"Fedor ducked the ufc"

Mike

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Look most of us wanted to see Fedor in the ufc, but this myth that he ducked the top guys by fighting elsewhere is exactly that. After leaving pride he fought Lindland, Choi, then he fought two top HWs in Arlovski and Sylvia before going to Strikeforce.

At that point in time, the top hw in the ufc was Brock Lesnar. A guy that went on to go 5-3-1 in his mma career. Lesnar is not an ATG or goat contender in the hw division. Just a footnote. Cain and JDS had not risen to the top of the ufc at this time

When Fedor opted for Strikeforce over the ufc, they had the following in their hw division: Arlovski, Reem, Bigfoot, Rogers, Werdum. DC, Barnett, Kharitonov. You know, most of the top hws in the world at the time. I'm sure the goalposts will be moved to how poorly a past prime Fedor did in Strikeforce, but let's at least get one thing straight: Fedor chose the best hw division in the world and it isn't close at all.
 
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Fedor didn't have to go to the UFC, the UFC came to him. Guys left the UFC just to get a shot at him. Randy Couture tried to do it as well but couldn't get out of his contract so he ended up fighting Lesnar after having 1.5 years off with a legal battle.
 
And tbf Fedor's demands for the UFC were pretty high, to say the least

Demanding that the UFC co-promote with M-1, wanting a separate stadium built just for his fights etc

He didn't demand any of this from Affliction or Strikeforce but seemed insistent on it when the UFC tried to book him vs Brock
 
Fedor fought the best HWs at the time.

If he came to the UFC his resume would be filled with guys like Gan McGee <45> I'm glad he didn't. But the casuals don't understand this, so don't even bother..
 
Look most of us wanted to see Fedor in the ufc, but this myth that he ducked the top guys by fighting elsewhere is exactly that. After leaving pride he fought Lindland, Choi, then he fought two top HWs in Arlovski and Sylvia before going to Strikeforce.

At that point in time, the top hw in the ufc was Brock Lesnar. A guy that went on to go 5-3-1 in his mma career. Lesnar is not an ATG or goat contender in the hw division. Just a footnote. Cain and JDS had not risen to the top of the ufc at this time

When Fedor opted for Strikeforce over the ufc, they had the following in their hw division: Arlovski, Reem, Bigfoot, Rogers, Werdum. DC, Barnett, Kharitonov. You know, most of the top hws in the world at the time. I'm sure the goalposts will be moved to how poorly a past prime Fedor did in Strikeforce, but let's at least get one thing straight: Fedor chose the best hw division in the world and it isn't close at all.
Fedor got smoked in Strikeforce in his early 30s, he sucked against legit competiton with any sort of drug testing
 
When Strikeforce got bought out he should have came over... I think that's what makes people the most sour. The argument of "the best HWs weren't in the UFC" went out the window when SF came in.
 
Regardless of rankings Fedor-Brock would have been the biggest fight you could make and was super intriguing. Not gonna argue that Strikeforce wasn't deeper cause it had Reem, Werdum, DC, Barnett, etc. UFC had Brock, Carwin, JDS, Handy, Nog. Shit I'm just rambling now but what a time huh?

Anyways Fedor did what he thought was best for his career. Dana was just being Dana and couldn't close.
 
Fedor got smoked in Strikeforce in his early 30s, he sucked against legit competiton with any sort of drug testing
He had already had a long career by then. The drug testing thing is a bizarre criticism. Steroids weren't illegal in pride, and he never failed a steroid test in the US. Classic nonsensical hater talking points.
 
Regardless of rankings Fedor-Brock would have been the biggest fight you could make and was super intriguing. Not gonna argue that Strikeforce wasn't deeper cause it had Reem, Werdum, DC, Barnett, etc. UFC had Brock, Carwin, JDS, Handy, Nog. Shit I'm just rambling now but what a time huh?

Anyways Fedor did what he thought was best for his career. Dana was just being Dana and couldn't close.
I blame Dana and Fedors management for him not coming over. Sucks it went down that way but it is what it is I guess.
 
When Strikeforce got bought out he should have came over... I think that's what makes people the most sour. The argument of "the best HWs weren't in the UFC" went out the window when SF came in.
By that time he was clearly past his prime anyway. People wanted to see him come over when he was the #1 hw. He obviously wasn't anymore by then.
 
Fedor got smoked in Strikeforce in his early 30s, he sucked against legit competiton with any sort of drug testing
I agree. Fedor didn't perform as well against fighters that had p.e.d exemptions.
 
And tbf Fedor's demands for the UFC were pretty high, to say the least

Demanding that the UFC co-promote with M-1, wanting a separate stadium built just for his fights etc

He didn't demand any of this from Affliction or Strikeforce but seemed insistent on it when the UFC tried to book him vs Brock
Both Affliction and Strikeforce agreed to co-promotion with M-1. They also agreed to allow Fedor and M-1 to own his fight footage and likeness in the Russian markets(and I think in Asia as well). They also left the door open for him the fight in Japan.
 
Anyone who still makes this argument in 2020 is either legit retarded or has no idea what they're talking about as they weren't watching MMA back then

From the early to mid 2000s, HWs who were a part of both orgs:

PRIDE: Fedor, Big Nog, Barnett, Mirko, Coleman, Sergei, Handleman, Aleks, Herring, Hunt, Werdum, Semmy, Alistair, Igor, Fujita, Kerr, Frye, Yoshida, Ibragim, Goodridge, Waterman, Valentinjin, Sperry, Zentsov, Ogawa, Atajev, Yvel, Kohsaka, Enson, Kondo, Assuerio, Erikson, Thompson, Nastula, Barreto

UFC: Arlovski, Sylvia, Couture, Murr, Monson, Pedro, Buentello, Eilers, Gan, Freeman, Marcio, Telligman, Janitor, Hoffman, Pete Williams, Vera

Then u had Ricco who was a tweener b/w both orgs in that time period

Fedor was def ducking Buentello and Ian Freeman IMO<FookIsThatGuy>

In the late 2000s the fighters in

Affliction/Strikeforce: Fedor, Werdum, DC, Reem, Barnett, Sergei, Sylvia, Arlovski, Rogers, Bigfoot, Rothwell, Monson, Rizzo, Del Rosario, Lavar, Yvel, Mo, Buentello, Shawn Jordan, Cole

UFC - JDS, Cain, Nog, Couture, Mirko, Bork, Murr, Gonzaga, Carwin, Hunt, Kongo, Struve, Schaub, Roy, Barry

Fact is when Fedor wasn't completely washed up he was always in the orgs with the best HW talent at that respective time and the early to mid 2000s era in particular remains by far the best HW era
 
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It's been 14 years since Pride folded. He still hasn't fought in the UFC even once.

Yes, he ducked the UFC.
 
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