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MMA > General MMA > Fedor: The Michael Jordan of MMA

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August 3, 2011, 08:12 AM

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Fedor: The Jordan of MMA

Dum_barse.

Sorry, let me back up a moment.
Before the Hendo/Fedor fight this past Saturday on Showtime, in giving the verbal BJ to the fighters- Muaro called Fedor the MJ of MMA.

Now, I am on record of hatin me some MJ- as a player, person, GM and owner. But I respect his skill as a player and as the top (non-center) player in NBA history. If you were going to start an NBA team right now, all-time, even MY first pick would be coming from the University of North Carolina and it???s not James Worthy.

But Fedor as the MJ of MMA? Ignorance, and an insult to all Jordan did both for Nike and the NBA (and in that order).

As great as Fedor is, he???s not the MJ of MMA.

He???s Larry Bird.

Consider this.

6???10(ish) 3 point specialist who also was good for 10 boards and would kill you on D. But was he a SF/PF or what? Heck, I???ve seen spots where the only Celtic shorter than Bird on the court was Danny Ainge.
But try to explain to a 10 year old how great he was and they look at you like- ???did he play in the 60s???? or I???ve even read where his titles don???t count since they were Pre-Jordan and teams his era would get whacked by the Bobcats.

Now Fedor. (Pride/Affliction version)
Cannot be submitted. Cannot be Ko???ed. Throw him on his FRIKKEN NECK and he still wins. Can KO an Elephant and Armbar a Bear and only smiles when he sees ice-cream.
And yet, to some he might as well be the Russian Tim Silvia or Ken Shamrock.
Yeah he beat Nog, but he also fought Minowaman and Sum Yung Guy 10 times.
Fedor fought in a ring, never (as yet) in the UFC so to some he might as well have only fought in Ring Rulers and beat locals.

Let me give you an example. I have a 17 year old buddy- also a writer here on the Nickel, who is trying to learn MMA, and if he asked me how Fedor was going to beat a guy in his prime ( say 2005 Fedor vs JDS,) any Pride fan is going to say Armbar, round whatever. If asked what else he brings to the fight then its, well he brings Sambo, and a number of strikes. Not anything stellar but if you blink, he kills you. If you rest up during the fight- that armbar kills you dead.

Now in an all-time pickup game, Dan asks me how Bird is going to kill his team, and any NBA fan will tell you the deep 3- more than likely from the corner, Bird has tons of ways to kill you, but you leave him alone, you die from anywhere in the arena.

Both men are killers, both men are first ballot HOFers, both men DOMINATED the top athletes in their sport for years.

And both held on too long.

Dan, and the rest of his ???generation??? saw Fedor lose 3 times, and look BAD against Brett Rodgers. They also saw Bird on his last legs, if at all. His later years saw Bird spending more time laying on the floor than playing on it.

I saw Fedor give up a triangle choke quietly.
I saw Bird get shoved around by Larry Johnson in the paint
I saw Fedor get punished by Giant Silva.
I saw Bird get out hustled by Anthony Mason
I saw Fedor lose to Hendo
I saw Bird pushed to the ground by Karl Malone and walk off the court rather than choke the shart out of him.

If Fedor never comes to Strikeforce, and he???s an undefeated Legend.
If Bird never comes back after his first surgery, and he???s never ML Carr for a playoff game.

Now, this brings us to who is the MJ of MMA

We need someone transcendant, popular, a champion but still someone we think we could have a beer with but wouldn???t really be able to.

It would help if he had a Yoda-like teacher and a shoe deal. Maybe if he even was a real-life crime-fighting hero-

Now if we had some inhuman spinning back elbow or crescent kick . . ..

Wait.
He???s not MJ yet- but 4 or 5 title defenses, a few more appearances on Kimmel, a few ESPYs and a win over Anderson Silva at MSG or Cowboys Stadium . . . . .

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August 3, 2011 08:35 AM ET

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Jordan played in the best league in the world his whole career and retired as a champion.

uno2343749

Nashville , TN

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August 3, 2011 08:40 AM ET

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QUOTE(#1):

Originally posted 08:35 AM ET 08.03 by uno2343749

Jordan played in the best league in the world his whole career and retired as a champion.

Really?

I must have missed those Wizard parades.

Also, PRIDE had the best heavyweights BY FAR when he was the dominant champion. Nog and Cro-Cop vs Timmy, AA and JEFF MONSON?

Bloggers Needed

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August 3, 2011 08:47 AM ET

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pride has rampant steroids, different rules and a ring instead of a cage.....you might as well compare pride to boxing....

---Loki---

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August 3, 2011 08:58 AM ET

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QUOTE(#2):

Originally posted 08:40 AM ET 08.03 by Bloggers Needed

Really? I must have missed those Wizard parades.Also, PRIDE had the best heavyweights BY FAR when he was the dominant champion. Nog and Cro-Cop vs Timmy, AA and JEFF MONSON?

I am talking about the Fedor after pride when he was still in his prime. Jordan joined the Wiz to become part owner not to win a championship. Jordan retired as a champion with the Bulls.

uno2343749

Nashville , TN

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August 3, 2011 09:15 AM ET

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pride was also littered with brawlers and other one dimensional fighters....even Cro Cop had his kick and what else? to say that Pride had the best HWs of THAT time is reasonably accurate but to suggest that those fighters are anywhere near the level that MMA has progressed to is insane...Fedor's resume has more question marks than notable wins...for every win over Nog, there is also a Hong Man Choi or Zuluzinho (aka Wagner Martins), for every win over Cro Cop there is also a fight against a Tsuyoshi Kohsaka or whatever other random fighter that could be considered mediocre at best...and this doesn't even account for the K-1 fighters that tried to do more than kickboxing and lost because they were trying a different sport where you don't get stood back up every time you go to the ground...

---Loki---

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August 3, 2011 09:17 AM ET

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QUOTE(#4):

Originally posted 08:58 AM ET 08.03 by uno2343749

I am talking about the Fedor after pride when he was still in his prime. Jordan joined the Wiz to become part owner not to win a championship. Jordan retired as a champion with the Bulls.

Fedor after pride: Hong Man Choi, Tim Sylvia (the american version of Hong Man Choi), poor showing against a joke in Brett Rogers, a weak HW in AA who was actually beating Fedor til the flying knee didn't work out so well...

---Loki---

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August 3, 2011 09:18 AM ET

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QUOTE(#3):

Originally posted 08:47 AM ET 08.03 by ---Loki---

pride has rampant steroids, different rules and a ring instead of a cage.....you might as well compare pride to boxing....

*had

---Loki---

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August 3, 2011 09:25 AM ET

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QUOTE(#4):

Originally posted 08:58 AM ET 08.03 by uno2343749

I am talking about the Fedor after pride when he was still in his prime. Jordan joined the Wiz to become part owner not to win a championship. Jordan retired as a champion with the Bulls.

Since the time of Pride and until the most recent 3 fights, Fedor had ONE legit opponent in Matt Lindland and even that is suspicious since Lindland was 37 at the time and was already well into his decline...so I am not sure what you are alluding at with the "Fedor after Pride when he was still in his prime"....no one he fought was in their prime except Rodgers and that isn't saying much...

---Loki---

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August 3, 2011 09:33 AM ET

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QUOTE(#8):

Originally posted 09:25 AM ET 08.03 by ---Loki---

Since the time of Pride and until the most recent 3 fights, Fedor had ONE legit opponent in Matt Lindland and even that is suspicious since Lindland was 37 at the time and was already well into his decline...so I am not sure what you are alluding at with the "Fedor after Pride when he was still in his prime"....no one he fought was in their prime except Rodgers and that isn't saying much...

Thats my point, I think your misreading it. My point is I give props to Fedor when he was in Pride and how dominant he was. But after pride, Fedor started to fight no names and cans while losing 3 in a row. While guys like GSP and Anderson Silva have been fighting top guys in the best organization past their 30s.

uno2343749

Nashville , TN

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August 3, 2011 09:44 AM ET

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if Fedor was so "dominant" in Pride, then how can anyone say he has taken so much punishment and it's taking its toll? Anderson Silva fought in Pride and is still fighting at an older age....Wandy is only a year older and took more punishment in pride and yet he is still going...Road Rage fought in Pride, took the punishment and is STILL a contender fighting for the title in a month...Fedor isn't old, Fedor isn't damaged from punishment...he's just not in the kiddie pool anymore...he's now fighting multi-dimensional fighters

---Loki---

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August 3, 2011 09:47 AM ET

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QUOTE(#9):

Originally posted 09:33 AM ET 08.03 by uno2343749

Thats my point, I think your misreading it. My point is I give props to Fedor when he was in Pride and how dominant he was. But after pride, Fedor started to fight no names and cans while losing 3 in a row. While guys like GSP and Anderson Silva have been fighting top guys in the best organization past their 30s.

I think Fedor is STILL in his prime, just not very good....the level of competition has simply increased

---Loki---

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August 3, 2011 10:17 AM ET

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QUOTE(#11):

Originally posted 09:47 AM ET 08.03 by ---Loki---

I think Fedor is STILL in his prime, just not very good....the level of competition has simply increased

And that could be it too, to be honest I dont really care too much for Fedor lol. I think he is so overrated and over hyped

uno2343749

Nashville , TN

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August 3, 2011 10:17 AM ET

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In terms of being the face of his sport, marketability and sponsor/non sport business opportunities, and increasing its popularity and creating the most buzz/interest of his sport among casual American fans like Jordan did for Basketball, Chuck Liddell would be the MMA version

SJ Pete

San Jose, CA

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August 3, 2011 10:18 AM ET

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QUOTE(#11):

Originally posted 09:47 AM ET 08.03 by ---Loki---

I think Fedor is STILL in his prime, just not very good....the level of competition has simply increased

I just like having a good debate. You may not like Jim but he is good to debate with along with a couple more guys that can actually make sense. lol

uno2343749

Nashville , TN

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August 3, 2011 10:22 AM ET

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QUOTE(#13):

Originally posted 10:17 AM ET 08.03 by SJ Pete

In terms of being the face of his sport, marketability and sponsor/non sport business opportunities, and increasing its popularity and creating the most buzz/interest of his sport among casual American fans like Jordan did for Basketball, Chuck Liddell would be the MMA version

I'd say MMA has yet to see an MJ....basketball went decades without an MJ....Jon Jones has the potential to fill that role...he's in commercials, he is an up and comer that is dominating some big names, he's the youngest to hold a UFC title...obviously, it all depends on what happens from here on out but he is staged to have that potential....Chuck was a nobody to anyone but MMA fans...I don't recall seeing him in any commercials...he was always a fan favorite but that only matters to fans...

---Loki---

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August 3, 2011 10:47 AM ET

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QUOTE(#15):

Originally posted 10:22 AM ET 08.03 by ---Loki---

I'd say MMA has yet to see an MJ....basketball went decades without an MJ....Jon Jones has the potential to fill that role...he's in commercials, he is an up and comer that is dominating some big names, he's the youngest to hold a UFC title...obviously, it all depends on what happens from here on out but he is staged to have that potential....Chuck was a nobody to anyone but MMA fans...I don't recall seeing him in any commercials...he was always a fan favorite but that only matters to fans...

He was the first MMA fighter to be on a major sports magazine (ESPN cover), he was the first fighter I remember having highlights on Sportscenter, he appeared in multiple tv shows (Punked, Entourage), in movies (some Paul Walker movie), I think GSP had the first tv commercial when he did a gatorade one but I think Chuck did print ads like a milk one and I remember seeing him in ads on mma websites- the bars off to the sides

SJ Pete

San Jose, CA

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August 3, 2011 10:54 AM ET

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QUOTE(#16):

Originally posted 10:47 AM ET 08.03 by SJ Pete

He was the first MMA fighter to be on a major sports magazine (ESPN cover), he was the first fighter I remember having highlights on Sportscenter, he appeared in multiple tv shows (Punked, Entourage), in movies (some Paul Walker movie), I think GSP had the first tv commercial when he did a gatorade one but I think Chuck did print ads like a milk one and I remember seeing him in ads on mma websites- the bars off to the sides

And Chuck also was on Dont do drugs campaign for kids lol