If Fedor signs with Bellator, could you seriously discuss him as GOAT anymore?

[NoBiasJustMMA]

You are going to have to judge Fedor on his past accomplishments because he was on the downside of his career after getting destroyed by Bigfoot and Hendo and getting tapped by Werdum. That was the end of his career, judge him on that.

This new chapter is not going to end well. The game has passed him by, the Fedor fans hoping for a rejuvenated fighter are delusional, the guy is almost 40 and has not fought in three years.

Putting him in the cage with Cain, JDS, Browne, Werdum will likely get someone charged for attempted murder. Hell he may not get past Mitrione but that does not diminish what he did in the past.

Was he the greatest ever, maybe when he was in his prime but not now. GSP tops him and as much as I hate to say it Jon Jones is twice the fighter.

If the game has past him by then why are most of the top HWs the same top HWs from 5-10 years ago?

New Breed, evolution, ect. are just buzzwords the UFC uses to promote the current top fighters as if they are the best we have ever had.

The UFC shits on the past to promote the present, they always have and always will.

 

[I WILL CUT YOU]

Already GOAT.

 

[LikeItIs]

People whose join dates are later than 2010 (well, I guess that includes me) are not eligible to discuss Fedor Emelianenko.

MMA hipster spotted.

Join date means nothing.

 

[kingkshon73]

People whose join dates are later than 2010 (well, I guess that includes me) are not eligible to discuss Fedor Emelianenko.

Why? That's such a dumb point. People could have been watching MMA for a long time but not been on an MMA forum. Also there are other Forums that are even older the sherdog. Judging someone based on join date or forum belt color just makes you and anyone else who does It make them seem like a loser.

 

[milenss]

Why not? LOL.

Haven't read that wall of text.

 

[DetroitRob]

If the game has past him by then why are most of the top HWs the same top HWs from 5-10 years ago?

New Breed, evolution, ect. are just buzzwords the UFC uses to promote the current top fighters as if they are the best we have ever had.

The UFC shits on the past to promote the present, they always have and always will.

Because the game did not pass them by? They did not get finished by a Middleweight and retire? Because Fedor knew it was time to walk away and did? I will give you that heavyweights seem to hit their prime later than the lower weights but Fedor threw in the towel, he knew he was done. Give the man the respect that if he knew he couldnt hang with the top guys it was time to walk away and he did that.

You do not hit a magical age and the lights go off. Each fighter ends at a different time. Fedor walked away, he has been on the shelf for three years and he is near 40. While age is not the defining factor it does play a part in the reality. You can sit the bench for three years and return to greatness at 28 years old, at 40, not so much - at least not naturally.

 

[kingkshon73]

It depends on how you classify Greatest Of All Time

If you judge from day 1 of career to last day of career = it might
If you judge a fighter from how great they were in a 3-5 year prime = not at all

People that saw Willie Mays in his prime think he was one of the best, if not THE BEST that played CF
People that saw him as an old man with the Mets don't see him in the same way as legends they only heard about

If you only judge but a fighters prime then it's Anderson and GSP over Fedor.

 

[TewPoint0]

Fedor was easily submitted by UFC champ. We already know he's not the best HW out there. For me, not many questions remain...even the Bellator belt would be a big challenge for Fedor.

 

[titomoreno]

yes, he is the goat, but he needs money

 

[8pider8]

People whose join dates are later than 2010 (well, I guess that includes me) are not eligible to discuss Fedor Emelianenko.

? Since when does being an mma fan = being on sherdog ?

To answer OPs question, ABSOLUTELY NOT! but i bet you he and his diehards could care less.

 

[Chris0809]

People whose join dates are later than 2010 (well, I guess that includes me) are not eligible to discuss Fedor Emelianenko.

I'm glad I made the cut lmao

 

[Senzo Tanaka]

10 years undefeated is what made him GOAT along with beatig Sylvia and Arlovski. Anything he does now is icing on the cake.

I'd be disappointed if he decided to go to Bellator over UFC but we know he has a problem with Dana and has went on record that it's not just about money but respect and how the promotion treats its fighters.

I'd love to see him at least have a fight in the UFC just for history but at almost 40 years old, it doesn't make a single bit of difference to his legacy unless he went on a tear and started beating top guys.

If Fedor was turning 30 rather than 40, then we could have this discussion. Muhammaed Ali came back at 38 years old and lost 2 fights before retiring. It made no impact on his legacy or greatness. Guys just aren't meant to be fighting at a high level at that age. If they do, the competition is either weak, the same age, it's a fluke or there's something else going on.

 

[moreorless87]

Did not read, youre stupid.

if GSP signed with Bellashit, would he instantly not be a top WW ever?

He probably would in the OP's mind given that his emotional attachment is to the UFC brand not the fighters.

 

[MilesAbove]

Obviously yes.... because of the decade of dominance. Duh.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Because the game did not pass them by? They did not get finished by a Middleweight and retire? Because Fedor knew it was time to walk away and did? I will give you that heavyweights seem to hit their prime later than the lower weights but Fedor threw in the towel, he knew he was done. Give the man the respect that if he knew he couldnt hang with the top guys it was time to walk away and he did that.

You do not hit a magical age and the lights go off. Each fighter ends at a different time. Fedor walked away, he has been on the shelf for three years and he is near 40. While age is not the defining factor it does play a part in the reality. You can sit the bench for three years and return to greatness at 28 years old, at 40, not so much - at least not naturally.

MWs don't weigh in at over 185-186. I bet you thought the game had passed Mir by before Mir KOed Duffee. You're just a sheep that eats up whatever the UFC tells you, HW is a stagnant division otherwise we wouldn't have most of the top 10 being 5-10 years past their best.

Fedor was so far ahead of every other HW for most of his career, his skills aren't just going to all go away, he just wasn't using them all and was fighting like an idiot in Strikeforce where all he tried to do was KO people as if he's just a headhunter which he isn't.

Fedor's decline had a lot more to do with not training as hard and neglecting grappling and S&C than "the game passing him by".

 

[Mondo Freaks]

Well, even if he signed with the UFC he still won't be the GOAT. Jones Anderson and GSP have surpassed him.

If Fedor came in and beat Cain and Werdum then; yeah, hes back up there.

 

[Pride4life]

There is no doubt about GSP's competition.
I don't see Anderoid as GOAT.
Jones doesn't have three bad losses in a row. And there's a difference between being a divisional GOAT and GOAT. He fought the best comp available, it's not his fault LHW sucks. For divisional GOAT that's good enough. For total GOAT it counts what competition you've faced - even if you have no influence on that.

Also, the point is what it would say about his fighting spirit and being a warrior. I doubt GSP would ever want to fight less than the best competition possible. That's because he wants to be the undeniably best.

hey dummy do a poll and let's see for the 299th time Fedor as GOAT1!!

 

[Greco_Wiz]

Honestly can't take people seriously who have Fedor as the GOAT. Resume to resume comparison, he simply doesn't match up to GSP, Anderson, Bones or Aldo.

Though I will say he's unquestionably the HW GOAT.

 

[PancraseForever]

Why would you not? If he stayed retired he is in the discussion, so why would doing MORE than he has currently done REMOVE him from contention? Even if he beats up The Big Show and CM Punk it's still more than he has currently done so it can only add even if just by 0.000000000000000000000000000000001%.

 

[phd]

Signing with Bellator now says nothing about his history.

Signing with Bellator would essentially mean that he'll no longer have fights that could enhance his legacy. If he signs with Bellator and drops a couple flukey fights to bad fighters...it could definitely hurt the legacy.

That is, unless some of the UFC talent defects.