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  • July 25, 2008 12:16 AM ET

Who wins today: Fedor Emelianenko or Randy Couture?

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Fedor has his doubters, and perhaps the half minute dismantling of Tim Silvia last week was a bit too fast to make believers of some current critics, but I think it showed perfectly why Fedor is exactly what we've always known, still the best of the best. Tim Silvia is a giant by physical standards, but he looked like a ragdoll in Fedor's grips.

Now, Randy Couture would be no cake walk. Randy is also one of the best of all time, but in terms of fighters, Fedor is just ridiculously powerful, especially for those who want to try and make sense of his physical appearance and weight. One thing is clear, Fedor perhaps combines strength, conditioning, skills, and physics into an emotionally stable fighting athletic body better than anybody in the history of MMA.

Fedor knows how to adapt mentally and physically from fight to fight, and he waists nothing in motion. He's a Tim Duncan of MMA, smart and efficient. It's hard to fight a guy who is good in all phases of the game, but probably more disconcerting to fight a guy who probably hasn't really ever been "beaten" outright, and never shows panic or fear. Fedor wouldn't be bullied, nor outsmarted, nor outconditioned by Randy Couture.


Let me just say that Fedor is a Monster,

Just to get that out of the way.

BUT-

Fedors greatest asset is his game plan- thats right I said it- even more than his Sambo or that AWESOME Hairdo, its that GAMEPLAN he comes in with that is the secret to his success.

Tim starts so slow I wonder if he even wakes up 5 minutes before a fight- I mean does he get his first cup of coffee after round 1?

Here is what will give Fedor Problems

Randy is better than it than he is.

Randy is the reason Forrest Beat Rampage- they found a whole in Rampage- even let it slip on TV- Rampages Trainer even SAID they knew the gameplan- and they were going to stop it easily

Hmmm Didn;t work. FG STILL ran the gameplan and took it 5 rounds and won (if you don;t agree with the des- SO?)

Look at the last Fight Fedor Had where he actually took some damage vs the Giant Korean- Fedor went down QUICK, TWICE and absorbed a LOT of shots- and just kept going for an Armbar my 9 year old could avoid- got it and GK Tapped

Randy has done nothing but study Fedor fighting Cans (and Tim)

and if there is a hole there in Fedors Game- Randy will find it.


The thing that seperates Couture and Fedor from everyone else in contention currently, is that these guys use their heads best. Gameplanning both during training and during the actual fight is an underated "intangible" trait these guys have. Some guys go into a fight and lose all senses... do that against Fedor and you are done.

The one thing that sets Fedor above Couture is physicality. Couture is a tough SOB, but he's really a light-heavyweight bulked up to heavyweight class. He's won at the heavyweight level using his experience and his mind, and extreme conditioning. But Fedor is just as good as Couture, but he's true heavyweight. Fedor has quick hands, with true knockout power in each punch. If Couture can survive the standup game of Fedor, it's hard to imagine any other way that Couture can beat him. His ground and pound certainly won't be effective against an experienced and superior athlete like Fedor, and his clinch and wrestling is negated by Fedor. Couture's bullheaded tactics that he used so well against the larger and stronger Gonzaga in the UFC won't work without a caged ring. I would give Couture a lucky "puncher's chance", that's all.


"Some guys go into a fight and lose all senses... do that against Fedor and you are done. "

Other than the Josh Barnett fight I have NEVER seen Randy not be able to put the fight on pause it seems and change direction.- If you watch the Nog fight- Fedor seemed to do the same thing- but to be honest with you- I don't know if Nog was EVER on top in that fight- He almost never tried to stand with him- and sorry, grabbing onto his foot an trying to pull him down was just a BAD plan by Nog - and other than about 5 triangle attempts- Fedor just got to practice his G&P - and never really even took ANY Damage

You lay 15-25 minutes on Randy- and YOU will have to worry about more than Triangles

Fedor had a great standing fight with Cro-Cop, - Fedor did a great bit of Damage once he backed him into a corner - but thats another story

In my mind that was the LAST good opponent he fought before Timmy

The Last All-American 40+ year old Fedor fought- Coleman- I have no idea what Mark was thinking in that fight- Maybe he thought Fedor might break a hand on his face?

Fedor does not have the Sprawl of Chuck- so Randy will take him down - and RC is not going to be intimidated like Most.


Forfeited Turn


Let me break this down for you, since you didn;t really give me much here.

1a. Randy is the best wrestler that Fedor has seen in the past 8 years,

b. Fedor is NOT going to be the best wrestler Randy has seen in 8 years

2a. Fedor is MORE than willing to go down to the ground-

b. there is no place Randy wants more than the ground

3a. Fedor is quicker than any big man in MMA

b. Randy is USED to being the slower man in the ring

4a. Fedor will take punishment for a better position

b Randy will not over extend himself to put punishment on his opponent, if a looping punch can give up an Armbar- randy is one of a FEW fighters that don;t take the punch.

I'm not saying Randy will beat Fedor easy- or like Anderson Silva vs Rich Franklin

What I am saying is that Randy will wear him out on the ground- and unless Fedor gets a few shots in on Randy going for a takedown- or his sprawl is MUCH better than he has shown

Fedor has not seen round 2 since the Colman fight- and that 40 year old took every punch in Fedors arsenal- and counter punched with his face.

If Randy takes a full round of punches- Fedor is DONE on the ground

Randy Round 4 (strikes)

July 25, 2008  09:20 AM ET

I'm guessing this is for chess finals?

July 25, 2008  10:26 AM ET

I will vote for arguments, but let me just say that Randy wouldn't beat Fedor, not by any mile.

On the other hand, Randy is a smart fighter, wouldn't rush like Sylvia did.

Fedor has beaten awesome wrestlers such as Couture (Fujita, Randleman). He has also beaten better submission guys than Couture (Minotauro). Furthermore, he has beaten better strikers than Couture (Cro Cop, Semmy Schilt).

I would see this as a 3-round (or 5-round, all depends) decision for Fedor.

But I'll wait for all the arguments, of course.

July 25, 2008  11:09 AM ET

And I actually think that Arlovski, putting forward his best performance, fighting at the top of his game, could pose Fedor a much tougher equation to deal with, rather than Fedor.

July 25, 2008  11:52 AM ET

Frank Dukes.

Chun Li never had a realistic chance.

July 25, 2008  12:21 PM ET

Well, IF this fight is even gonna happen, OR if it will be relevant because on Oct. 11 Fedor will defend his title against Arlovski.

July 25, 2008  12:22 PM ET

I agree with Hyped though. Arlovski will be a better test for Fedor. I would've love to have seen Couture beat Fedor. Would've made my year. But now Arlovski gets the shot, and I hope he wins.

July 25, 2008  12:26 PM ET

I agree with David on the point where Randy will find something to exploit in Fedor's game, and use it. Will it be enough to win? Maybe. But Randy's not going down like Tim. I think what helps Fedor is that he's always pushing, never retreating. And obviously that works. But sooner or later, he's gonna get caught. It's bound to happen.

July 26, 2008  01:11 AM ET

I agree with Robert, in any scenario there's no way Couture would go down like Tim Sylvia. I'm still honestly giving Fedor his credit for the skills he displayed, in beating Tim Sylvia, but Tim is looking pretty bad out there these days... perhaps he was just scared of Fedor. nevertheless, for Fedor's part, you could see all his best traits, the scary fast hands, the power in each punch, and the calm composure as he slipped the finishing choke...

I also like the "Arlovski-beard" on display in your profile, best look in MMA, I'd grow one if it looked presentable for me.

July 28, 2008  12:58 AM ET

nobody beats fedor

July 28, 2008  01:01 AM ET

I view this TD as an analogy to the fight.

Bombsniffin (Fedor) vs. David (Couture)

Fedor's a heavy favorite going in. I would pick Fedor to win by submission (TD forfeit) in Round 3. OR perhaps by decision after 3 rounds if David/Couture kept his mental game-plan tip-top throughout (and the voters didn't chime in too early with Fedor votes).

But where WAS Fedor in Round 3 of this TD? He didn't come out of his corner! Only David/Couture did!

In close MMA fights, the decision goes to the aggressor. Round 3 was all David. Voting right.

July 28, 2008  10:17 AM ET

Fedor has the advantage in virtually every area of this fight, aside from game planning, but even then Couture's advantage is small. You can never count Couture out, because he always comes in with a great gameplan and he seems to perform best in the underdog role, but looking at this matchup on paper, there's really no doubt that Fedor would be the victor.

 
July 28, 2008  04:11 PM ET

I like the comment by YODA. Also voting right.

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