This article contains no opinions (aside from those myths), only facts with proof and information on where and how you can check these things to be true.
The author is a big fan of UFC, Pride, and everything in between, from Kimbo to Rickson Gracie to Randy Couture and everyone else with the heart and guts to step into the cage or ring. There is no bias in this article!
Myth No. 1
Fedor doesn't (want to) fight top competition.
Fact
The top competition doesn't (want to) fight Fedor.
Proof
Josh Barnett is on video turning down the Fedor fight. You can view it on YouTube. Real Deal press conference (after the fights) Josh says he is beat up and tired to fight Fedor next, yet he does fight Nog (No. 2 in the world) instead...So, I guess he wasn't THAT tired.
Randy Couture tells us in his own press conference (YouTube) that he was offered $3 million to fight Fedor in Bodog, but chose instead to take $300k (10 times less money) to re-sign with UFC to fight Tim Sylvia.
Werdum stated on the front page of Pride website: "I'm not ready for the likes of Fedor."
Mirko Cro Cop stated, on his own website after the 2006 GP: "I will not take the Fedor fight now, due to my foot injury." (Notice that Cro Cop had no problem fighting lesser opponents WITH his foot injury, nor did Cro Cop have a problem fighting Fedor when Fedor's hand was broken...)
Need more proof? Listen to the wise words of Wanderlei Silva: "NOBODY wants to fight Fedor."
Myth No. 2
Fedor is afraid of the UFC.
Fact
UFC is afraid of Fedor.
Proof
UFC president Dana White went on the record to confirm that Fedor's management offered the UFC to have Fedor fight there on several occasions. Dana turned it down, according to himself. If we use our heads a little bit here, we can clearly see that Dana White is not going to let his best fighter get beat up, and then let Fedor just leave the UFC...That would be a marketing disaster.
The ONLY way UFC will sign Fedor is if they can have him for at least 4 fights. And if he wins them all, he MUST re-sign again, and again, and again... He can NEVER leave undefeated unless he retires (Official clause in the UFC proposed agreement, which Fedor rejected) Also, if Fedor loses one fight UFC has the right to tear up the contract! (UFC standard offer is two lost fights, not one). This is unacceptable.
Think of it this way: if UFC is NOT afraid of Fedor, than why not let him fight Randy on a 1-time deal which Fedor has been asking for for years? (Notice! This would be in a cage, under UFC rules)
(Hint: because Dana White (UFC president) knows Fedor will most likely win and leave, ruining UFC's image)
Myth No. 3
Fedor is afraid of the UFC's rules.
Fact
Fedor fought under UFC rules and won.
Proof
Fedor has already fought under UFC rules in USA (vs. Tim Sylvia). He did just fine.
28 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Dorothy Willis 10 months ago
Loved your article--really an excellent job with great research and quotes. Kudos! ***** & my POTD
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david wills 10 months ago
Awsome read... Fedor is a prototype Russian Farm robot from the future and is here to destroy all HW and plant them in the ground.
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Anthony Pole 9 months ago
Thank you for kind responses!
I should have mentioned that I'm a HUGE fan of Brock Lesnar, BJ Penn, Machida, and several other UFC fighters. I have nothing against UFC, I watch every event they have, and I love it.
I do wish that more fans of MMA would see thru the pro-UFC hype thou.
There is no need to hate Fedor, the amount of hate for him among average fans is really stunning and strange.
Fedor is consistently signed to UFC's competitors, so of course UFC will often say Fedor is no good. But it doesn't mean that it's true.
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Mike Barraza 9 months ago
Great article, especially the part about how some of Fedor's competition were top ranked when he fought them. A lot of people forget about that, and yet many people will say Randy Couture is the best even though he has wins over guys that were top ranked when he fought them, but now? For example, his fights with Tito Ortiz, Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, or even Chuck Liddell who is now 1-3 in his last four UFC fights, were significant at the time because they were top ranked opponents. These are the guys that created the legend that is Randy Couture and now where are they? Then you have his wins over Tim Sylvia, who Fedor and Nogueira also beat, and Gonzaga, who lost AGAIN to Werdum and then won over an under matched Justin McCully. Couture is just one example of a fighter that people overhype because of theyre legendary status, or theyre recent big wins.
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Kevin Curran 9 months ago
fantastic! absolutely fantastic!
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Jad Semaan 9 months ago
This article should be mandatory reading for every MMA fan, both novice and veteran alike. Great job Anthony.
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Bryan Trafford 9 months ago
good job, loved this article.
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Tub Vang 9 months ago
Great article, and your ending quotes are great.
Respect demands FEDOR, not the other way around.
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Matt Reekie 9 months ago
Brilliant article, great work Anthony
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James Hizona 9 months ago
ALL HAIL THE LAST EMPEROR!
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Derek Bolender 9 months ago
This is a good list except for myth #2 shouldn't be on the list. Why would the UFC be afraid of Fedor?
Fedor has consistently made outrageous demands including large sums of money, fighters from his own team fighting on the same cards as him, and him wanting to still compete in sambo tourneys in Russia.
It seems as if Fedor and his management have not been open to giving in even a little during the negotiation process which has quickly spelled the end of the talks in the past.
The UFC would love to have Fedor and would promote him like a God but they don't need him. Fedor needs the UFC more than they need him.
I'm not sure what you're trying to get at with #2 ...
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Anthony Pole 9 months ago
Derek,
You make good points. I don't like Fedor's manager very much, not fedor's teammates.
But Fedor doesn't need UFC at all. He is a mega superstar. In Japan and Korea top MMA fighters are FAR more popular than any NBA player, rapper or film actor is in USA. Fedor makes millions of dollars a fight, and more in endorsements. He is handed tons of things for free, and can't go out on the street at all. Simply can not even go anywhere more than 3 feet without people being all over him. At one event in Seoul he needed 40 bodyguards to even move from one room to another.
Furthermore, only 3 out of top 10 heavyweights are in UFC (Nog, Randy and Werdum). So, UFC needs fedor more than fedor needs UFC. UFC has a weak heavyweight division.
I don't blame UFC!
They need to protect their business. But if they were not afraid of Fedor, than why not let him fight Couture on a 1-fight deal?
:)
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Derek Bolender 9 months ago
I disagree completely. The UFC doesn't need Fedor. They are making millions and selling out everywhere regardless of Fedor.
Fedor is going to be successful no matter where he goes and he is still going to fight top competition if he stays with affliction.
The only way to further his image and career is to join the UFC and let their marketing machine take over. The majority of the US and the fair weathered MMA fans have absolutely no clue who Fedor even is.
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Anthony Pole 9 months ago
I agree that UFC doesn't need Fedor either.
Both are doing just fine without the other.
It just hasn't worked out between the 2 yet, they can't find a suitable agreement for both parties. No big deal.
A superstar of Fedor's caliber can demand special treatment, and UFC doesn't do that. They want to "own" the fighter, while Fedor wants to "own" his own career in EVERY way.
I think it's more precise to say that UFC is afraid of Fedor fighting in UFC once only against their champion. Because that IS a documented fact. If it was not, than Dana would let Fedor fight Randy in UFC once. But Dana knows that Randy will lose (most likely).
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Cody Stoots 9 months ago
Fedor better striker that Anderson Silva?
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Anthony Pole 9 months ago
Cody,
I would say yes because Anderson, thou an AMAZING fighter, is the same size as Fedor (Did you know that?), but he cuts a LOT of weight to beat up on smaller men in the weakest division in the sport.
Anderson dominates the 185lbs class with reach and leverage. But I don't see Anderson outstriking a heavyweight prime K1 World Championship finalist with one hand (Fedor did).
Anderson is a different striker from fedor, totally different style. But there is a video of Anderson sparring with Nog, and they were on par. Nog thou got absolutely destroyed by fedor standing in their 3rd fight. Nog landed ZERO shots on Fedor in their total 45 minutes in the ring together!
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Saraswathi Siriginia 9 months ago
Great read, loved it in totality
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Richard McDonald 9 months ago
Endorsed by Chuck Norris Nuff Said... Seriously though great article
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Ryan O'Connor 9 months ago
CHUCK NORRIS APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!
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Ryan O'Connor 9 months ago
No seriously, you took time to write this article, and it shows. A++ POTD.
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Brett Fulmore 9 months ago
Good article.
Some of your list aren't exactly "facts" however. Saying that Fedor has "the best" striking in MMA, or that the UFC is afraid of Fedor aren't facts - they are opinions, although I see the point you were trying to make.
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Anthony Pole 9 months ago
I agree!
It would take too long to elaborate on Fedor VS Anderson Silva striking, or on exactly what "UFC is afraid of Fedor" means. Are they afraid of him on a 1-fight deal? Yes, but they would be afraid of anyone on a 1-fight deal. But are they afraid to sign him like any other fighter? No. It would just take too long to debate all that, and nobody would ever get to the end of this already long article.
Perhaps I will address those issues in my next effort titled "More Fedor myths"
lol
I believe Anderson is an amazing striker, but the reason I say fedor is because Anderson cuts SOOO much weight to beat up people with shorter arms and less leverage than himself in the weakest division in the sport, that it's not even funny. (According to Anderson he is naturally 220lbs, 6'2. This is bigger and taller than fedor's current walk-weight of 219lbs 6'0)
I'm just having a lot of trouble seeing Anderson outstrike a K1 World Championship finalist heavyweight with one hand (Fedor did)
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Jordan Jordan 9 months ago
I have posted your article on couple MMA forums and people Loved it!!!
Very good job
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aarm aarm 9 months ago
The idea of participating in multiple sporting events is something that already is allowed by the NFL/NBA/Baseball. I have no idea why the UFC would balk at Fedor doing Sambo tourneys on his off time. Its all about being flexible with your top talent not unlike Dion Sanders, Bo Jackson, Randy Moss, etc.
-Khalid
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Rama Reddy 9 months ago
While Silva might 'naturally' be 220 , when he steps into the ring at MW he's probably somewhere around 205. I mean hell, he boxed at 167. He said he was 220 after the Irvin fight, but that is completely understandable. Plus he stated that he wanted to fight 5 or 6 times a year. With those sort training cycles, he won't have time to wax and wane so dramatically.
Where does Irvin cut from? How much do you think Griffin or Penn weigh three weeks after a fight? The ENTIRE MW division is 200+ on fight day and probably heavier a couple weeks afterwards.
In any case, Fedor is a great fighter, but you shouldn't rag on guys that cut. When you say things like that you're kinda insulting a whole plethora of combative sports where the norm is to cut a weight you are competitive at. What weight do you compete at?
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Anthony Pole 9 months ago
I understand cutters, they need to pay their mortgage and feed their families, but it doesn't mean that I have to respect them as much as the fighters who fight at their own weight. That takes more guts, it's more honest, it's not sand-bagging.
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Anthony Pole 9 months ago
WOW! 3'000 reads, and another 5'000 on M1 website!
I think a sequel is in order!
Thank you to all who left feedback, and read my too long article.
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Freddy Cee 9 months ago
i think this article loses credibility with it's biased views on talented fighters who cut weight and it's biased "facts" which are obviously biased opinions from someone who allegedly worked for Fedor's offices at one time. one quote everyone should know comes from Bas Rutten, nothing smearing, just a fact he threw out there. Fedor's ko power is in question. He has not knocked anybody out on his feet. His strikes gets oppoents to the ground and that's where he's magic. On top or on bottom, there's no denying it. But my opinion is that Anderson Silva, BJ Penn and GSP are more complete fighters and more exciting fighters.
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Anthony Pole 9 months ago
Freddy,
BJ gasses, Anderson got no wrestling and he got subbed by 3 cans, GSP has mental lapses and also is not heavy-handed. Does that mean they suck???? Of course not. Nobody is perfect.
By the way, fedor KOed Nagata with one punch, nagata stopped moving all together. Tim Sylvia said that Fedor hits the hardest (and Tim has been there with Arlovski, Randy and many other Gods of MMA)
Bus hates Fedor and always did. Did you see him telling Crocop about Fedor's busted hand? they were so happy together that Crocop is going to win because Fedor is hurt...
Yes, I'm a Fedor fan, but I also love Lesnar, Machida, Ricco, BJ Penn, Frank etc What's wrong with that? Does that take away from the facts that I stated which you can check for yourself?
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Anthony Pole 9 months ago
edit: sorry, I posted Anderson got subbed 3 times, of course I meant lost, not subbed.
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m m 9 months ago
Regarding Myth No. 10 - "How many fighters can you name (aside from Fedor) that have never been dropped, even to one knee, by any strike?"
He may not have been dropped before, but in his fight with Fujita, I think he was clearly knocked out on his feet for a few seconds. Just thought that needed to be pointed out.
Respect to him though for holding in there and winning.
Cheers
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Joseph Lupoli 8 months ago
If Anthony say's he was on Fedor's...staff, who are we to argue?
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Anthony Pole 8 months ago
Joseph,
Are you jealous of the number of reads here? Why the sarcasm and the ... ?
I thought you were much older and too mature for the ... part.
And what are you arguing ABOUT? What point do you not agree with? What wrong info did I place here? Point out my mistake, and I will edit the article if you're right, or answer you if you're wrong (and I'll answer without the ... part or sarcasm)
:)
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Joseph Lupoli 8 months ago
... Fedor sure seems unbeatable in MMA right now. It's even gotten to the point where top heavyweights are openly ducking Fedor. Maybe it's time to think outside the box and consider, or perhaps convince a non-MMA martial Artist to give it a try? I don't know ... a Shaolin Priest or a Monk? I don't know ... somebody.
Hey, So what if they lose? Things certainly aren't looking good for the current crop off MMA fighters up next for Fedor ... that's for sure!
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Martin 8 months ago
Joseph, Thinking "outside the box" is not the same as making indefensible claims. And with regard to your comment "If Anthony say's he was on Fedor's...staff, who are we to argue?" there is no need for insults. I thought you were better than that?
Great article, Anthony, it is amazing what someone can do when they stick to the facts! Thanks for providing an article which facilitates an exchange of ideas that is beneficial to all!
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Jeff Wackerly 7 months ago
Anthony, buddy, this was the best read I've had on any MMA site yet. Good f&*kin job!
I really like all the researched quotes and verifiable examples. It's fun to read peoples opinions but how do you form an educated opinion without knowing the facts first? I already thought Fedor was the best P4P fighter but this really confirms it in my mind.
Kudos!
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Anthony Pole 7 months ago
TY Jeff!
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John Campbell 7 months ago
Excellent read! He's still a pain in the ass. You cant expect the UFC to not want him to hang around. Why would they want him to be able to walk away! I bet they kicked themselves after Penn did it when he choked out Hughes.
Fedor is undoubtably the best though! If the UFC got him it better be over 4 fights with an undefeated clause! Itd just be bad business if they let him leave undefeated!
As for Couture turning down the 3 mil. He hadnt fought in what? Over a year, give the guy a break he wanted to kill Timmy b4 he fought a guy like Fedor! :-)
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Anthony Pole 7 months ago
I agree. Definitely didn't mean to bash Randy. Besides, at THAT point, fighting Randy, Fedor would get bashed for fighting another can! Because Randy got really tooled by Chuck in lower weight class :( Unfortunately many people don't appreciate fighters after one loss or two.
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John Campbell 7 months ago
I know, a loss is a tough thing to overcome for a fighter. MMA fans can be an unruly bunch. Its like that in all sports though, an MLB pitcher gets shelled in a game and his skills come into question. Same thing with a NHL goalie, or an NFL quarterback.
The thing is theres only a few days inbetween outings in other sports, and months in between fights, so its harder to earn back the trust and support from fans in the MMA world.
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