There has been little argument these last few years, when the question of who was the best heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts. Heck, most even agreed that the same fighter should be considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.
Fedor Emelianenko, the PRIDE heavyweight champion, was nearly unstoppable. He had defeated Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and a host of other big names in the sport. A talented striker, the Russian proved even more potent on the ground, winning 14 of his 27 victories by submission, including the last four in a row.
Fedor was the best ... keyword WAS.
After it was revealed Wednesday that Emelianenko had agreed to a deal to fight for M-1 Mixed-Fight Championship, I will no longer refer to him as the best. I just can't do it.
Don't get me wrong, I respect Emelianenko's skills as a fighter. But skills don't account for everything that a fighter needs to be the best. The heart of a fighter also determines success, as UFC light heavyweight contender Forrest Griffin could attest. But Emelianenko's decision to spurn UFC's offer and fight for what amounts to be a minor-league organization proves to be both frustrating and quite revealing.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a fighter. I've never stepped inside the Octagon, or in between the ropes. I've never been punched in the face, or had my arm twisted to the point of tapping out. I've never been choked out, nor have I seen my own blood pouring down my face and into my eyes while someone was trying to inflict physical harm.
But, I have played and coached sports on a competitive level and, as a competitor, I always looked forward to competing against the best. How else would an athlete measure him or herself? If you lose to the best, you still have work to do. If you beat the best, well, you still have to work to stay on top, but you know that you're the standard by which all others are measured.
Isn't that what athletes strive for? Apparently not Emelianenko.
Sure, Emelianenko has posted wins over Cro Cop and Nogueira, but those wins have lost a bit of luster with recent performances in UFC. Cro Cop, who entered UFC as the uncrowned heavyweight champ, has been dismantled by average fighters in his last two outings. Nogueira was solid, if not spectacular, against Heath Herring.
Maybe Fedor saw those fights, as well as Griffin's win over PRIDE's pride, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, and decided it might be easier for him to preserve his legacy in M-1, instead of in the Octagon against the likes of heavyweight champ Randy Couture, former champ Tim Sylvia, up-and-coming star Brandon Vera, the talented (yet sporadic) Andrei Arlovski and contenders Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo.
Maybe Emelianenko has a good reason for his decision. But on the surface, it's disappointing that we'll likely never know if Fedor was the best, or if he would've suffered the same fate as several other PRIDE fighters have.
