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The greatest heavyweights in MMA history aren’t limited to the gates of the UFC.
Stipe Miocic, Francis Ngannou, Cain Velasquez… all fine candidates for heavyweight ‘GOAT’, but Joe Rogan’s pick is a little different than most.
Rogan, a UFC commentator since UFC 12, has to go with somebody outside the premier promotion, and that’s Fedor Emelianenko. Emelianenko went 40-7 in MMA, once going on a 30-fight win streak – the stuff of legend for the retired Russian fighter.
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Despite an over-the-top resume of wins over Mark Coleman, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Kevin Randleman, Andrei Arlovski, and so many more, Emelianenko never went on to the UFC. Dana White and co. weren’t able to reach an agreement with “The Last Emperor” to make a dream fight vs. Brock Lesnar a reality.
You simply could NOT beat Fedor back in his primehttps://t.co/FtQiNQtPIM
— Cerebral Vigilante (@Delisketo) October 11, 2022
Exempt from UFC competition and more notable opponents, Rogan still touts Emelianenko as the best heavyweight to ever do it.
“Juicy Fedor from Pride… I don’t know if anybody beats Fedor in his prime. He was so good. Fedor walked down [Mirko] Cro Cop when he was in his prime,” Rogan said on JRE Fight Companion.
“You’ve got to remember most of that fight was standing up and Fedor was going blow-to-blow with Crocop and walking him down… That Randleman armbar, he f****** suplexes him on his head and five seconds later he’s got him in a kimura, it’s crazy. He was different. He was a monster.”
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Throwback to when Fedor Emelianenko snapped his three-year retirement when he made his return at RIZIN.
There’s been many legends who have competed under the RIZIN banner, Fedor is one of the best. pic.twitter.com/M4oCNH4nMi
— Verdict (@VerdictMMA) December 27, 2024
In 2009, Fedor Emelianenko stood with a 31-1 professional record before he started to take his first couple of losses to the likes of Fabricio Werdum and Dan Henderson. Emelianeko fought in Bellator MMA for the final chapter of his career, deciding to retire in 2023 off a world title rematch against Ryan Bader.
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