Fantasy Matchmaking: Who should Fedor fight if the UFC signs him?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcnKR34kq_0
There are a lot of things happening in the world of mixed martial arts. Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor have a date for their featherweight title unification bout (Dec. 12), Ronda Rousey and Cris "Cyborg" Justino are bickering in the media about weight once again and the talks of a mega-show in Dallas have fallen through.
But one of the largest stories that is simmering just below the first layer of news is the seemingly imminent return of one Fedor Emelianenko. The Russian heavyweight who ruled the world with an iron fist during his run with Pride Fighting Championships recently let it be known that he has resumed training in hopes of making a comeback.
The two leading candidates for his services would be the UFC and Bellator (with whom Fedor has friendly relationship with Bellator head man Scott Coker). The UFC has been unsuccessful in signing Fedor in the past due to some disagreements about Fedor's value, but the speculation is that Fedor is more prone to stepping inside the Octagon at the present moment than ever before and the decrease in Fedor's demands could create a more palatable situation for the UFC this time around.
All indications are that this is likely a one-off fight for Fedor and so if the UFC pulls off the signing, they should make it count for everything it can.
If we've only got one more shot at seeing the great Fedor fight, and if it's going to be in the UFC, here are the fights (sort of in order) that I'd like to see him in.
The current UFC heavyweight champion was the first man to really beat the legendary Fedor. He tapped Fedor during a Strikeforce fight in 2009 which signaled the decline of Fedor and rise of Werdum to the stature he's at now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m9kBl_7xVM
The paths of both fighters since that moment couldn't be more different. Fedor went on to lose two more fights in Strikeforce before finishing overseas in some little watched and unheralded fights where Fedor won, but nobody cared. Werdum went on to lose against the Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem in the quarterfinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, but hasn't lost since that fight, winning six in a row inside the UFC, including a heavyweight title winning victory over Cain Velasquez in his last outing.
Does Fedor deserve a UFC title shot? Not really. But title shots have been given out to lesser people and this fight has some history to it.
A title fight in Fedor's lone/debut bout with the UFC against the first man to decisively beat him?
Yep, that'll sell.
The winner of Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir
Both these guys are contemporaries of Fedor from the elite heavyweight's circa mid-2000's. When Fedor was ruling Pride out in Japan, Arlovski and Mir were two of the bigger names in the UFC's heavyweight division. With the UFC and Pride fighting for MMA organizational supremacy, many fans spent years pondering what would happen if the best of both promotions fought.
This would be a fun way to end the speculation, at least if Mir is the man to fight Fedor. Arlovski fought Fedor in 2009 but lost via first round knockout in spectacular fashion after getting the better of Fedor in several early exchanges. Arlovski would love a rematch and a win against the other and Fedor would firmly give either man the ammunition for a UFC title shot.
Alistair Overeem
Fedor and Overeem were two of, if not the biggest draws, in Strikeforce's heavyweight division when that organization was still around. Overeem was the champ and Fedor was the prized signee and it felt like a fight that in hindsight should have happened right away.
But Strikeforce got a little too cute for its own good and decided to give Fedor and Overeem separate fights before pairing them up. It never worked out because Fedor began losing and Overeem was eventually plucked by the UFC to fight Brock Lesnar.
Pairing the two up wouldn't have the same luster it did back then, but it was a fight that many people wanted to see and would bring a resolution to those who would still be curious to know who the better man is.
The winner of Josh Barnett vs. Roy Nelson
Fedor was supposed to fight (sensing a theme yet?) Barnett at Affliction: Trilogy before Barnett failed a drug test that derailed the fight, the show it was booked on and ultimately the entire MMA promotion (Affliction, as a promotion, folded shortly after the show went under).
Fedor and Barnett were both big during the Pride era and although both competed a lot for the Japanese organization, never fought each other. This is another fight with historical significance that the hardcore fans would love to see finally play out.
If Nelson wins, well, just about any fight that involves Nelson has an odd vibe too it. I wouldn't be opposed to Nelson fighting Fedor simply because finding out who has the better power in their right hand would be worth the dollar figure to buy the event.
That and watching two of the least physically imposing fighters of all-time surprise the casual onlookers with their thunderous punches would be a fun delight also.
Ah yes, this one would get everyone out of their seat, wouldn't it?
In 2007, Couture, then the heavyweight champ for the UFC, decided to resign his post as champ so that he could venture off and fight the still virtually unbeaten Fedor, only there was the small problem of Couture being under contract with the UFC.
The UFC wasn't about to let its champ go fight for another promoter and watch that promoter cash in on the mega-fight between two icons of the sport. So a court battle ensued and Couture eventually decided it would be best for business if he let the pipe dream go. Couture fought and lost against Brock Lesnar, losing his title in the process while Fedor would eventually fall three times while fighting for Strikeforce.
At the moment, Couture and the UFC aren't on good terms because Couture is currently working as representative of sorts for their chief rival Bellator, but as a fighter I believe Couture is still signed to the UFC. If Couture ever wanted to fight again (which he's said he'd have to think a little bit about turning down a Fedor fight), it would appear he'd have to do it for the UFC.
Couture is 52, making it a long shot that he'd even want to come back, but this is another fun pairing that few would willingly miss.