MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer<Br><Br>
Today’s mixed martial arts fans may not grasp the impact of
Fedor Emelianenko’s (who announced his retirement following his first round
destruction of Pedro Rizzo) departure from professional competition. That’s not
an insult to modern fans, it’s just a simple fact: a large portion of those
following the sport today were reeled in by the early years of Spike’s The
Ultimate Fighter; a series that didn’t end until Fedor had already really run
the gamut in the Pride heavyweight division. <Br><Br>
You can’t fault a fan who only aims to be a fan and not
historian. And, let’s be real, not every follower is going to sift through
countless hours of the sport in order to “catch up”. Just imagine if fans
attempted such a feat with boxing…<Br><Br>
Without digressing too much, I’ll say this: many men missed
the heyday of the greatest heavyweight fighter on the planet. Circa 2000-2005
Fedor was a man deemed unbeatable, and he proved it inside the ring. For over
nine years the Russian went unbeaten, and he didn’t maul bottom feeders to
amass a padded record. He beat legit competition. Heath Herring, Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Crocop were just a few elite opponents to fold under
“The Last Emperor’s” attack. Many came before, and many followed. Those are the
days I will always choose to remember. It’s not often we see what looks to be a
damn cyborg compete, all tests passed.<Br><Br>
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Fedor vs. Andrei Arlovski: Arlovski entered this bout as a
former UFC heavyweight champion riding a five fight win streak. In recent outings
he’d stopped two incredibly durable foes in Roy Nelson (the only time he’s ever
been stopped on strikes) and Ben Rothwell, as well as picking up a decision
over now top 10 ranked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum. The man had momentum on his
side, and for three minutes, it showed, quite clearly. <Br><Br>
Arlovski peppered Fedor for the better portion of 180
seconds (sans some clinch work from Fedor), utilizing crisp strikes and well-timed
low kicks. At one point he looked to have rung the Russians bell, and
ironically, that point marked the end for “The Pitbull”. Andrei rushed in,
attempting to finish a mild flurry with a flying knee, and Emelianenko timed a
perfect counter overhand right that put the Belarusians lights completely out.
It was a fantastic duel that proved Fedor, even arguably past his prime still
possessed the ability to dispose of top notch strikers. <Br><Br>
Fedor vs. Mirko Filipovic: Fedor has always been a
soft-spoken individual more content to let focus guide his path rather than the
desire to avenge. All the same, you know there had to be a little bit of bad
blood between Fedor and Crocop, given the fact that Crocop had knocked
Emelianenko’s brother, Aleksander out just a year prior.<Br><Br>
At the time the two met, Crocop was considered the best
striker in the business, while Fedor played the perfect counterpart: the most
diverse fighter campaigning above 205 pounds. Pundits predicted a violent knockout
for Crocop, courtesy of his patented left high kick, but Emelianenko devised a
flawless plan: stay in Crocop’s face from the jump, and never permit enough
space to unleash the Croation’s brutal finishing strike. It worked like a
charm. Though competitive at times, Fedor remained one step ahead, and battered
Crocop until the final bell. It was, without doubt, one of Fedor’s most
crowning achievements. <Br><Br>
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Fedor vs. Kazuyuki Fujita: Not a single analyst gave Fujita
a shot at toppling Fedor, and that’s precisely what makes this fight so
amazing. Fedor handled himself fine for the majority of the fight, until a few minutes
in, when the gritty Japanese star uncorked an inside right hand that had
Emelianenko on wobbly legs. Fedor survived, and moments later secured a fight
ending choke in a brief but thrilling affair.<Br><Br>
Fedor vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 1: When these two met for
the first time, very few predicted complete dominance from Fedor. Nogueira was
considered, hands down, the greatest submission practitioner in the game, and
he’d proven so time and again. In the end, Jiu-Jitsu played little part in the
fight. Fedor grounded his opponent and unleashed a murderous ground and pound
attack that left Antonio with zero answers. The fight signaled the beginning of
a new champion’s reign. one that would last for an amazing time span.<Br><Br>
Fedor vs. Mark Hunt: In 2006 Mark Hunt was considered a
viable threat to any top contender. At the time he and Fedor met, he’d amassed
a professional record of 5-2, having already beaten some game guys in Crocop
and Wanderlei Silva. Still relatively green in the world of MMA, Hunt had obvious
holes in his game, and no one overlooked them, especially Fedor.<Br><Br>
Hunt managed to do some nice damage on the feet (not
surprising given his K-1 background), but it was the mat where he shocked, and
the mat where Fedor was fully prepared to ensure victory. Hunt gained dominant
position, and threatened with a few extremely deep keylocks, but Fedor, always
the last to crumble under the pressure survived. Minutes later the Russian
phenomenon locked on a tight armlock of his own and forced a tap via kimura. It
was an incredible bout that again showed that even in the face of defeat, Fedor
was a man damn near impossible the break.<Br><Br>
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Fedor vs. Tsuyoshi Kosaka: Early in Fedor’s career he
suffered a loss due to cut, received by an illegal elbow strike unleashed by
Kosaka under the Rings banner. Five years would pass before the Russian would
have his chance at redemption, and when that moment came at Pride: Bushido 6,
he capitalized in a major way. Fedor battered Tsuyoshi thoroughly for a full
ten minutes. The end came in between rounds when the fight was mercifully
called off. It was never competitive, and Emelianenko showed a growth unparalleled.<Br><Br>
Fedor vs. Mark Coleman 1: While Coleman’s best days were
already fading in 2004, he was still a genuine threat, bringing to the ring the
sports’ most brutal ground and pound to be found. He’d captured the Pride Grand
Prix 2000 title, and picked up notable wins over Allan Goes and Don Frye since.
He wasn’t prime, but he was dangerous, and Fedor made him appear the amateur,
submitting the potent wrestler in just over two minutes. Many point to this
moment as the deciding factor in regards to which promotion produced the
greater heavyweights: the UFC, or Pride. <Br><Br>
Fedor vs. Pedro Rizzo: They say that when it’s time to go
out, go out with a bang. That’s exactly what the great Fedor did just days ago.
The Russian was paired with Brazilian Muay Thai specialist, Pedro Rizzo, and
the bout didn’t last long. After a brief feeling out processes, Fedor let his
hands go with speed and ferocity, putting the former UFC star to sleep in just
84 seconds. It was an explosive, amazingly dominant performance from “The Last
Emperor”, and the most fitting exit a legend could ever possibly ask for. <Br><Br>
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Fedor vs. Tim Sylvia: There was a whole hell of a lot of
speculation heading into this bout. Tim Sylvia was still a top flight heavyweight
at the time of their encounter, and he possessed an otherworldly size advantage
over Fedor. With an enormous reach to mirror his 6’8” frame, the former UFC
heavyweight champion looked like the perfect type of fighter to give Fedor
problems. Well, such was not the case, at all. It took Emelianenko just 36
seconds to fall Sylvia with strikes and leap into perfect position to secure a
fight ending rear naked choke. For a man who “wasn’t fit to compete with the
UFC’s best”, he did a damn fine job, disposing of yet another former champion. <Br><Br>
Fedor vs. Kevin Randleman: Of every fight Fedor has been a
part of, this will always be a favorite of mine. The early goings featured
plenty of fast maneuvering and wild scrambles. Eventually Randleman actually
managed to execute one of the sports’ most memorable slams: Randleman secured a
suplex and dropped Fedor on his head in what looked like a life ending action.
Fedor however, hardly seemed rattled. He quickly rallied, and in just a moments
time that patented kimura of his came into play, forcing a shocking finish at
just 1:33.<Br><Br>
Fedor may remain a fairly unknown commodity to many of today’s
dedicated, but among those who have followed this sport for well over a decade,
his accomplishments are virtually unrivaled, and he will forever be remembered
as one of, if not the greatest heavyweight to compete. <Br><Br>
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