Media Firas Zahabi says Fedor would KO Prime Cain Velasquez

[Subline]

54:16
Firas is asked to break down a hypothetical matchup between Prime Fedor and Prime Cain Velasquez.

Guys, there was a time when Fedor would beat Cain. Like, both of them in their prime, I would pick Fedor. Because look, Cain would take him to the ground - I have no doubt. But Fedor was incredible at twisting and turning and rolling up in a ball and armbarring and twisting out of positions and getting up to his feet; he was incredible. And I think eventually he'd put a big shot on Cain's chin and knock him out - you know, that's just my view. I think Fedor - his timing, his blitzing, his speed, his ground - it was just too much; it was just incredible. And I would pick him against Cain. Prime Fedor vs. Cain, I would pick Fedor.

What do you guys think of this matchup? Do you agree with Firas, or do you have a different perspective?

 

[SuperNerd]

Yeah, probably.

 

[RichardHarrow]

Fedor is arguably my fave of all time but he doesn’t KO Cain.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

i always thought that. Fedor is equally dangerous everywhere. Cain is only really dangerous if he's attacking. Fedor has shown he can counter and simultaneously avoid getting hit. if Cain is not attacking, he's not dangerous in that same way. but i think JDS would give Fedor a harder time than he gave Cain.

 

[Bobby Boulders]

Motherfucking right

 

[Tsuli]

Fedor would give Cain problems both on the feet and on the mat. I doubt he KOs him though, more likely knocks him down then subs him.

In a cage Cain could maybe pick up a decision win via clinch and dirty boxing against the cage, but that's really his only path to victory.

 

[ChessJitsu]

Fedor is my absolute favorite fighter of all time but I think Firas might not be considering how Cain's from a newer more improved generation.

Every 5 years the crop is just better.

 

[ChessJitsu]

with that said, Fedor is still contextually ahead of Cain by miles and miles in the same way that Royce Gracie contextually ahead of 95% of UFC fighters despite being lowly skilled compared to them in an absolute context.

 

[SamuraiBro]

I mean it’s heavyweight so yeah I don’t rule it out. I could see Cain doing the same thing to Fedor too.

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

There's no wrong answer really, Firas with those entry level prizes

 

[KramerFtw]

meh.. fedor was facing plumbers tbh.. too hard to say..

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

based

 

[Fedorgasm]

Fedor is my absolute favorite fighter of all time but I think Firas might not be considering how Cain's from a newer more improved generation.

Every 5 years the crop is just better.

The HW crop today is definitely not as good as it was 5 years ago.

And the crop 5 years ago was not as good as the crop 5 years before that

 

[RichardHarrow]

There's no wrong answer really, Firas with those entry level prizes

I never understood the hype behind Firas. On paper he sounds smart but he hasn’t really produced a good fighter. Some might argue GSP but he was his own fighter and would have excelled in any camp.

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

I never understood the hype behind Firas. On paper he sounds smart but he hasn’t really produced a good fighter. Some might argue GSP but he was his own fighter and would have excelled in any camp.

GSP was Firas' golden goose. Tri Star was built off the 17-20,000+ capacity crowds GSP routinely drew when fighting at home.

Edmund might be the only coach luckier than Firas in terms of an "iconic fighter in the making" walking through their doors.

 

[ChessJitsu]

The HW crop today is definitely not as good as it was 5 years ago.

And the crop 5 years ago was not as good as the crop 5 years before that

maybe in relative terms but in 2010 you didn't have guys like Tom Aspinall.

science builds on knowledge of yesterday.

A regular scientist at MIT knows way more than Isaac Newton did though in contextual frame Isaac Newton is way more brilliant than anyone in MIT today.

 

[Simple Southerner]

Firas is a but he's right in this instance

 

[DrRodentia]

Cain was very hittable. Even in his prime. A very winnable fight for Fedor.

Winnable for both. A great prime vs prime fantasy matchup.

 

[ExitLUPin]

I've always had Fedor by KO in that hypothetical match-up too. Cain beats almost any HW ever, H2H, but prime Fedor is a bad match-up for him. Not a HW he could work his wrestling on effectively, and as Firas said; he'd get TDs, but wouldn't have much control or offense. Cain has a nonexistent submission threat as well despite his volume g&p. If anything, Fedor's reversals could land Cain in positions where Fedor would mount significant offense. Fedor is the much more explosive, powerful and technical striker. Cain had an overwhelming pressure style, but he wasn't hard to hit, especially when he closed the distance:

This was just 2 fights and a year before he beat Brock for the title, and even in fights he dominated, you'll see him get hit clean a number of times due to defensive issues. I don't see the fight lasting long enough for Cain's conditioning to be much of a factor.

 

[cmw43]

I've always had Fedor by KO in that hypothetical match-up too. Cain beats almost any HW ever, H2H, but prime Fedor is a bad match-up for him. Not a HW he could work his wrestling on effectively, and as Firas said; he'd get TDs, but wouldn't have much control or offense. If anything, Fedor's reversals could land Cain in positions where Fedor would mount significant offense. Fedor is the much more explosive, powerful and technical striker. Cain had an overwhelming pressure style, but he wasn't hard to hit, especially when he closed the distance:

This was just 2 fights and a year before he beat Brock for the title, and even in fights he dominated, you'll see him get hit clean a number of times due to defensive issues. I don't see the fight lasting long enough for Cain's conditioning to be much of a factor.

This was my thinking as well, Cain was always hittable.

Prime Cain was KOd by JDS, dropped by Kongo and Mollywhopped by Werdum, I see Fedor landing a bomb.