchups to make. Lot of opportunities.

Fedor made a lot of money and had a great career without the UFC. He gets to look back and say he did it without being fitted into UFC's corporate mold

 

[immyaxl]

Alright, honestly, Fedor has some great and legit wins. I'm just speaking in generalizations. However, he's had 50 fights and I count about 9 legit wins. I think Fedor would have more legitimacy if his fans weren't such delusional nuisances.
Cro Cop, Nog, Coleman, and Arlovski are all legit wins. Shit, I'll even say Randleman and Sylvia. The rest is all fluff. So do I think Fedor was the best heavyweight in the world at one time?? Yes. But that time is very shallow in terms of talent and is long gone.

Fedor not going to the UFC was a big reason it took the UFC 3 or 4 years longer to monopolize the sport then it would have otherwise. Strikeforce had a great roster & put on some good fights. Great time to be a fan.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Fedor not going to the UFC was a big reason it took the UFC 3 or 4 years longer to monopolize the sport then it would have otherwise. Strikeforce had a great roster & put on some good fights. Great time to be a fan.

This is huge romanticism lol.

 

[immyaxl]

This is huge romanticism lol.

I don't think so. The Fedor signing put Strikeforce on the map. He was ranked # 1 in the world on most any Heavyweight list at the time. Strikeforce purchasing Elite XC & inheriting the CBS deal was also a major factor. 2005-2012 was hands down my favorite era of the sport & I've been watching since 93 at the beginning.

 

[The Last King]

Luke Rockhold just disclosed that he made 2M for all his fights in the UFC. Fedor made that per fight over 15 years ago and was headlining a main event on CBS while UFC was still on spike TV and most of their fighters were makinf peanuts. Fedor did well for himself even though I wish we could have seen him in the UFC. The UFC did well for themselves too. They didn't need eachother.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

I don't think so. The Fedor signing put Strikeforce on the map. He was ranked # 1 in the world on most any Heavyweight list at the time. Strikeforce purchasing Elite XC & inheriting the CBS deal was also a major factor. 2005-2012 was hands down my favorite era of the sport & I've been watching since 93 at the beginning.

I dont know what you mean by "monopoly". The UFC isn't a monopoly unless you mean that it is by far the most popular promotion in which case it would have been a "monopoly" during Strikeforce's time as well. There hasn't been a challenger to the UFC since PRIDE.

Fedor did not put Strikeforce on the map...Strikeforce had many home grown stars. Nick Diaz was probably their biggest star. Fedor and the heavyweight division was just another asset they had once Affliction collapsed. You're making it seem like Strikeforce=Fedor the way, I don't even think of Fedor when I think of Strikeforce's brand.

When I think of M-1 during that period I think "that's basically the Fedor promotion", when I think of Strikeforce I think of many different guys before I think of Fedor.

Fedor was not the #1 heavyweight during most of his tenure in Strikeforce. His win streak ended in his 2nd fight, after that most mainstream publications had whatever jabroni in the UFC as #1 (Lesnar?).

Anyway, I am not sure what you mean by "held off the UFC monopoly" as being the #1 ranked HW during that time doesn't mean much fiscally. Lesnar was substantially more popular, more known and a bigger draw than Fedor even if he was on average ranked lower. Strikeforce wasn't the only other big promotion outside of the UFC either during that era.

If you mean talent wise...well, sure - but the UFC does not have a monopoly on talent today either. Not even close really. Fedor wasn't the only great fighter outside of the UFC during that time either.


To say that Fedor was the single reason for why the UFC was not a "monopoly" is very.....romantic. That isn't based in any fiscal reality at all unless you're defining monopoly as just the UFC did not have all the best HWs. I feel like you're mixing in fandom with how the industry really works.


If Fedor had signed with the UFC nothing would have changed except the UFC has a couple of more big cards with him fighting Courture and Lesnar. Strikeforce would have been bought at the same time still. You really think Fedor kept the lights on for Strikeforce for years single-handily?

The UFC literally purchased Strikeforce knowing full well they would not acquire Fedor, he was not much of a factor at all.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Actually, I am fairly certain the UFC had a higher % of the best fighters during the Strikeforce era than today.

The UFC doesn't care much at all about having the best fighters anymore - this is the same promotion that traded arguably the best fighter in the world in his prime to ONE.

The best fighters at 170 and under are probably more scattered today than 10 years ago. Even in a shallow division like women's 145 the UFC can't get Budd, Cyborg, Harrison. The UFC also doesn't have a monopoly on 205 - if not for Rumble's tragic sickness Bellator would have 4 guys who could plausibly beat the UFC LHW champion.

 

[DesiredUserName]

Everyone needs Fedor. Nobody needs Dana White.