UFC 146: Why Fedor vs. JDS Would Be a Huge Mistake

In the wake of the news of Alistair Overeem's elevated testosterone levels and his potential absence from the UFC 146 card there have been numerous suggestions for a replacement.

Rallying for Mark Hunt, championing for Frank Mir and pleas for Fabricio Werdum—I can get behind all of those. But I cannot support the efforts for Fedor Emelianenko.

First and foremost, all you need to do is read Bleacher Report's own Jeremy Botter's take on why Dana White is right in keeping Fedor out of the UFC.

Still dragging the broken down Fedor bandwagon? OK, let me expound on why the idea of him challenging for the UFC heavyweight championship is simply not a good idea.

It is true that he is on a two-fight win streak, but neither came against a high-quality opponent. Mark Hunt is on a three-fight win streak inside the Octagon, with two KO wins and one against a contender in the division.

Fedor had to go to a decision against a washed-up Jeff Monson and defeated a glorified middleweight in Satoshi Ishii.

At least Hunt brings a compelling, feel-good, comeback story to the table. There is nothing feel-good about Fedor's current story to sell to the public.

Need more proof?

Again, let's just go with Mr. Botter. As he says, “The guy is a washed-up fighter.”

We have seen the legendary heavyweight fight three top fighters in recent years, including Dan Henderson—a light heavyweight—and all three stopped him. That should tell you where his skill-set currently stands in the landscape of today's MMA.

And let's not forget that Fedor will not come to the UFC on a discount. He will still command a hefty fee and there is no justification for paying a premium price for a fighter that can offer virtually nothing in return.

OK, so now let's play the hypothetical and say he does come to the UFC to challenge Junior dos Santos. What's the benefit?

From what Fedor has shown us recently, it is apparent that dos Santos' hand-speed and power would annihilate “The Last Emperor."

If you want the champion to have a fun knockout in the main event, then you can select from any other number of fighters on a questionable two-fight win streak that poses no threat to the UFC heavyweight champion. Why would you, the paying customer, want to watch that?

We are talking about the UFC heavyweight championship. The title should not be demeaned by bringing back any fighter with past success in the division back for a chance at the strap.

The mystique is gone.

Bringing in Fedor would be a huge mistake from all sides—competitively and financially. Let the Russian continue making money hand over fist in his native land against substandard competition. His fans will love it.

Since Dana has put an end to one rally, the Fedor contingent should let the glory days of old fade away too. And if he really wants to prove himself inside the Octagon, he should be pitted against someone not holding the most prestigious belt in the world. And come at a hefty discount.