Would Fedor's legacy have been hurt had his first post-Pride losses happened in the UFC instead of Strikeforce?

[Söze Aldo]

If instead of suffering his first post-Pride loss to Werdum in Strikeforce, it had happened in the UFC, would fans have used that to diminish his legacy as someone who couldn’t dominate outside of Japan in the premier MMA league? (Yes, Strikeforce’s heavyweight division at that time was arguably better than the UFC’s, but perception is everything.)

We see a similar effect on Cro Cop’s legacy due to his UFC losses.

 

[Ibm]

Yes. The UFC guys at the time were monsters. And Fedor got Ko'd by a small MW in strikeforce.

 

[Streeter]

Yes had his losses come right away in UFC Dana would of pushed the narrative that Fedor was only good outside the UFC an not the GOAT. DANA being Dana

 

[Blastbeat]

Yes. The UFC guys at the time were monsters. And Fedor got Ko'd by a small MW in strikeforce.

Dan Henderson was not a small MW. He competed at LHW and won the Strikeforce LHW belt.
Purely misinformation.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

Dan Henderson was not a small MW. He competed at LHW and won the Strikeforce LHW belt.
Purely misinformation.

so fucking what DC was a HW and he was smol too. Randy Couture competed at HW and man he was fucking HUGE brah! lol

 

[Laheys'Liquorland]

Dan Henderson was not a small MW. He competed at LHW and won the Strikeforce LHW belt.
Purely misinformation.

He's just trolling.
Fact is Hendo is a Pride guy...further cementing the greatness of All Pride fighters.
Pride > UFC

 

[BEATDOWNS]

and the answer is no the JMMA lovers only excuse when they don't do good over here is the cage.

 

[Blastbeat]

so fucking what DC was a HW and he was smol too. Randy Couture competed at HW and man he was fucking HUGE brah! lol

Goddamn right man, DC and Randy showed you don't have to be a huge ass mofo to do well at HW

 

[Ibm]

Dan Henderson was not a small MW. He competed at LHW and won the Strikeforce LHW belt.
Purely misinformation.

Not really. Yeah at the time he was a decent size MW, the dude is pretty small which is even more intriguing on how good he was. Just saying, Fedors size would be too problematic alone. The UFC guys were not just big they were very skilled.

 

[joy2day]

No, you would still have the same idiots claiming that his losses were evidence he was never that good.

I'm sorry, but 10 years beating up the big boys takes its toll. Fedor and Cain both went downhill at the same age, early 30s.

His legacy is fantastic, and it still would have been fantastic if those losses were in the UFC.

Many feel he is the GOAT, enough said.

 

[AstralPanda]

If instead of suffering his first post-Pride loss to Werdum in Strikeforce, it had happened in the UFC, would fans have used that to diminish his legacy as someone who couldn’t dominate outside of Japan in the premier MMA league? (Yes, Strikeforce’s heavyweight division at that time was arguably better than the UFC’s, but perception is everything.)

We see a similar effect on Cro Cop’s legacy due to his UFC losses.

I feel like strike force arguably had the better hw division at that time.

Overeem, Barnett, kharitonov, werdum, DC, Fedor, Bigfoot

 

[Number 8]

I feel like strike force arguably had the better hw division at that time.

Overeem, Barnett, kharitonov, werdum, DC, Fedor, Bigfoot

Arguably? That's fact.

 

[HHJ]

He would have been better off losing in the UFC than in Strikeforce, I believe, yes.

It is what it is though.

 

[HHJ]

Yes. The UFC guys at the time were monsters. And Fedor got Ko'd by a small MW in strikeforce.

So now hes a small MW? not just a MW ?

 

[Blastbeat]

Not really. Yeah at the time he was a decent size MW, the dude is pretty small which is even more intriguing on how good he was. Just saying, Fedors size would be too problematic alone. The UFC guys were not just big they were very skilled.

Dan has always punched above his weight though. he had fuck you power.

 

[TheBulge]

Dan Henderson was not a small MW. He competed at LHW and won the Strikeforce LHW belt.
Purely misinformation.

He was older and far smaller. That was an embarrassing loss no matter how you try to spin it.

 

[calavera2]

Overrated Russian can crusher...Hendo bless

 

[markg171]

I feel like strike force arguably had the better hw division at that time.

Overeem, Barnett, kharitonov, werdum, DC, Fedor, Bigfoot

Fedro fans will say this as though the entire reason Werdum wasn't in the UFC was because JDS sent him to the shadow realm during his own run to the HW title.

No Strikeforce did not have the better HW division at the time. They had aged names and guys who would become names. They're no different than Bellator/PFL.

 

[markg171]

Dan Henderson was not a small MW. He competed at LHW and won the Strikeforce LHW belt.
Purely misinformation.

Dan Henderson literally needed rocks in his shorts to even make the 206lb HW minimum for his fight with Fedor.

Which was originally a catchweight 220lb fight until Hendo said "lol there's no way I can make 220lb and it has to be HW so I can even make 206lb" and Coker scrambled to make it a HW fight after Hendo exposed the size difference there.

Which caused Fedor to still do a gentleman's agreement and still actually cut from his usual 235 down to 222lbs once he realized the size difference at play.

Hendo is definitely a small fighter, get the fuck out of here. As guys like Rogan have said countless times though, when you put your arm around him for an interview his muscles are like rock hard wires however. He's small but dense, a tough and grizzled wiry motherfucker like men used to be.

 

[HHJ]

Overrated Russian can crusher...Hendo bless

He got carded for this.