How long did it take for u to see fedors greatness

How long did it take you to see the greatness that was fedor?


for me.....

Fedor is one of only 2 MMA fighters I have ever felt was unbeatable at a point in time in mma. Frank Shamrock was the other. Unlike Fedor, I was really sold on Frank Shamrock after watching him only twice. I was a pretty Big Enson Inoue, and Kevin Jackson fan. Watching him and Enson exchange blows back and forth, and seeing him beat Enson down to the point where Egan had to rush in the ring was crazy. Watching Franks UFC debut against an opponent who was a total monster at the time like Kevin Jackson, and totally run through him was crazy. Frank struck me as one of the most well rounded, and amazing fighters at the time. I was pretty much sold on the guy after 2 fights. Fedor on the other hand was a total rollercoaster for me.

I didn't really realize his greatness untill he pretty much beat everyone imaginable. I remember when i first saw fedor fight i thought he was way too sloppy to ever be extremely successful. i had him pegged down as sort of a Melvin Manhoef type fighter. great power but sloppy enough to get caught by any skilled striker. I figured the sure way to beat him was to get a striker who could get off before him. also i figured a straight punch, and jabs would destroy him since he always throws those looping haymakers.

Seeing fedor fight herring, at the end of the fight herring had fedor on his back and i was so sure if an injured herring could get ontop of fedor after all that punishment, than a high calibur wrestler would be able stop and control fedor.

watching fedor against nog, i figured fedor was sloppy and playing into Nog. i seriously expected nog to catch him in a submission.

i was totally wrong countless times when it came to fedor.

I thought Randleman, and Coleman would keep him on his back and just dominate him into a decision victory. (i was really sold on randleman)

I thought Crocop would KO fedor

I thought arlovski would pick fedor apart or beat him with his speed

pretty much it took countless great opponents, and 9 years for me to finally see fedor lose, and I have to say nobody comes near his accomplishments.

how long did it take you?

This post convinced me. Phone Post

 Convinced after the Gary Goodridge fight.



After Fedor beat my favorite fighter in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, I felt that in a no time limit bout, Nogueira would finish Fedor before Fedor would finish Nogueira. I knew Fedor had won the fight, but perhaps I was just overly biased, I still felt Nogueira was the better fighter.



But Gary Goodridge. I watched Gary fight  his first fight and everyone after, and even when Gary lossed(the exception being Gilbert Yvel fight), Gary was a tough fight for anyone. Gary didn't lay down for anyone, and was just a tough sunnuva bitch.  The way Fedor beat him, I just could not believe that anyone could do that to Gary.



After that, I believed(respected him), but didn't actually start liking him until his win against Mirko.



  

When a LHW put him to sleep.. I witnessed the greatness of his hype.. But still a good fighter with a nice legacy. Phone Post

mixedmartialmike -  When a LHW put him to sleep.. I witnessed the greatness of his hype.. But still a good fighter with a nice legacy. Phone Post


 

After the first Nogueira fight and the Goodridge fight, you knew he was for real. After the 3rd Nogueira match and the Cro Cop fight, you knew he was special.

Regarding seemingly unbeatable fighters - Frank, Anderson, BJ (at 155), JBJ all seem(ed) unbeatable at some point. But Fedor never seemed unbeatable.

yabadaba -
mixedmartialmike -  When a LHW put him to sleep.. I witnessed the greatness of his hype.. But still a good fighter with a nice legacy. Phone Post

 

I love billiards. Phone Post

A few seconds after the first round bell rang when he fought Heath Herring. Phone Post

First fight I watched was Semmy Schilt. Didn't leave much of an impression.

Then Herring. Herring's stock was high at the time, and Fedor manhandled him. What caught my eye wasn't the brute force or the speed, but the cerebral, almost emotionless, approach Fedor had.

Nogueira. Ground n pound. Previously, people had pegged others (Coleman, Kerr) as the king of GnP. I knew after watching this fight that Fedor was the new king. Fedor is still looked at as an all-time great for Gnp.

Watching later fights, I was always amazed at his resilience. He seemed to always find a way to defend against any opponent, any style, and still bring the offense effectively.

The best come and go. Nature of the beast. Still I know, he was undoubtedly the best at one time. His UFC counterparts (Sylvia, Arlovski, Couture, Mir) couldn't hold a candle to Fedor's accomplishments. From 2003-2006, Fedor fought 15 times, averaging 5 fights a year. UFC heavies were going at less than half that pace. 1, maybe 2 fights a year.

For any weightclass, that's an exceptional workload at top level.

We all know, if there were an MMA hall of fame, he'd be one of the first inductees.

mixedmartialmike - When a LHW put him to sleep.. I witnessed the greatness of his hype.. But still a good fighter with a nice legacy.


Basically this...thread title should be..

"How long did/will it take you to see that Fedor was a good fighter that fought in an earlier era in a weak division as far as depth and skill goes?"

Like Royce, no one with a brain thinks Royce, even in his prime would be a contender in todays WW division...he'd be destroyed. BUT at that time, he was one of the baddest dudes on the planet regardless of weight. That is how undeveloped the skills were in this sport, and its taking the longest for that "skill bar" to be raised at HW..and so we have Fedor. But...things have changed and the middle of the road fighters of today would utterly destroy, the best Royce on his best day.




Athleticism has improved markedly as well as skill sets in the HW division.

Fedor is also one of the first truly well rounded HWs...that is what gave him such success..he always had a plan B..where most early HW's were either unathletic or unskilled "big men" or guys who were decent at one thing....but they had no plan B.

DRevan - Athleticism has improved markedly as well as skill sets in the HW division.



Fedor is also one of the first truly well rounded HWs...that is what gave him such success..he always had a plan B..where most early HW's were either unathletic or unskilled "big men" or guys who were decent at one thing....but they had no plan B.





 You mean like Big Nog, Arlovski, Cro Cop, Barnett, etc?

 Still waiting.

yabadaba - Regarding seemingly unbeatable fighters - Frank, Anderson, BJ (at 155), JBJ all seem(ed) unbeatable at some point. But Fedor never seemed unbeatable.




Anderson NEVER looked unbeatable...fighting grapplers, K-1 level strikers like Chris Leben, and fighting in THE weakest division will do that.


BJ lost to Pulver early on.

JBJ does seem close to unbeatable in his class at the moment.


After Fedor beat the best grappler and striker in MMA ( Nog and Cro Cop respectively) I was sold...that and the 10 year undeafeated losing streak...the way he handled tough spots...the way he DESTROYED top fighters. He really did seem unbeatable for a time.


Igor Vovchanchin had a similar aura for awhile...You just knew he would always find a way to win somehow.

DRevan - 
mixedmartialmike - When a LHW put him to sleep.. I witnessed the greatness of his hype.. But still a good fighter with a nice legacy.


Basically this...thread title should be..

"How long did/will it take you to see that Fedor was a good fighter that fought in an earlier era in a weak division as far as depth and skill goes?"

Like Royce, no one with a brain thinks Royce, even in his prime would be a contender in todays WW division...he'd be destroyed. BUT at that time, he was one of the baddest dudes on the planet regardless of weight. That is how undeveloped the skills were in this sport, and its taking the longest for that "skill bar" to be raised at HW..and so we have Fedor. But...things have changed and the middle of the road fighters of today would utterly destroy, the best Royce on his best day.







please.. the hw's fedor fought would be at the top of the division today.

yabadaba - 
DRevan - Athleticism has improved markedly as well as skill sets in the HW division.

Fedor is also one of the first truly well rounded HWs...that is what gave him such success..he always had a plan B..where most early HW's were either unathletic or unskilled "big men" or guys who were decent at one thing....but they had no plan B.


 You mean like Big Nog, Arlovski, Cro Cop, Barnett, etc?


Big Nog has always been a submission specialist in a division where sub skills were/are almost nonexistent. AKA only decent at 1 thing.

Arlovski has great hands, but unfortunately he also puts himself in a position where he exploits his own greatest weakness ie..his chin. So even at his best, he's in danger. His biggest win is arguably Sylvia, who is an excellent example of just how far the HW division has come.

Crocop was a HW from an earlier era, also one big skill striking..and even then he was outstruck by almost everyone he ever faced in the UFC. Lost kickboxing matches..his strength..to Kongo,Gonzaga,Barry,Dos Santos,Mir,Schaub and Nelson..he was also KO'd by Randleman when he was making his name in Pride, which just goes to show that his decline isn't an issue of "prime" so much as it is competition.

Barnett...is where Nog and Crocop were before they started fighting consistently decent competition...we don't know how good he really is yet and he's got a big advantage in that he has a ground game in a division with very few talented submission specialists.

Again..historically HW is the weakest division in the sport from both a skill and depth perspective.


DRevan - Crocop was a HW from an earlier era, also one big skill striking..
So Big Nog can't strike, Arlovski only has stand-up and Cro Cop is a HW from an earlier era with one big skill. You didn't watch any of these guys at the time and you don't even know their basic skillsets.

I think JDS has proved DRevan right. You cant just be a HW with amazing striking and good TDD and think you will become champ. 

As for DRevan's comment on HW being the weakest division from both a skill and a depth perspective - I agree. That's also true in boxing - there just aren't that many talented people of that size it either sport and there probably never will be. Of course nobody disputes that the fighters in this "weakest division" would have crushed the fighters in any of the other divisions.



Interestingly enough the current era is probably the first time since the days of Royce Gracie that a fighter who has never fought at HW would be considered a decent threat to beat a top HW.