Better Decade: Fedor Before Werdum, or Silva Through Belfort?

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Twelve days ago, I would have said that Fedor Emelianenko was the best fighter in the history of mixed martial arts. Now, I'm not so sure. The combination of Anderson Silva's spectacular knockout of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 and Fedor's loss to Antonio Silva a week later might force me to reconsider and pick Silva as the greatest in MMA history, and Fedor as No. 2.

It's a close call, and any argument about the best fighter in MMA history is rife with problems. The biggest problem being that there's not much history to MMA. It's a new sport, and it's a really new sport if you want to use an apples-to-apples comparison of fighters competing under modern rules with weight classes. In fact, I think the arguments about the best fighters in MMA history are so complex that I don't want to deal with them here.

Instead, I'd like to ask a simpler question: Who had a better decade: Silva in the 10 years up to and including his victory over Belfort, or Fedor in the 10 years before the loss to Fabricio Werdum that started his current two-fight slide?

First let's define our terms. Fedor's 10-year period is from the start of his career, in 2000, through his victory over Brett Rogers in 2009. Silva's 10-year period is from the first time he fought outside Brazil, a Shooto fight in the spring of 2001, through that victory over Belfort.

Fedor's record for a decade: 31-1
Silva's record for a decade: 26-3.

So Fedor's record was better than Silva's during their best 10-year spans, and both Fedor and Silva have one loss that we can more or less toss out as a fluke: Fedor lost when he was cut by an illegal elbow, while Silva suffered a disqualification against Yushin Okami. I'm not sure how relevant either of those fights are to judging Fedor and Silva.

Silva's two Pride losses are relevant, however. I've often heard from MMA fans in the "Pride never die" school who think Fedor was far better than Silva in the early part of their respective careers. Some Pride fans think it's not even close. And it's true that Fedor was way better than Silva in Pride: Fedor went 14-0 in Pride, while Silva went 3-2, and Fedor was fighting better opposition in Pride than Silva was. Contrasting Fedor's amazing consistency over the first 10 years of his career with Silva's two Pride losses, it's hard to even make the case for Silva.

But a lot of people don't realize just how good Silva was 10 years ago, and how much he had accomplished before he fought in Pride. On August 26, 2001, Silva beat Hayato Sakurai by unanimous decision to win the Shooto middleweight title in a fight that is largely forgotten by today's fans but was, at the time, a huge development in the sport. As Jordan Breen wrote in a look at Silva's career in 2009, Sakurai was 18-0-2 and widely viewed as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport at the time that Silva beat him.

That victory stood as the best of Silva's career until he signed with the UFC and went on his current tear. Now I'd rank it as maybe his sixth-best, after his two wins over Rich Franklin and his victories over Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin and Vitor Belfort.

Were those victories better than Fedor's biggest wins? I'm not sure. Fedor's two wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and his one over Mirko Cro Cop were monumental, and although there's been some revisionist history lately about Fedor's last three wins (Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski and Rogers), those were all legitimate opponents that Fedor put away handily. Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Heath Herring and Semmy Schilt were all credible opponents for Fedor as well, and he dominated all of them, too. It's true that Fedor fought some ridiculously easy opponents like Yuji Nagata (career record: 0-2) but he fought a lot of very good opponents, too.

Silva has been amazing at moving up in weight classes. He beat Sakurai at 168 pounds, has dominated the middleweight division and also moved up to beat a very strong light heavyweight, Forrest Griffin. Fedor has only fought in the heavyweight division, although one of the things that makes Fedor amazing is that the vast majority of his wins have come against bigger opponents.

When both Silva and Fedor are retired, we're going to look at their careers and say that Silva accomplished more. Fedor doesn't look like he has much left, while Silva looks like he was revitalized by the challenge that Belfort presented. Give them both a couple more years, and we're probably looking at Silva having some more spectacular wins, while Fedor is probably done beating elite opponents.

But the best 10 years of their respective careers? Fedor gets the edge. Silva will be judged as greater by history because he lasted longer, but Silva went through that lull in his career when he dropped a couple fights in Pride. Fedor gave us a decade of unparalleled excellence.

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/17/better-decade-fedor-before-werdum-or-silva-through-belfort/?a_dgi=aolshare_twitter

really liked this article, you could go both ways on this and obviously ill say fedor had a better decade with me being a Fedor fan...

10 year viewpoint

I go Fedor
32-2-1 in MMA while still having the time to pull in 9 sambo titles, win the Pride FC World Grand Prix, the Rings Absolute Class Tournament and the Rings Heavyweight Class Tournament(he would of beat a healthy Hoffman). He also would of won the 2000 Rings King of Kings if not for the illegal elbow i believe. His streaks are something else.

Silva is great
26-3 in the last ten years. 1-0 as a boxer. Shooto, Cage Rage, and UFC Champion with his own incredible streak.

Fedor never really lost so it has to be him. Strength of schedule is close IMO then some may think, but also goes to Fedor. If you can stretch Anderson's to include possible future wins, like GSP, maybe Okami, maybe a run at LHW, then IMO it'd be Anderson.

Fedor and it isnt close, he went undefeated in that era the loss to TK was a technicality

Birdofthad wrote:

Fedor and it isnt close, he went undefeated in that era the loss to TK was a technicality

This!

There is no comparison when you look at what level and who they were fighting. Add in Fedor's other accomplishments and it isn't close. Fedor fought bigger guys his whole career for the most part. He is and always will be the GOAT.

What if Anderson beat GSP, Okami, Sonnen again or someone and won the LHW Title?

Opinion with and without

It's like I said before, Anderson's path to real GOAT status is much longer at MW, the fast track to absolute greatness above all would happen if he continues his streak into LHW.

What if he did above?

LA wrote:

What if he did above?

and what if Fedor beat Werdum, Hendo, Cormier?

I'd expect him to beat Werdum

Hendo and Cormier?

Anderson beating GSP, Okami, Sonnen and a run at LHW is more impressive

LA wrote:

I'd expect him to beat Werdum

Hendo and Cormier?

Anderson beating GSP, Okami, Sonnen and a run at LHW is more impressive

2 olympians on my list.

MMA

LA wrote:

MMA

what is sonnen? 4-4 in the UFC?

who has Okami beat exactly?

Dude they are top ranked fighters, Cormier has literally beaten on one, and Hendo is a legend but isn't even a top 10 LHW right now and would be 41 come fight time. Then you're excluding GSP, one of the best fighters alltime and a run at LHW.

Also Sonnen has impoved a lot since his early UFC run where he got those loses, he's shown it too.

LA wrote:

Dude they are top ranked fighters, Cormier has literally beaten on one, and Hendo is a legend but isn't even a top 10 LHW right now and would be 41 come fight time. Then you're excluding GSP, one of the best fighters alltime and a run at LHW.

Also Sonnen has impoved a lot since his early UFC run where he got those loses, he's shown it too.

Hendo just beat Sobral. As impressive as either Sonnen's or Okami's win over Nate. Which is the only big win for either guy of late.

Babalu? get the fuck out of here

LA wrote:

Babalu? get the fuck out of here

why not? What are Nate's major accomplishments? A spinning combo vs whomever? Catching a one dimensional BJJ fighter?

Nate would crush Babalu, that BJJ fighter is still top 10 too, come on.

Also it ws fairly easy to predict Hendo destroying Babalu in that fight.

But I don't care that much, IMO Anderson can only catch and pass Fedor at this point, especially with what I laidout, GSP, Okami, Sonnen or whoever, and a run at LHW would seal it.

LA wrote:

Nate would crush Babalu, that BJJ fighter is still top 10 too, come on.

Also it ws fairly easy to predict Hendo destroying Babalu in that fight.

But I don't care that much, IMO Anderson can only catch and pass Fedor at this point, especially with what I laidout, GSP, Okami, Sonnen or whoever, and a run at LHW would seal it.

I love Silva. I had called for a Silva Fedor fight if Silva ever jumped to SF. Thought that was an epic super fight if ever there was one. And I'd prob pick silva in that fight.


But I ain't going to over rate Maia, Okami or Sonnen in an effort to raise Silva's status. Those are good fighters I don't argue that, but none of those guys are in the Hendo class.

A 41 year old Hendo? yes, Sonnen and Okami could beat Hendo at this point. They are also top 10 ranked fighters anyway you look at it. Also, Anderson beat Hendo, like no one else too. Plus you'd also have to include his proposed wins.

LA wrote:

A 41 year old Hendo? yes, Sonnen and Okami could beat Hendo at this point. They are also top 10 ranked fighters anyway you look at it. Also, Anderson beat Hendo, like no one else too. Plus you'd also have to include his proposed wins.

Could they beat hendo? I guess. would they? I dunno. Chael is ranked by guys that are willing to overlook the very recent drug suspension. Okami was an afterthought a year ago. A Thales like nightmare for the UFC matchmakers, ie, no one wants to see it.

But they are good fighters, Okami just gets passed up a lot, he's a legit top 5 quality MW, I doubt Sonnen has some PED using past, doesn't factor to much for me, first time he ever failed and was a top MW before fighting Anderson and the failed test.

IF Silva did what you are saying LA, then he would be the GOAT imo.