Issue 135

December 2015

Greatness is defined by the things you do, not the things you don’t, Mr Emelianenko

Nick Peet 

The Fighters Only editor wakes up with a sore head after Fedor’s comeback announcement

Start a debate about MMA’s greatest fighters and it’s likely Fedor Emelianenko will be in the top 10. He might even make it into the leading five depending on the fans sat around the table.

The Russian’s extensive Pride campaign of the early 2000s has led to an almost mystical reputation being attributed to its former heavyweight champion, in a style that only professional sport has a habit of doing. His dominance in a Japanese ring has taken on the specter of legend, despite his post-Pride demise.

Fedor was indeed two steps ahead of his peers at one time. But, rather like Anderson Silva, he’s been found out by the next generation, and that got me thinking: how will Emelianenko be remembered 10 or 20 years from now when his career is assessed with far less fondness or affection?

How will Fedor match up against the likes of Jon Jones, Georges St Pierre and José Aldo – guys who competed in the toughest arena mixed martial arts had to offer facing off against a murderers’ row of legitimate title challengers?

For that matter, how does Fedor match up against a fighter like Tito Ortiz? Like ‘The Last Emperor,’ ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ has been exposed in the later stages of his career as Father Time has become too tough an.adversary. But at no point in his MMA career has he shirked a challenge in favor of a paycheck. Unlike the Russian.

Tito came up short again against Bellator’s colossal light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary at its inaugural Dynamite event in September. But kudos to the former UFC great for rejecting arguably a far more lucrative and unquestionably safer option of fighting Ken Shamrock in order to pursue a world title against a man more than seven years his junior. 

That took real cojones and was typical of Ortiz’s career. Hopefully, 10 or 20 years from now, decisions like those will help fans remember what a warrior he was when his career is assessed. 

Meanwhile, Fedor has signed to fight for the upstart Japanese promotion fronted by former Pride boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara. He will make his return to arms in Tokyo, Japan, on New Year’s Eve, closing the door on a speculated step up into the Octagon. Let’s call that what it truly is: a cop out.

It’s not the first time Fedor has built up fans’ hopes and expectations only to smash them to pieces by competing only under his own terms. Despite promising so much more, he isn’t returning to take on the world’s best. He’s taking the easy road and headed back, initially at least, to top up his bank balance. So what does that make him? How should that ultimately reflect on his legacy?

Surely Emelianenko and even his most ardent of supporters can no longer legitimately label him as a great when he’s shirked every opportunity to truly reinforce his mastery on the biggest stage. With fellow heavyweight veterans like Mirko Cro Cop, Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett enjoying Indian summers in the Octagon, the time has never been more fitting for Fedor to sign off on his career with a cameo on the stage that’s transformed MMA into a global phenomenon.

In rejecting that opportunity now, Fedor should ultimately pay the price for dodging legitimate competition. The story of his return to arms flipped 180 degrees the minute he confirmed his return would be in Japan. It went from being the most exciting news of 2015, to the most disappointing.

Fedor runs the risk of dealing himself a hand that history cannot overlook. By taking the easy option in his comeback the man presently championed as the greatest heavyweight in MMA history may well become known as the sport’s greatest charlatan. What happens next is down to him. But a lot of fans, myself included, refuse to be fooled any more.

On his own terms

llegitimate competition

Since Fedor’s last loss against Fabricio Werdum in July 2011, he has faced three unranked heavyweights. In the same time, Tito Ortiz has faced two former UFC light heavyweight champions and two Bellator champs.