Few, if any, question that Fedor is the HW GOAT. Detractors may argue that he sometimes fought cans during the prime of his reign in Pride, but none can deny that he ruled the HW division of Pride for nearly a decade and that said HW division was the most dominant organizational HW division of the time. It's only competitor was UFCs HW division, and yet today, several of Prides HW division of that era remain top 10 in UFC including one being the current champ.
It was at the collapse of Pride that several called Fedor's decision to fight for Affliction his first effort to dodge the UFC. The implication being that Fedor was afraid of the losing to the UFC HWs. Interestingly, there were 4 UFC champs during his run as Pride champ: Randy Couture, Andrei Arlovski, Timmy and Frank Mir. In otherwords these were the 4 best UFC HWs he had been dodging all those years he dominated in Pride. Surprisingly, the terrified Fedor nonetheless accepted and was scheduled to fight 3 out of those 4 in Affliction (Randy fell through, Timmy and Andrei). Only AA and Timmy made it to fight day, but of the 4 UFC champs that existed during his reign, AA and Timmy were the currently highest rank at 5 and 3. Fedor beat both. This would have been the perfect end to Fedors career. He ruled Pride and then made every effort to fight as many of the UFC champs from his era as he could, and those he did fight, he beat.
But then came career # two. He fought in SF. Again apparently dodging the superior UFC HW division, in order to enter an organization that only had the likes of Alistair Overeem, Daniel Cormier, Josh Barnett, Sergei Karitonov, Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Silva, and Fabricio Werdum (interestingly all of them, save Kharitonov, would go on to be top 10 in the UFCs HW division, with several title shots and one would take the title). In this second career, Fedor looked unimpressive. He would go 1-3 in SF. His detractors relished in his final loss to a middle weight. Oh how they had waited so long for this day.
Fedor would end his second career fighting small fry and far, far past their prime veterans. No one complained though. Fans and haters alike knew that Fedors best fighting days were gone now. Fighting Monson and Rizzo only made sense. When he subsequently retired, it seemed right.
Fast forward three years later. He decides to comeback. Former fans are just happy to see a few final twilight year fights as he takes one, likely short, victory lap before hanging them up for good. But his haters for some reason think the man we all once agreed should retire, should all the sudden comeback 3 years later and 3 years older and after a dismal end to his previous career and be fighting JDS, Cain, Werdum? WTF?!
"But he said he wanted to fight the best!! Wahh!!!"
Sure, I'm guessing if Wes Simms makes a comeback he'll say the same thing, but he shouldn't fight the best, and neither should Fedor. Just enjoy seeing him once again and soon he will fade into retirement for what I'm sure will be the last time.
It was at the collapse of Pride that several called Fedor's decision to fight for Affliction his first effort to dodge the UFC. The implication being that Fedor was afraid of the losing to the UFC HWs. Interestingly, there were 4 UFC champs during his run as Pride champ: Randy Couture, Andrei Arlovski, Timmy and Frank Mir. In otherwords these were the 4 best UFC HWs he had been dodging all those years he dominated in Pride. Surprisingly, the terrified Fedor nonetheless accepted and was scheduled to fight 3 out of those 4 in Affliction (Randy fell through, Timmy and Andrei). Only AA and Timmy made it to fight day, but of the 4 UFC champs that existed during his reign, AA and Timmy were the currently highest rank at 5 and 3. Fedor beat both. This would have been the perfect end to Fedors career. He ruled Pride and then made every effort to fight as many of the UFC champs from his era as he could, and those he did fight, he beat.
But then came career # two. He fought in SF. Again apparently dodging the superior UFC HW division, in order to enter an organization that only had the likes of Alistair Overeem, Daniel Cormier, Josh Barnett, Sergei Karitonov, Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Silva, and Fabricio Werdum (interestingly all of them, save Kharitonov, would go on to be top 10 in the UFCs HW division, with several title shots and one would take the title). In this second career, Fedor looked unimpressive. He would go 1-3 in SF. His detractors relished in his final loss to a middle weight. Oh how they had waited so long for this day.
Fedor would end his second career fighting small fry and far, far past their prime veterans. No one complained though. Fans and haters alike knew that Fedors best fighting days were gone now. Fighting Monson and Rizzo only made sense. When he subsequently retired, it seemed right.
Fast forward three years later. He decides to comeback. Former fans are just happy to see a few final twilight year fights as he takes one, likely short, victory lap before hanging them up for good. But his haters for some reason think the man we all once agreed should retire, should all the sudden comeback 3 years later and 3 years older and after a dismal end to his previous career and be fighting JDS, Cain, Werdum? WTF?!
"But he said he wanted to fight the best!! Wahh!!!"
Sure, I'm guessing if Wes Simms makes a comeback he'll say the same thing, but he shouldn't fight the best, and neither should Fedor. Just enjoy seeing him once again and soon he will fade into retirement for what I'm sure will be the last time.
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