Fedor could and sometimes did go for the legs but really you watch the Mirko fight and what stands out is that he doesnt really go for anything takedown wise in the opening miniutes. He focuses on the striking and successfully pushes Mirko back whilst avoiding his counters, its only when Mirko gets desperate and starts to make mistakes that he takes him down(actually via grabing a leg).
Fedor's takedowns didnt fail against Hunt, he was reversed a few times when pushing hard for them but he also got Mark down. Tactically I'm guessing he felt that grappling wasnt something he needed to fear against Hunt so ending up on his back wasnt that much of a risk, much less so than striking with him.
Mirko sucessfully beat guys like Aleks and Herring who had big reach advantages on him and he did so mostly via how effective his kicking game was. You watch those fights and its his opponent who is desperately trying to close the distance because even with their reach advantage the kicks have them outranged, if they stay on the outside they get picked apart.
Mirko got desperate???? From what, breaking Fedors nose. So we are ignoring Fedors faild TD when he ended in ropes when they got into first clinch??? Come on, give me a break. Fedor was jumping in with looping punches from the start. For the loves sake he was trying to get TD same like he did with Nogeira. He loops in, you put your hands in block, he clinches and sweeps you down. He did it to everyone. it was his instict.
How the hell he didnt fail with Hunt??? His TDs ended with Hunt mounting him 2 or 3 times. But even if we go by your standard. Mirror Prime Fedor today in HW. Look how Stipe and DC dispatched Lewis and Hunt, on other hand Fedor cant get any of them down if he isnt on his back. How does he get Francis down....??
He cant TD experienced wrestler with Judo, he cant grind them on fence like Khabib to use judo trips because he doesnt have mass. What i am saying Prime Fedor has same problems Silva Fedor had, because he would TD Silva if he could when he had him in block on the fence.
CroCop on Alex and Herring! Alex was a brawler who got rocked in pocket before leg, Herring standup was poor. No defense just throwing nonsense hoping for TD before he got timed with liver shot. Non of them fought like a real long fighter. Doesnt mean they are bad fighter all of them, but non of them with that kind of game would achieve significant result in UFC.
Best CroCop i was seeing was the one that KO Wanderlei, real counter striking, boxing lateral movement and 7 months later he is TD by Gonzaga and grinded on fence by Kongo.
