He is the best MMA fighter to ever live. That won't change until someone else virtually cleans out their entire division without ever suffering a real defeat.
What he does now wont change this fact. Fedor is the benchmark. He will never be irrelevent in the sport of MMA. People will soon talk more about all time greats like they do in other established sports, and Fedor will be the guy at the top of that list.
You're in danger of being correct!
..."He will never be irrelevent in the sport of MMA"
Wrong. Time waits for no one. He'll go down in history as "the best ever" and that will be debated by fans for years. But if in two years he still hasn't beaten a top 10 HW, he becomes part of MMA history and irrelevant to the HW title picture at that time.
"That won't change until someone else virtually cleans out their entire division without ever suffering a real defeat."
lol @ cleaning out a division. That was Matt Hughes.
There were tons of potentially dangerous matchups that Fedor passed over on his way to fighting Coleman for the second time or Zulu. Kharitonov, Werdum, Sapp, Zentsov (or was he on his team?), Barnett. Not to mention 205ers who occasionally fought at heavy like Shogun, Alistair, Silva, or even a rematch with Arona.
Nope, he wont ever be irrelevant. Ever. If Nogueria or CroCop gets the UFC title (which IMO one of them will if Fedor doesn't sign) you better believe Fedor will be relevant, and that is now.
In 20 years when undefeated champion John Robert Johnson Smith Jr. defends his WMA title for the third time, people will compare him to Fedor, thus making Fedor relevent. He will always be relevant unless someone replaces him as the best of all time.
The same way Michael Jordan is still relevant in basketball. The same way Pele is still relevant in football. The same way Sugar Ray Robinson is still relevant in boxing. They may not be relevant in the current standings, rankings, or seasons, but they will always be relevant in their sport, because they are personification of greatness in that sport.
I agree that Matt Hughes cleaned out his division, but Hughes lost pretty badly a few times before he did.
I'd have Hughes in the top 5 of all time, sure.
"I agree that Matt Hughes cleaned out his division, but Hughes lost pretty badly a few times before he did."
That's because he didn't duck anyone. Fedor is a protected fighter.
Yeah, he will be the Mike Tyson of MMA, never fought the best, and considered the best who ever lived, but when he did fight the best, lost his ass.
"He's beaten 2 of the top 10 HW fighters in the world. (according to mmaweekly's rankings)"
Though those 2 at the time were indisputedly the other 2 top 3 fighters in the world.
lol @ Lindland being consideed a lgit heavy now. Frantic desperation.
IMO if Fedor doesn't sign witht the UFC and prove he is number 1, that in a couple of years we will all be talking about the legend that is Randy Couture.
Bullshit. Fedor will be irrelevant. Want to know why?
The same reason that Royce and Saku are going to be irrelevant to all but the loyal. Because the fickle fucking public TUF-human-cockfight audience aspect only gives a shit about what's happening right then, right now. They want pretty boys, not pudgy Japs who are master grapplers or pudgy Russians who can beat the shit out of the the best in the world, playing their own game.
They want Tito and Franklin. Why the fuck do you think Mir got all the acclaim on here? Wasn't for his ability. He looked like they wanted a champ to look.
Hype, that's what these bitches live on.
History don't matter. 2 years ago don't matter.
Oh fuck I posted on the UG while drunk. Goddamn it.
"But if in two years he still hasn't beaten a top 10 HW, he becomes part of MMA history and irrelevant to the HW title picture at that time."
"lol @ cleaning out a division. That was Matt Hughes."
"He's beaten 2 of the top 10 HW fighters in the world. (according to mmaweekly's rankings)"
They've both beaten a lot more than 2, noob.
Hey isn't Fedor that guy who used to fight in Pride?
Yeah, he was really good.
Train Judo
RoccoSieffridi, who's the asian chick and where'd you get that clip? I've seen another one where she's dancing (if you could call it that), and I'd like to see it again.
"The same way Michael Jordan is still relevant in basketball. "
Please....do not compare a person who had no choice but to play the best players against a guy who has the choice, and so far, has not agreed to fight the best.
When it came time to play Malone, Bird, Johnson, Drexler, Hakeem and Ewing (sp)...Jordan didnt go weeeellllll....only if this and that. He had to play..barring injury..
Fedor has the chance to prove he is the best but his mangament would rather hold it up due to stipulations. I really do hate managment and agents most of the time because they are the ones holding things up. A player/fighter needs to take it upon themselves to say "hey the money is there..the talent is there..why are you telling me not to sign?"
Sorry folks...UFC is the only game in town right now and Fedor is a player that needs to prove he is #1 still. As has been said before...fighting cans proves nothing right now. Fighting top guys from lower weight classes proves nothing. Fedor needs to fight the Coutures, Crocops, Napaos and Sylvias of the world right now!
What is he going to do? Fight Barnett 3 straight times? Is he going to fight a bulked up Babalu? ( example not idea) Or Kharitonov? There are not enough fighers left that are free agents that will help his legend grow, that are not in the UFC!
We are talking about then, not now. Two or three years ago Fedor was without a doubt the best guy to to fight MMA and everybody knew it. Now means nothing.
It's funny how people think MMA is just now getting big LOL. Did you ever hear of this place called Japan? MMMA was bigger there than it ever will be over here (unitl bad management ran it into the ground,) and Fedor was top dog. Don't try to think the world outside of the USA doesn't exist. In Japan MMA was on prime time netwrok TV! not some rinky dink cable channel nobody watches.
I think thats the big flaw in many peoples thinking. They think MMA is just now getting big. In america this is true, but MMA has been big for six or seven years. Hell, some people could say it's dying outside of the USA.