Super-Fight of the Century: Fedor vs Cro Cop remembered with love

[Richard Wagner]

http://www.SamuraiLife.net/fedor-vs-cro-cop-remembered/

 

[yeahhh]

I remember watching that fight, and the tension was unreal. The fight that came closest in matching that feeling (in recent years) was JDS vs Hunt...

 

[Claude]

Greatest fight of all time.

 

[AngryAussie]

i remember the hype at that time..

 

[Reel Box Fen**]

Nothing like the UFC has ever produced.

 

[Senzo Tanaka]

I love how the crowd cheered/buzzed when the bell rang. Almost unheard of in those days for PRIDE.

They knew they were about to watch history.

 

[Felya]

Definitely the most hyped I've ever been for a fight.

 

[Richard Wagner]

Nothing like the UFC has ever produced.

Not even close. Individual fights - Melvin/Cyborg, Hunt/Silva, (Frank) Shamrock/Ortiz and in PRIDE I guess Saku/Newton have been brilliant, but in terms of the buildup, the backstories, the hype, the wait and then the actual event and the fight itself....

No fight in any promotion has even come in the same stratosphere / solar system / galaxy, as this one.

 

[emeraldgsl]

Most important fight in the history of HW. Nothing else has even come close.

 

[Obiwan]

Not even close. Individual fights - Melvin/Cyborg, Hunt/Silva, (Frank) Shamrock/Ortiz and in PRIDE I guess Saku/Newton have been brilliant, but in terms of the buildup, the backstories, the hype, the wait and then the actual event and the fight itself....

No fight in any promotion has even come in the same stratosphere / solar system / galaxy, as this one.

Saku/Newton was PRIDE 4, and respectfully, you forgot about Bourke/Otsuka.

 

[Felya]

I think for long time hardcore mma fans, it's the biggest fight in mma history thus far.

 

[mhomburg]

Meh, seemed great at the time, looking back its clear CC was never the #2 HW in the world.

 

[SavageAngel]

I remember watching that fight, and the tension was unreal. The fight that came closest in matching that feeling (in recent years) was JDS vs Hunt...

The tension was high! I think it would be similar to compare it to Anderson vs Chael II or maybe a litle bit GSP vs Condit. But Condit and Chael had a little bit lackluster contender fights before the actual super title fights. While Crocop had basically killed all the competition leading to the title fight.

 

[Chinballs]

The hype came natural and wasn't manufactured. Anyone who had been watching the sport was curious of that fight and had been for quite some time.

 

[Richard Wagner]

Meh, seemed great at the time, looking back its clear CC was never the #2 HW in the world.

Well - he destroyed all up until that point - Nogueira excepted, but he brutalised Nog who seemingly pulled out a desperation sub (having been saved by the bell).

Then Fedor convincingly knocked Noguera back down the contenders ranks.

Mirko avenged the Randleman slip, destroyed Fedor's brother - the epic showdown went down - and let's not forget, AFTER that point CroCop went on to win the 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix.

Thus, I respectfully disagree on your point. It was THE Clash of the Titans, in build-up, in style, in substance, in hype and in delivery.

 

[Chinballs]

Meh, seemed great at the time, looking back its clear CC was never the #2 HW in the world.

Anyone could see that style-wise Nog had nothing for Fedor and would never have.

 

[bjpenngoat]

Most important fight in the history of HW. Nothing else has even come close.

listen im a huge pride nuthugger and Fedor is an absolute hero to me but I will say that the first cain-Jds fight came close imo. There was so much build up to those two fighting because the ufc intentionally led them down different paths to the title so they could make that fight when one of them became champ. cain-jds are the present day fedor-mirko becayse they are so much better than everyone else and the two scariest guys in the division.

 

[Richard Wagner]

The tension was high! I think it would be similar to compare it to Anderson vs Chael II or maybe a litle bit GSP vs Condit. But Condit and Chael had a little bit lackluster contender fights before the actual super title fights. While Crocop had basically killed all the competition leading to the title fight.

Yeah - but still, different level. Cro Cop was an established K-1 savage and also-ran (beat some of the best in the world, but lost the 1999 World Grand Prix final, and then the final of his qualifying tourney in Fukishima {sic?} in 2000 to Bernardo {RIP} but still feared) they brought him in to be a killer, and he obliged.

He was always being set up for that fight. Being armbarred by Nogueira while Fedor gave thumbs up ringside, and then sparking Aleksandr unconscious while Fedor watched backstage spitting curses in Russian, just made 2yrs+ of hype all the more special.

 

[Redhawks100]

Greatest fight of all time.

Nothing like the UFC has ever produced.

No surprise here

 

[Eric Brown]

I think for long time hardcore mma fans, it's the biggest fight in mma history thus far.

Yep.

Looking forward to something equaling it.