Large men and small gloves leave no margin for error, yet "The Last Emperor" spent the better part of a decade as the reflexive answer to "Who is the best heavyweight on the planet?"įrom 2001-09, Fedor went 27-0 with 1 no contest. It's rare to get an assignment as easy as "Explain why Fedor is an all-time great heavyweight." He is the gold standard for dominance in MMA's most volatile weight class. Phil Murphy: Never forget the greatness of Fedor It's about the results in the UFC's most competitive division over the years.Īnd no one has enjoyed more success within that division than Ohio's own. He's more Kawhi Leonard than LeBron James.īut this isn't about what kind of a draw you are or were. In fact, dare I say, his face should be the very first on that proverbial mountain.Īnd yeah, he's not as popular as Randy Couture, Cain Velasquez and Cormier were. He doesn't need those wins to cement his spot atop MMA's Heavyweight Mt. They aren't dismissing it either, I'm told.īut I'm getting ahead of myself. This is something he wants really badly, and his desire to fight one of those men - in boxing, no less - has already been expressed to the UFC brass on multiple occasions. Imagine the hype around that fight?Īnd then, if he beats Jones, who would be next? I actually don't think a fight against Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua would be completely out of the question. Not one, but two wins over - once again - the most-feared man in the UFC.Īnd then, if he wins, he's staring at a super fight against Jones. He weathered an early storm from the big man and then dominated his way to a one-sided unanimous decision victory.Īnd now, on Saturday, he'll attempt to replicate that victory. He handed Ngannou his first UFC loss three years ago when it appeared as though Ngannou was the most-feared human being to ever step foot inside the Octagon.
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And many of those wins came when his opponents were in their primes. He also holds wins over legends such as Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt, Roy Nelson and Andrei Arlovski. No one else can claim that (remember, the second Jon Jones win over Cormier was overturned to a no contest).
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He holds multiple wins over Cormier, whom I consider to be one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. He holds the record for most successful title defenses at heavyweight and most heavyweight title victories (6). And it's starting to not even be a close competition anymore. So, I'll state it loudly and clearly for him: Miocic is the most decorated and successful heavyweight to ever compete in the UFC. When I asked him recently if he was the greatest heavyweight champion ever, he deflected in typical, lovable Miocic fashion. He will rarely, if ever, refer to himself as the most decorated heavyweight champion in the history of the UFC. There was also an argument made as to why this Mount Rushmore should be one face short of its namesake.Īriel Helwani: The guy from Ohio is king of the mountain Even Daniel Cormier, at first, wasn't sure he belonged, considering he did some of his best work at light heavyweight.ĮSPN's 13-member panel - names below - put together its list, and the following were the top four vote-getters, in order. While Miocic, Emelianenko and Cain Velasquez are widely accepted as the best of the best, the fourth spot drives more debate. Would another win over Ngannou settle things? Maybe.īut one thing that is not up for debate is that Miocic belongs on the Mount Rushmore of heavyweight greats, along with three (or maybe two?) other legends. Current fans say Miocic already has proven himself with a UFC-record four heavyweight title defenses.
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Is he the greatest heavyweight fighter in MMA history? The old-schoolers say no, arguing their era was deeper and more talented and that Fedor Emelianenko is the GOAT. When UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic walks to the Octagon on Saturday to face Francis Ngannou in the main event of UFC 260, he'll be accompanied by two sides of a debate that he might finally be able to settle. UFC 260: MMA's heavyweight Mount Rushmore: Who doesn't belong, and who was snubbed?
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