OOHHH SNAP. The time is near people!

I wonder what the hold up is. I doubt it’s money (not that Dana White pays ANYONE what they deserve (except Tito, who is a b-fighter and made $210k against Rashad?). I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something on Fedor’s end.

i love dana white.. i just wish he would pay his fighters more money..

I can’t wait to see the TUF crowds faces when they see Fedor for the first time. “but, but, but.. I thought Randy Couture was the best.. WTF IS THIS GUY!”.. Let the Domination of the Heavyweight class begin.

Great interview, thanks for the link MANIA…

Fedor vs Arlovski ( UFC 79 December 29 in Vegas)
Believe u me, Matt vs Matt won’t sell UFC 79 on its own.
When Liddell fights Silva I hope (UFC 78 Nov 24th in Newark, NJ) cause Sherk vs BJ Penn aint enough

If Fedor doesn’t sign with the UFC, then the purchase of PRIDE loses all crediblity. It’s like buying a McDonald’s and not selling the fries. Yeah there is still cheeseburgers and chicken mcnuggets…..BUT I WANT TO BUY THE FREAKIN FRIES!!!! GET IT DONE DANA!!!! GET IT DONE NOW!!!!!!!

Very funny analogy Russ. I know alot of people gave ESPN alot of crap for joining the bandwagon late, but they are doing a great job. Alot of the recent aquisitions from Pride have been a bust on there first appearances lately. I hope Fedor isnt the same.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z48/Bulletproof_photo/Bulletproof-DanaWhiteBeg.gif

I think pride will be back eventually. It just needs to be rebuilt. Dana is getting all of the Prides best fighters into the UFC, and pride will just be another “minor league”. It will probably take a year for pride to be back.

Alot of the recent aquisitions from Pride have been a bust on there first appearances lately. I hope Fedor isnt the same.

Watch Fedor get knocked out by Gonzaga. I think it would be a good match up. Gonzaga is pretty agressive and so is Fedor.

“Watch Fedor get knocked out by Gonzaga”

Its possible – especially as they are both 2 big guys. I think what a lot of new fans to MMA don’t realize is that when you have 2 guys going toe-to-toe, any outcome is possible (sometimes it is less plausible, but anything is possible).

I’m a huge fan of Fedor and believe he is the baddest man on the planet right now. However, Gonzaga is no joke (evidenced by his KO of Cro Cop) – and he has the tools to take out Fedor (as anything is possible). But its definitely a lot less ‘plausible’ against Fedor than it was against Cro Cop.

WHAT THE HELL, PRIDE FIGHTERS HAVE BEEN FLOPS, COME ON MAN WITHIN A YEAR TWO PRIDE FIGHTERS ALREADY HAVE TWO BELTS IF FEDOR COMES IT WILL BE THREE, HOW MANY BELTS DO YOU THINK THEY NEED

Enough talk about this guy…if he’s so great, he should showcase it. I’ve seen him fight, and he’s impressive, but he’s not unbeatable. Why doesn’t he SEEM to want to fight the best in the world? He will find some worthy competition in the ufc, and I’m not talking about former pride stars. Arlovski, Sylvia, and Couture could all give this guy fits.

How bad would it be if Fedor got knocked out in his next fight??? Don’t tell me it aint possible because it is…and it would definitely open the Heavyweight division right up. Too many pundits rely on this guy as the only APPARENT unbeatable fighter…

Enough talk about this guy…if he’s so great, he should showcase it. I’ve seen him fight, and he’s impressive, but he’s not unbeatable. Why doesn’t he SEEM to want to fight the best in the world? He will find some worthy competition in the ufc, and I’m not talking about former pride stars. Arlovski, Sylvia, and Couture could all give this guy fits.

You must be a newbie to MMA. First of all, PRIDE heavyweight division (up until being purchased by UFC) was way more competitive than UFC’s heavyweight division – most avid MMA fans who are familiar with PRIDE would tell you that unequivocally!!

You’re amature knowledge of this sport is evidenced by you saying that Fedor is not unbeatable. No he is not unbeatable – and no one in this sport is unbeatable…you’ll learn about that as you gain more experience watching MMA. All the great fighters eventually lose a fight.

“Why doesn’t he SEEM to want to fight the best in the world?” I’m not sure where you come up with this, its not like he is dodging anyone. I don’t think, based on his past performances, that he has any reason to dodge anyone in the heavyweight division.

“Arlovski, Sylvia, and Couture could all give this guy fits” – this is just further evidence of how amature you are. I’d bet some large denominations that none of these 3 would last more than 2 rounds with Fedor (and 2 rounds would be generous).

Couture, while I respect his accomplishments, will get destroyed by Gonzaga.

Sylvia is a joke…I don’t need to elaborate on him.

Arlovski – see Sylvia’s comments.

UFC heavyweight division prior to Gonzaga/Cro Cop coming in was a complete joke.

I wonder what the hold up is. I doubt it’s money (not that Dana White pays ANYONE what they deserve (except Tito, who is a b-fighter and made $210k against Rashad?). I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something on Fedor’s end.

Rofl… thats great.

i like the guy ‘john’, i think we could becomes friends…..what would we have in common?….well we would gather round and laugh at your comments. in time our munbers would swell to a large online community

i like the guy ‘john’, i think we could becomes friends…..what would we have in common?….well we would gather round and laugh at your comments. in time our munbers would swell to a large online community, WADZ this guy has a 20 fight unbeaten record, against the best heavyweight fighters in the world, Sylvia is a joke, always will be

He will come fellas. be patient. The price is not right yet but Dana will get it to him.

Dana’s full of shit….So what he brings him to the UFC and low balls him just like all the other fighters?? Where does all the money go if it’s not going to the fighters?? The ten camera guys they have at the event, Rogan & Goldberg?? He should hold out for big time money…good for him.

i say if fedor fights 5 or so more fights against decent competition (gonzaga, arlovski, barnett, couture..) type fighters he’ll loose at least 1.

i think if he fights barnett, he’ll whoop him more than people think, and if arlovski stops being scared to let em go, he has a punchers chance.

but, what im really hoping for, is him to come into the ufc as an underdog … (rampage v lidell, henderson rampage anyone?) because if that happens, im gonna be a happy man.

Well I think Fedor likes Bodog so much cause they have fights in Russia, and they also probably pay him a crazy amount of money.

So if Dana can work out some European shows, he would probably be more inclined to fight, throw in some big money, and you could see Fedor @ a UFC show in the UK or maybe France or Germany, sadly without elbows.

“Watch Fedor get knocked out by Gonzaga”

Its possible – especially as they are both 2 big guys. I think what a lot of new fans to MMA don’t realize is that when you have 2 guys going toe-to-toe, any outcome is possible (sometimes it is less plausible, but anything is possible).

I’m a huge fan of Fedor and believe he is the baddest man on the planet right now. However, Gonzaga is no joke (evidenced by his KO of Cro Cop) – and he has the tools to take out Fedor (as anything is possible). But its definitely a lot less ‘plausible’ against Fedor than it was against Cro Cop.

I’m in complete agreement here. Gonzaga appears to be the next elite level HW in the MMA pool. If he beats Couture, he would cement himself as a top 5 fighter if not top 3. If they fight in the Octagon, and it will be Fedor’s first UFC match, Gonzaga will have the advantage of octagon experience.

I’m actually picking Gonzaga to win in 74, I think he’s got all the tools to win and can probably pull off a victory if he doesn’t get tired or let the big fight intimidate him. If he gets the better part of the initial exchanges, I think he can carry the advantage and actually control Randy.

I mean look at the guy’s record one lost to Werdum in the initial stages of his career and has become a dominant force ever since.

I’m actually picking Gonzaga to win in 74, I think he’s got all the tools to win and can probably pull off a victory if he doesn’t get tired or let the big fight intimidate him. If he gets the better part of the initial exchanges, I think he can carry the advantage and actually control Randy.

i think gonzaga will beat couture more convincingly than people think. i know its bad to count couture out, but his track record over the past few years isn’t so good. and he beat tim sylvia. honestly, i had couture in that fight by a long shot, and was so excited to see sylvia get demolished (fun fact, 2 days before his birthday… we share a birthday…) but randy is now fighting a big strong agressive heavyweight with great ground game.

i give gonzaga about a 60% chance to win the fight, the only thing i see happening for couture is if it gets past round 2. because then i believe he’ll have the edge on gonzaga, who’s conditioning really hasnt been tested. but im still picking gonzaga.

Dana should just lie and at the next PPV, walk into the ring and say, “The negotiations with Fedor have ended. He decided not to sign with the UFC because he is a bitch and is scared to face real competition and real fighters. There’s no way he can go 3 fights in the UFC without a loss”

Then upon hearing this, Fedor will be so pissed off for being called out like that, that he will actually sign with the UFC.

I love Dana and I hate Dana.

but theres no doubt hes absolutely great for the UFC and does a great job running it. Couldnt ask for better.

WHAT THE HELL, PRIDE FIGHTERS HAVE BEEN FLOPS, COME ON MAN WITHIN A YEAR TWO PRIDE FIGHTERS ALREADY HAVE TWO BELTS IF FEDOR COMES IT WILL BE THREE, HOW MANY BELTS DO YOU THINK THEY NEED

Good point. Rampage and Silva come on both of those guys have ridiculous skills. Silva has had a terrific showing in all of his fights and so has Rampage. Big Nog got the win against another pride alum.

I think that there is a big difference for these guys in the cage however. Although you give Fedor the chance to use elbows from the guard and there could be problems. He does enough damage with just his fists.

You must be a newbie to MMA. First of all, PRIDE heavyweight division (up until being purchased by UFC) was way more competitive than UFC’s heavyweight division – most avid MMA fans who are familiar with PRIDE would tell you that unequivocally!!

You’re amature knowledge of this sport is evidenced by you saying that Fedor is not unbeatable. No he is not unbeatable – and no one in this sport is unbeatable…you’ll learn about that as you gain more experience watching MMA. All the great fighters eventually lose a fight.

“Why doesn’t he SEEM to want to fight the best in the world?” I’m not sure where you come up with this, its not like he is dodging anyone. I don’t think, based on his past performances, that he has any reason to dodge anyone in the heavyweight division.

“Arlovski, Sylvia, and Couture could all give this guy fits” – this is just further evidence of how amature you are. I’d bet some large denominations that none of these 3 would last more than 2 rounds with Fedor (and 2 rounds would be generous).

Couture, while I respect his accomplishments, will get destroyed by Gonzaga.

Sylvia is a joke…I don’t need to elaborate on him.

Arlovski – see Sylvia’s comments.

UFC heavyweight division prior to Gonzaga/Cro Cop coming in was a complete joke.

Wow, my “amature” (learn how to spell) knowledge…them’s fighting words…

Let’s see…Pride’s heavyweights haven’t had all that much success since coming to the ufc…cro cop, werdum, and to be clear, nog didn’t look too great on saturday night. Just because Pride had a competitive heavyweight division doesn’t mean it was better than the UFC’s. I know this because I watched both regularily. Besides, did I say that the UFC had a better heavyweight division.

Your point about Fedor and “unbeatable” doesn’t hold here dude. There are many on this board who have argued that Fedor is in fact unbeatable. He is beatable, and this will happen (whether it takes 1, 3, 6 fights), he will lose. Likely he will be beaten by a UFC fighter (probably one who I named). And yes, all three COULD give Fedor fits. Anyone who argues against this is clearly slow (please read between the lines). I especially like your intelligent comments about Sylvia. Like him or hate him, he’ll still be a heavyweight force when he returns.

Who said anything about Fedor dodging fighters? I know I didn’t. If he really wanted to fight the best heavyweights on the planet, wouldn’t his camp have worked something out by now? With all due respect to Matt Lindland, when was Fedor’s last true heavyweight challenge?

Thanks for the classy reply John…

Awesome fedor will rule the heavy weights for years to come.

I agree with those picking Gonzaga over Couture. Couture has had problems against much bigger grapplers like Barnnet and Ricco, and Gonzaga is at least as good on the mat as those (maybe better), and is just as big. I see Randy putting up a fight, but wearing out in the 4th and getting finished, unless he gets subbed early.

As far as Fedor goes, I think he will eventually lose if he goes to the ufc. I’m not saying he will lose, because the ufc is better. I’m saying he will lose, because it is improbable to have such a long streak. Unless he retires in the next year or 2 at the height of his game, a new comer will eventually rise up to take his place at the top of the game. I still think it is fun to watch him, and refer to him as unbeatable, but I just don’t see how he can come up with another 20 fight win streak. As it is, their are only 2 fighters in the ufc with 5 fight or longer win streaks. Those are Koscheck and Fitch, who have yet to fight for/hold a title.

Solid link…good to see ESPN putting out some quality articles

If he beats Couture, he would cement himself as a top 5 fighter if not top 3.

I can guarantee you that Gonzaga wins this fight over Couture. I think this also highlights how bad the heavyweight division in UFC has been recently. You have Couture (who, like I said I respect because of his accomplishments throughout his career) who lost 2 fights consecutively to Light-Heavy Liddell and then goes on to beat the Heavyweight Champ of the UFC, Sylvia??? Come on now…

I can only imagine what Fedor would do to a Light-Heavy (Liddell or Jackson). I’m a huge Liddell fan and was devastated after his loss to Jackson – but Fedor would end that fight as well as a fight w/Jackson in a matter of seconds.

As for Rampage – although he has Liddell’s number – his reign at Light-Heavy will be over quite quickly…if not Henderson or Wanderlei – then my boy Mauricio Rua will get the job done, just like he did the first time:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/274322/mauricio_shogun_vs_quinton_jackson/

If fedor comes over then look at a new champ guys.

when was Fedor’s last true heavyweight challenge?

Well he fought and beat each and every fighter that he has went up against since 2001. And being the heavyweight champ in the more competitive PRIDE heavyweight division for a few years says a lot.

Since you keep giving props to Sylvia, who the hell has Sylvia beat recently? Please don’t say Arlovski…don’t bother replying if you are.

Arlovski will come back way better…
I think we will see Arlovski vs. Fedor at some point in time. Fedor has said that Andrei is one of the fighters he admires most.

Very funny analogy Russ. I know alot of people gave ESPN alot of crap for joining the bandwagon late, but they are doing a great job. Alot of the recent aquisitions from Pride have been a bust on there first appearances lately. I hope Fedor isnt the same.

My thoughts exactly. No one is immune from a nice shot to the jaw.

On the other hand, although Fedor is multi-dimensional, his core is GnP, which works beautifully in the Octagon.

The hype is all drama. Fedor is coming to UFC, Dana will pay him what he wants. PrideFC currently is dead. Fedor will fight for the money, and like Cro Cop, will get KTFO’d by some no name supposed “stepping stone”. Give me a break, he fought Matt Lindland last. What a joke, before that, he fought Hunt, in the end of 2006. Fedor and Cro Cop are in an era that are long past. I hope they both lose all there UFC fights. You got Wanderlei, Cro Cop, and Fedor. All over 30 . Lets face it, Randy Couture is next to none (as far as age goes with fighting). Chuck is on the back side of his peak. I could care less if Fedor comes or not, I’m looking forward to Shogun Rua the most. Wanderlei, Fedor, Barnett make me yawn. WASHED.

Arlovski will come back way better…
I think we will see Arlovski vs. Fedor at some point in time. Fedor has said that Andrei is one of the fighters he admires most.

Was this in an interview? And if so where can I get my mits on it? Arlovski takes alot of crap on this board I noticed but even Randy Couture has said that AA was one of the best fighters in mma HW and respected what he brought to the table. Now before all the super hero bloggers try to rip that comment apart I am merely stating what another top fighter had said. Arlovski’s a bum?? Well of course eveyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I don’t think we need a top analyst to determine who’s comment is more valid two of the top HW’s in the world praising his skill?? Or some blogger ?. Not defending AA this is more of a broad statement about all fighters who get dumped on by know-nothings while ACTUAL fighters have different perspectives. You have to think they might just might be a wee tiny bit more knowledgable then us?? Just some food for thought!

I hope he goes somewhere else. I think the UFC needs good competition to force it to continue to grow, and get better.

I wonder what the hold up is. I doubt it’s money (not that Dana White pays ANYONE what they deserve (except Tito, who is a b-fighter and made $210k against Rashad?). I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something on Fedor’s end.

tito may not be the best…but he is still and A level fighter

is bodog trying to build a competitive roster? Or are the focused on blockbuster one fight events like boxing?

Enough talk about this guy…if he’s so great, he should showcase it. I’ve seen him fight, and he’s impressive, but he’s not unbeatable. Why doesn’t he SEEM to want to fight the best in the world? He will find some worthy competition in the ufc, and I’m not talking about former pride stars. Arlovski, Sylvia, and Couture could all give this guy fits.

How bad would it be if Fedor got knocked out in his next fight??? Don’t tell me it aint possible because it is…and it would definitely open the Heavyweight division right up. Too many pundits rely on this guy as the only APPARENT unbeatable fighter…

Uhhhh…he fought and beat all the best in pride…to include former UFC heavyweight champs Randleman and Coleman…Also Crop cop, Mark Hunt, Nog…twice, Heath Herring..Fujita..the list keeps going..there was no one left in Pride…except Josh Barnett who posed a threat

why does “john” feel like he has to respond to everyone’s comments like he is the end all, be all of mma? Face it dude, not everyone is going to have the same opinion as you… until I see FEDOR beat someone in a UFC match, then he sucks, period

John…Cro Cop was getting his ass handed to him throughout the entire fight with Gonzaga. He wasn’t beaten simply by a devastating kick, he was handily losing before he was knocked out by a UFC fighter. Secondly, Sylvia may very well win the title again. You’re right, he hasn’t beaten any real competition recently. He hasn’t faught recently (since losing to the current champ). But, he did beat Arlovski twice in a row. Arlovski handled Werdum, who was a highly touted Pride recruit. Just some food for thought.

To say Sylvia is a bum shows you’re own ignorance. Yes, he is an underachiever. Yes, he has some holes in his game. And yes, he has not shown fans the most exciting fights. But the guy has the tools (mainly height and reach) to be a devastating and dominant heavyweight for years to come. He may not become this dominant figure in the UFC, but the potential is definitely there.

For your sake, and for many bloggers on this site, I hope Fedor can live up to the immense hype that will surround his entry into the ufc. For whatever reason; Cro Cop, Nog, and Werdum have fallen short. Fedor has been impressive outside of the UFC, we’ll have to wait and see if this translates in the UFC.

I agree with “ufcownsme”…this a site for bloggers to share their opinions about mma…We’re not experts, merely fans.

until I see FEDOR beat someone in a UFC match, then he sucks, period

that just shows how little you really know about this sport. I’ve been watching the sport when it was still considered a side-show, your comment that Fedor sucks because he hasn’t beaten anyone in UFC just proves your ignorance. Anyone, and I’m sure there are countless true fans (and not UFC bandwagon-jumpers like yourself) on this site who will admit and tell you without question that PRIDE, for the most part, has had the top fighters over the past few years (in most divisions, not just heavyweight). Fedor beat the best of the best in PRIDE- he doesn’t need to prove his worth to you or anyone else by beating 2nd rated fighters like Tim Sylvia or over-the-hill has-beens like Couture.

Just wait and see over the next 2 years what he does in UFC (assuming he does come over)…I think the fact that Dana White is, by his own admission, on the phone twice a day w/Fedor’s managers speaks volumes on what he thinks of Fedor as a fighter.

He, along with 99% of MMA fighters out there know that Fedor is the alpha-dog in this sport – they’ve said it countless times (especially Couture)…and as I said, although I think eventually he will lose (as all MMA fighters do), his reign the past few years has been remarkable.

Do I think I know more than any of you – no. But I find it humorous that some of you who just started watching UFC in the past 2-3 years think that UFC is the be-all and end-all of MMA. Sure they have a tonne of exposure in N.America – and sure PRIDE’s management ran the organization into the ground in Asia…but that doesn’t discredit the skill of fighters like Wanderlei, Rua, Fedor, Cro Cop, Fujita, Nog, etc.

I tell u what!!!!!!!! Who cares about Fedor,,, he is way pass his prime… he is like in his 50s n beside Us UFC fans want to see some new generations……..

why does “john” feel like he has to respond to everyone’s comments like he is the end all, be all of mma? Face it dude, not everyone is going to have the same opinion as you… until I see FEDOR beat someone in a UFC match, then he sucks, period

 yes we are all lucky that “john” spends time nuturing our inferior mma minds. but to say fedor sucks is pretty stupid

I’m in complete agreement here. Gonzaga appears to be the next elite level HW in the MMA pool. If he beats Couture, he would cement himself as a top 5 fighter if not top 3. If they fight in the Octagon, and it will be Fedor’s first UFC match, Gonzaga will have the advantage of octagon experience.

I’m actually picking Gonzaga to win in 74, I think he’s got all the tools to win and can probably pull off a victory if he doesn’t get tired or let the big fight intimidate him. If he gets the better part of the initial exchanges, I think he can carry the advantage and actually control Randy.

I mean look at the guy’s record one lost to Werdum in the initial stages of his career and has become a dominant force ever since.

Fedor/Vera at 76 would be great

Wow, my “amature” (learn how to spell) knowledge…them’s fighting words…

Thanks for the classy reply John…

First off, yes Cro Crop lost his first UFC match…

dont mean to be a dick but it was his second fight.

I tell u what!!!!!!!! Who cares about Fedor,,, he is way pass his prime… he is like in his 50s n beside Us UFC fans want to see some new generations……..

thats the stupidest thing ive ever heard “in his 50s” do you even know who fedor is?for the record he turns 31 in sep,not past his prime at all if your a mma fan then you would know he is in his prime.i could name a couple fighters older than that that are doing pretty well for themselves,chuck is 37,randy is 43,and there are many more.who are youre favortie fighters St.Amour?

I tell u what!!!!!!!! Who cares about Fedor,,, he is way pass his prime… he is like in his 50s n beside Us UFC fans want to see some new generations……..

He’s 30….ignorance seems to be multiplying here….in spades.

Fedor/Vera at 76 would be great

agreed Stafo, Id love to see it.

I can’t wait to see the TUF crowds faces when they see Fedor for the first time. “but, but, but.. I thought Randy Couture was the best.. WTF IS THIS GUY!”.. Let the Domination of the Heavyweight class begin.

Thats what everyone said about CC and he got dominated. Fedor has DECISION wins over CC, Nog, Sobral and Arona,not KO’s or subs. Fedor vs Randy,GG or Vera will all be close fights that could go either way.

WHAT THE HELL, PRIDE FIGHTERS HAVE BEEN FLOPS, COME ON MAN WITHIN A YEAR TWO PRIDE FIGHTERS ALREADY HAVE TWO BELTS IF FEDOR COMES IT WILL BE THREE, HOW MANY BELTS DO YOU THINK THEY NEED

We’re talking HWs. Futita got beat by Monson, Werdum got.. (ok he lost to ) AA , Herring lost to O’Brien ,Nog lost to Herring(only Herring was to dense to finish him) and we all know what happened to Cro Cop. Remember this is the weak HW div. where the Pride guys were supposed to DESTROY. So far they are not doing a very good job.

You must be a newbie to MMA. First of all, PRIDE heavyweight division (up until being purchased by UFC) was way more competitive than UFC’s heavyweight division – most avid MMA fans who are familiar with PRIDE would tell you that unequivocally!!

Ya, and the same people would tell you the Pride HWs would OWN the UFC HWs and so far they are totally wrong. I’ve been watching UFC and Pride since they started but I never bought into the Pride is better Hype. If anything I gave a slight edge to the UFC fighters because I think they are more well rounded.

I can only imagine what Fedor would do to a Light-Heavy (Liddell or Jackson). I’m a huge Liddell fan and was devastated after his loss to Jackson – but Fedor would end that fight as well as a fight w/Jackson in a matter of seconds.

Here is a good example of what would happen if Fedor fought a LHW like Sobral … DECISION!! I can only imagine what Chuck would do to Sobral, Oh, no need to, he already KHTFO 2 TIMES! Hey, it’s your logic not mine.

I have no idea what Fedor was paid by PRIDE when it was not under the UFC banner, but obviously the UFC can now pay Fedor more to fight in the UFC, or atleast match his old pay. It almost seems like he is afraid of blemishing his record until getting under a contract that pays him a ridiculously high amount…even more then he has proven to worth in the UFC whether he has dominated PRIDE or not. He knows once he loses in UFC (and it will happen within his first 3-4 fights) his price to fight will drop big time. This is the time for him to come to the UFC now! He will have the chance to beat Couture (assuming Couture beats Gonzaga) and be the first heavyweight to win the unified belt in the heavyweight class making him an instant hall of famer, and a even bigger MMA legend.

Fedor/Vera at 76 would be great
agreed Stafo, Id love to see it.

Ditto

i like vera, i think he has potential to be a great fighter, but i don’t think putting him against fedor in his first fight back in the ufc would be a great idea, i have a feeling we’ll see him against tim sylvia, as, i believe he called out sylvia or got called out, before his ufc departure. and i have a feeling they are both in the same spot.

and the people protecting sylvia. sylvia is about as scared to fight as AA. in his last 5 fights, 4 of them went to decision. hes an out of shape guy who fights for the points not for the finish. now i understand fighting to your own strengths such as reach and height, but when you don’t fight aggressively, and don’t get into shape. i can’t personally have respect for you.

hes an out of shape guy who fights for the points not for the finish. now i understand fighting to your own strengths such as reach and height, but when you don’t fight aggressively, and don’t get into shape. i can’t personally have respect for you.

Tim “the turtle” Sylvia…

Always makes me laugh to hear his actual nickname! He doesn’t live up to it in the ring, but hey maybe he is a maine-iac at the bars or something.

Dana should just lie and at the next PPV, walk into the ring and say, “The negotiations with Fedor have ended. He decided not to sign with the UFC because he is a bitch and is scared to face real competition and real fighters. There’s no way he can go 3 fights in the UFC without a loss”

Then upon hearing this, Fedor will be so pissed off for being called out like that, that he will actually sign with the UFC.

he might sign for ufc hearing this or he will just kick the shit out of dana for calling him a bitch

i want vera vs overeem!!!!!

I would like to see Fedor vs Gonzaga after Gonzaga defeats Couture.
I cannot see Couture win that fight,I would love him to but he wont,how would Fedor handle Gonzaga?

Likely he will be beaten by a UFC fighter (probably one who I named). And yes, all three COULD give Fedor fits. Anyone who argues against this is clearly slow (please read between the lines). I especially like your intelligent comments about Sylvia. Like him or hate him, he’ll still be a heavyweight force when he returns.

WADZ, have you seen any of Tim Sylvia’s fights in the last 2 years? He is totally gun shy and scared to get knocked out again. The most conservative fighter I have ever seen in my life, even when he is down big on the score cards. He is also so stubburn that he’d rather have his arm broken than tap and he really doesn’t train that hard.

Now lets take a look at his previous 5 fights:

Tim Sylvia vs Assuerio Sylva main even of UFN, I think it was UFN3, which is tied for the worst fight I’ve seen in my life right there with Herring/O’Brien and Marquardt/Salavery. All of which just happened to be main events of UFN’s.

The 3rd fight vs Arlovski was entertaining to you? You are the first person to say that it was if you say yes.

Tim Sylvia impressed you against Jeff Monson? Again, you are the first person to say that it was if you say yes.

Randy loses 2 straight fights at LHW and then goes to HW and DOMINATES Tim Sylvia for 5 rounds. If you are going to lose 50 – 45 on 3 score cards, I would say that you got dominated. So you are saying that Timmy looked good to you against Couture?

You are truely one of a kind my friend.

Well that is Tim’s last 5 fights. Comparing his last 5 fights to Fedor’s last 5 I too would say that Timmy would win. LOLOLOLOLOL. NO WAY in hell would Tim even put up a fight against Fedor. He would be lying in the ring completely broken within the first 2 minutes – and that’s being lenient. Fedor is known for his agression and his will to end fights. Tim is known for the complete opposite.

WADZ, Please explain to us all how you think that Timmy can compete with Fedor.

I tell u what!!!!!!!! Who cares about Fedor,,, he is way pass his prime… he is like in his 50s n beside Us UFC fans want to see some new generations……..

Okay, and this is now tied as the ludacris statements I’ve ever heard here. Fedor is 50? That’s news. Last I heard he was 30 years old, turning 31 this September. Past his prime? Actually 30 years old is right in the middle of fighters prime. “UFC fans want to see new generations” Did you know that there is a television show on Spike TV called the Ultimate Fighter where each season there are 16 young “new generation” fighers given the chance to compete for the UFC. There were 5 seasons so far. You should tune in for season 6 in September. Its a good show.

Some classic comments under this thread…

I can’t believe there are still people who think Tim Sylvia is anything but a fat slug. Hopefully he gets knocked out his next fight and goes to IFL where he can actually be a big man again and I don’t have to see him stink up my UFC PPV.

here comes the pain.can you feel it.it’s coming!!!!

Consider this: Randy beats Gonzaga. Randy beats Fedor. Randy finds Osama and drags his ass into the Octagon to beat on him too.

Like a great race horse, the govmt. puts Randy out to stud so we can have another generation of little Randy’s running around kicking ass.

Randy finally gets on the Wheaties box.

:)

WADZ, have you seen any of Tim Sylvia’s fights in the last 2 years? He is totally gun shy and scared to get knocked out again. The most conservative fighter I have ever seen in my life, even when he is down big on the score cards. He is also so stubburn that he’d rather have his arm broken than tap and he really doesn’t train that hard.

Now lets take a look at his previous 5 fights:

Tim Sylvia vs Assuerio Sylva main even of UFN, I think it was UFN3, which is tied for the worst fight I’ve seen in my life right there with Herring/O’Brien and Marquardt/Salavery. All of which just happened to be main events of UFN’s.

The 3rd fight vs Arlovski was entertaining to you? You are the first person to say that it was if you say yes.

Tim Sylvia impressed you against Jeff Monson? Again, you are the first person to say that it was if you say yes.

Randy loses 2 straight fights at LHW and then goes to HW and DOMINATES Tim Sylvia for 5 rounds. If you are going to lose 50 – 45 on 3 score cards, I would say that you got dominated. So you are saying that Timmy looked good to you against Couture?

You are truely one of a kind my friend.

Well that is Tim’s last 5 fights. Comparing his last 5 fights to Fedor’s last 5 I too would say that Timmy would win. LOLOLOLOLOL. NO WAY in hell would Tim even put up a fight against Fedor. He would be lying in the ring completely broken within the first 2 minutes – and that’s being lenient. Fedor is known for his agression and his will to end fights. Tim is known for the complete opposite.

WADZ, Please explain to us all how you think that Timmy can compete with Fedor.

I agree with you completely, Sylvia has been far from impressive lately. The key word I used was potential. With the guys height and reach (and to a much lesser extent, his abilities), he could and should be a force in the octagon. If he trains properly, with the right people, he could and should be dominating. I’d love to see this – the guy takes a beating on this board (in most cases he deserves the criticism). As a tall and somewhat uncoordinated guy, I cheer for my own.

yes we are all lucky that “john” spends time nuturing our inferior mma minds. but to say fedor sucks is pretty stupid

WELL I GUESS UNTIL CHUCK BEATS A PRIDE FIGHTER HE SUCKS, OH YEA THATS RIGHT, HE CAN ONLY BEAT UFC BUMS. JUST A THOUGHT

ViolentMike

I agree with everything you said…couldn’t have said it better.

Here is a good example of what would happen if Fedor fought a LHW like Sobral … DECISION!! I can only imagine what Chuck would do to Sobral, Oh, no need to, he already KHTFO 2 TIMES! Hey, it’s your logic not mine.

BUDDY, WHEN FEDOR FOUGHT SOBRAL, HE COULD NOT PUNCH TO THE FACE WHILE ON THE GROUND, WATCH THE FIGHT AND SEE HOW BAD FEDOR BEAT HIS ASS, HE BEAT THE PISS OUT OF SOBRAL WITH THE LIMITED RULES IN EFFECT. IT WAS NOT EVEN A COMPETITIVE FIGHT. ITS REALLY HARD TO WATCH, LIKE A MAN FIGHTING A BOY.

We’re talking HWs. Futita got beat by Monson, Werdum got.. (ok he lost to ) AA , Herring lost to O’Brien ,Nog lost to Herring(only Herring was to dense to finish him) and we all know what happened to Cro Cop. Remember this is the weak HW div. where the Pride guys were supposed to DESTROY. So far they are not doing a very good job.

I CAN LIVE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING, GOOD POINT, BUT I THINK IF YOU LEAVE ALL THIS PRIDE UFC BULLSHIT OUT, AND LOOK AT THE FIGHTER, FEDOR IS THE REAL DEAL, NOT THAT HE’S UNBEATABLE BUT HE IS ONE OF THE BEST, IF NOT THE BEST, NO MATTER IF HE FIGHTS IN THE VFW, WWF, UFC, OR WHERE EVER THE FUCK ELSE, HES TOP NOTCH. ONE DAY HE WILL GET HIS ASS KICKED MIGHT BE SOONER OR MAYBE LATER, IT HARD TO SAY, NOBODY KNOWS I JUST HOPE WE GET TO FIND OUT.

I agree Jon, that was the most ludacris statements I’ve ever heard here.

Don’t mean to be pedantic here but… Ludacris is a rapper

I tell u what!!!!!!!! Who cares about Fedor,,, he is way pass his prime… he is like in his 50s n beside Us UFC fans want to see some new generations……..

I have a feeling you were booing while watching the Sherk/Franca fight, weren’t you? Stand em up, stand em up!!!! Please, new generation……

Who do you consider part of this new generation?

I can’t wait to see the TUF crowds faces when they see Fedor for the first time. “but, but, but.. I thought Randy Couture was the best.. WTF IS THIS GUY!”.. Let the Domination of the Heavyweight class begin.

LOL so true

FEDOR IS THE REAL DEAL, NOT THAT HE’S UNBEATABLE BUT HE IS ONE OF THE BEST, IF NOT THE BEST, NO MATTER IF HE FIGHTS IN THE VFW, WWF, UFC, OR WHERE EVER THE FUCK ELSE, HES TOP NOTCH.

Excellent points.

fedor will kill you if you talk bs about him

Don’t mean to be pedantic here but… Ludacris is a rapper

ROTF, dude we know that but seriously, we also knew that he meant “ludicrous”

Im surprised how many people here are dismissing Randy Couture in UFC 74. Its definitely a tougher match for him, but to say that he is no good against grappler’s is something I disagree with. His losses to Ricco and Vitor were a long time ago. In addition he avenged his loss with Vitor later with referee stoppage.

Also, didn’t he tie Ronaldo de Souza in a grappling match last November? Gonzaga is no where near Ronaldo in grappling, hes just bigger.

This will be a hard fight for Randy, but so what the last one. Timmy is a stubborn fighter who refuses to finish fights now days, but he is still a genetic freak. I think he had an 11 inch reach advantage, most people gave RC no chance but he DOMINATED! Im not betting against him this time either, maybe he looses, maybe he wins.

Excellent discussions, guys. Lots of good opinions being put up here (along with some not so good ones). Here’s mine:

Fedor will definitely be a force in the HW division of UFC:

- Devastating hand speed
- Punches in bunches, punches from angles
- Quick recovery time
- Makes opponents make mistakes, then capitalizes
- unbelievably relaxed, good stamina

Sylvia is an average fighter who has learned to use his advantages well. Arlovski is too timid to win anymore. Randy is an incredible athlete, but he is too small for HW against anyone except an underskilled Sylvia.

I look forward to Dana signing Fedor so we can all see for ourselves just how good this man really is. And I hope his brother Aleksander comes too though he will probably be a B fighter in UFC.

I agree Jon, that was the most ludacris statements I’ve ever heard here.
Don’t mean to be pedantic here but… Ludacris is a rapper

LOL, thanks. Of course I did indeed meen ‘ludacrous’. I guess I was feeling lazy and didn’t look it up on dictionary.com first. Thanks for my back ragnarr.

And WADZ, I do agree that Sylvia had potential but I think that too many things have happended throughout his career for him to refocus and become the #1 HW in the world. I could always be wrong and he can go on a 10 fight win streak beating everyone including Fedor. But do I think it will happen – no way. Is it possible – of course, if you believe that every thing is possible. Can you imagine Tim Sylvia if he had the same sense of aggression as someone like Shogun? But Tim will always be TIMMMMYYYYYY in my book.

Hey everyone i apologize about my comment the other day… N yes i was booing the Sherk/Franca fight, i guess i wanted to see some stand up fight… oh about Fedor being 50 , my bad i guess i just got all caught up thats all….

Can’t wait till he gets here,i watch both ufc and pride,I agree a lot what ppl say on this site but I’M TIRED OF PPL SAYING ARLOVSKI IS A BUM HE LOST TO TIMMMMMMY TWICE AND WHO ELSE RECENTLY THTAS IT its getting old reading some ppl on here down playing some fighters but o well you get locked in a cage on the big stage and see how you do. Don’t get me wrong hes not the same fighter but i think he’s gettin better,an if Dana"IT’S GOOD TO BE"White said if you win you get a title shot,hell yeah i’m going to make sure I WIN.He never told him how to win so he did what he was told but mark my word AA wil have the belt again sooner than later mid 2008

I can only imagine what Fedor would do to a Light-Heavy (Liddell or Jackson). I’m a huge Liddell fan and was devastated after his loss to Jackson – but Fedor would end that fight as well as a fight w/Jackson in a matter of seconds.
Here is a good example of what would happen if Fedor fought a LHW like Sobral … DECISION!! I can only imagine what Chuck would do to Sobral, Oh, no need to, he already KHTFO 2 TIMES! Hey, it’s your logic not mine.
BUDDY, WHEN FEDOR FOUGHT SOBRAL, HE COULD NOT PUNCH TO THE FACE WHILE ON THE GROUND, WATCH THE FIGHT AND SEE HOW BAD FEDOR BEAT HIS ASS, HE BEAT THE PISS OUT OF SOBRAL WITH THE LIMITED RULES IN EFFECT. IT WAS NOT EVEN A COMPETITIVE FIGHT. ITS REALLY HARD TO WATCH, LIKE A MAN FIGHTING A BOY.

I saw the fight and my point was a LHW might just last longer than a few seconds. Besides is punching to the face the only way to end a fight.

WHAT THE HELL, PRIDE FIGHTERS HAVE BEEN FLOPS, COME ON MAN WITHIN A YEAR TWO PRIDE FIGHTERS ALREADY HAVE TWO BELTS IF FEDOR COMES IT WILL BE THREE, HOW MANY BELTS DO YOU THINK THEY NEED
We’re talking HWs. Futita got beat by Monson, Werdum got.. (ok he lost to ) AA , Herring lost to O’Brien ,Nog lost to Herring(only Herring was to dense to finish him) and we all know what happened to Cro Cop. Remember this is the weak HW div. where the Pride guys were supposed to DESTROY. So far they are not doing a very good job.
I CAN LIVE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING, GOOD POINT, BUT I THINK IF YOU LEAVE ALL THIS PRIDE UFC BULLSHIT OUT, AND LOOK AT THE FIGHTER, FEDOR IS THE REAL DEAL, NOT THAT HE’S UNBEATABLE BUT HE IS ONE OF THE BEST, IF NOT THE BEST, NO MATTER IF HE FIGHTS IN THE VFW, WWF, UFC, OR WHERE EVER THE FUCK ELSE, HES TOP NOTCH. ONE DAY HE WILL GET HIS ASS KICKED MIGHT BE SOONER OR MAYBE LATER, IT HARD TO SAY, NOBODY KNOWS I JUST HOPE WE GET TO FIND OUT.

I know Fedor is the real deal, I just don’t buy the hype that he will destroy this guy in 2 seconds, or that guy won’t last 2 minutes with Fedor. To many people assume that the UFC HW belt is already his. If Fedor is as dominant as these people say, then he would have finished the top Pride guys not went to a decision. Win or lose ,I think Fedor will have 2 or 3 of his most challenging fights when he comes to the UFC.

I know Fedor is the real deal, I just don’t buy the hype that he will destroy this guy in 2 seconds, or that guy won’t last 2 minutes with Fedor. To many people assume that the UFC HW belt is already his. If Fedor is as dominant as these people say, then he would have finished the top Pride guys not went to a decision. Win or lose ,I think Fedor will have 2 or 3 of his most challenging fights when he comes to the UFC.

HEY I CAN’T DISPUTE THAT, FEDOR’S NOT A MACHINE AND IN THIS SPORT ANYONE CAN BEAT ANYONE. FEDOR’S NOT THE TYPE OF FIGHTER WHO FINISHES PEOPLE IN SECONDS,BUT HE IS THE BEST RIGHT NOW. HE’S NOT GREAT IN ONE ASPECT BUT VERY GOOD IN EVERYTHING AND THATS WHATS MAKES HIM THE BEST IN MY OPINION, BUT WE ALL HAVE OPINIONS AND IN THE END ITS JUST OPINIONS

Caps Lock = suck

Fedor’s time is almost up. When he grabs his first loss, and it will happen very soon within entering the UFC, he bandwagon will be deserted faster than anything you have ever seen before unfortunatly.

You must be a newbie to MMA. First of all, PRIDE heavyweight division (up until being purchased by UFC) was way more competitive than UFC’s heavyweight division – most avid MMA fans who are familiar with PRIDE would tell you that unequivocally!!

You’re amature knowledge of this sport is evidenced by you saying that Fedor is not unbeatable. No he is not unbeatable – and no one in this sport is unbeatable…you’ll learn about that as you gain more experience watching MMA. All the great fighters eventually lose a fight.

“Why doesn’t he SEEM to want to fight the best in the world?” I’m not sure where you come up with this, its not like he is dodging anyone. I don’t think, based on his past performances, that he has any reason to dodge anyone in the heavyweight division.

“Arlovski, Sylvia, and Couture could all give this guy fits” – this is just further evidence of how amature you are. I’d bet some large denominations that none of these 3 would last more than 2 rounds with Fedor (and 2 rounds would be generous).

Couture, while I respect his accomplishments, will get destroyed by Gonzaga.

Sylvia is a joke…I don’t need to elaborate on him.

Arlovski – see Sylvia’s comments.

UFC heavyweight division prior to Gonzaga/Cro Cop coming in was a complete joke.

Finally, someone actually knows what they are talking about. If it was early UFC style format, Fedor would destroy Couture, Sylvia, and Arlovski back to back to back in the same night.

its all about money you cheap asshole dana

After reading this blog it is amazing to see how many people are actually proclaiming Gonzaga to be the next great fighter. He’s not. Look back at his prior fights, youtube them if you need a history lesson and you’ll see what I’m talking about. His crushing victory over Mirko Filipovic was as much a fluke as Tyson vs. Buster (I’ve never felt more moved by the outcome of a fight before, I literally felt sick to my stomach when Cro Cop went down).

Fedor Emelianenko is the greatest. (Yes, period)

I can’t wait untill Fedor makes is UFC debute, he is a guy that I am 100% confident will come out and steal the show even if he’s not headlining the event simply by his performance alone. This is a guy who’s only loss came from a fluke cut from a glancing blow 17 seconds into a fight with T.K. who he later OBLITERATED in stunning fashion in their PrideFC rematch. Fedor is not a fighter who has had his ups and downs, this is a fighter who goes out there and beats the hell out of his opponants every single time as if his life depends on it. You’ll never see Fedor look passed anyone and that is what makes him so great in my oppinion. Mirko got cought sleeping because he had his eyes on Randy’s belt instead of on Gonzaga and he paid for it, this is not a mistake that the calibor of fighter Fedor is will make.

I can only hope that Dana White is not pursuing Fedor like he is pursuing the Chuck vs. Silva fight, as in making a big fuss about it to the press but in reality doing little to nothing to actually make it happen. I’d hate to see a vid posted on the internet of Fedor saying “WTF I’m not ducking you, I want this to happen” like Wanderlei Silva has done in regards to the fight he was supposed to have with Liddell in November. (God I know this is the wrong topic, but I get so pissed when I see missed opportunities that would absolutely drive MMA fans crazy that are squandered on who gives a crap fights like the upcoming Liddell vs. Jardine)

In closing: ALL HALE FEDOR! LOL.

Nobody in the UFC would come close to Pedor. If Fujita couldn’t finish him and then Pedor finishes Fujita with a Liver kick and choke. I mean how many times has Fujita been ko’d??? He got dipped on his head by Randleman than just reversed him and grabbed his arm like it was a chicken wing and submitted him with a Kumura. He took Cro Cops leg kicks like nothing and won. He beat Nuegura to take the title. The only time he’s actually really came close to losing was against Matt Lindland but he recovered and won with a submission.

So who in the UFC is going to challenge him? When Tim Silvia was on Roids after ko’d Gan Mcgee he called him out.
Arlovski couldn’t go 3 rounds. Werdum maybe if he just get’s him on the ground…?? Gonzaga? Pedor would probably knock out Gonzaga like he did to Zulu or who ever that huge black guy was. Coture would have the advantage of using the cage and elbows. Using his upper body Greco clinches but he couldn’t handle Pedor’s Striking.

Only man i think could stand with Pedor is Paul Buentello but then again Pedor would submitt him within 1 minute.

I believe Fedor has a good chance of loosing in the ufc.He is by far number without question,hands down,but he is not unbeatable.He has fought good strikers including Mirko,Mark Hunt,Semmy Schilt,but from what I ve seen the majority of his fights have been against grapplers.Not taking anything away from the grapplers but you are not going to beat Fedor on the ground,peroid.We have all seen that Fedor can get wobbled when he gets hit(Fujita,Crocop).The ufc has Crocop,Gonzaga appears now to be dangerous on his feet,and even Arlovski.Arlovski definately has the power to ko Fedor.Now whether he can find that opening or can he come out aggressive enough to beat Fedor is unknown right now.The heavyweights coming from Pride really arent doing all that well in the ufc.Heath herring lost his debut,Mirko got kod by a headkick,and Noguiera almost lost his debut by a ko.All in all I cant wait to see Fedor fight win, lose or draw it will be exciting.

1.) Fedor is the best, not unbeatable, but, He’d never loose to timmy,couture or arlovski…let’s see what Gonzaga is made out of.

2.) Some comments were bashing PRIDE fighters? If you don’t think they’re good, Should’ve asked Rich Franklin’s contorted face after Silva killed him. Ask him today and his nightmares are made out of Silva Clinches.

3.) Age has little to do with this (and no, I’m not 40, 50 or even 30) The body gets uncoditioned in old age..so keep in conditioned. Determination and heart will take someone alot further than muscles or reach alone.