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1.
Fedor Emelianenko
Of course he's human; being boxed around by Andrei Arlovski at "Day of Reckoning" certainly proved that. But he hasn't lost the ability to capitalize on the smallest mistake from his opponent and ferociously tear out a victory. So unless you plan on pitching a perfect game, don't bother getting in the ring with him.
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2.
Josh Barnett
His inability to finish Gilbert Yvel from the mount didn't inspire much confidence. But maybe his size and unstoppable wrestling will cause problems for The Last Emperor (assuming they ever fight). Or maybe he'll get iced standing like everyone else Fedor has faced lately...
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3.
Frank Mir
The world isn't ready for a Frank Mir who can kick ass standing. Big Nog sure wasn't ready at UFC 92, and Brock Lesnar may not be either during their rematch. It's crazy to think that two years ago, Mir was being completely written off. Now he's one win away from being the UFC's undisputed heavyweight champion again, following stoppage wins over Antoni Hardonk, Lesnar, and Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro Motherfucking Nogueira. Could he be on the verge of the greatest career comeback in MMA history?
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4.
Andrei Arlovski
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5.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Nothing lasts forever — not even the ability to absorb inhuman amounts of damage. If Nogueira hopes to continue competing at the highest level, he'll have to start learning how to avoid damage. A new focus on striking wouldn't hurt either. (Hey, it worked for Frank Mir.)
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6.
Brock Lesnar
I, for one, welcome our new dick-chested overlord. Has MMA ever seen a fighter as humungous and athletic as Lesnar? Related question: Will he be able to impose his will with equal success on fighters closer to his own size and age?
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7.
Randy Couture
Of all the factors that contributed to Randy's loss to Brock Lesnar, his 50+ pound weight disadvantage is the one that's truly inexcusable. With Lesnar now in the division, Randy has no business competing at heavyweight. Finishing off his career at 205 is probably the most graceful and meaningful way to go out.
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8.
Alistair Overeem
Speaking of great career comebacks (see Frank Mir), how 'bout this Demolition Man? Though Overeem was always a tough competitor in PRIDE, he really came into his own as an elite heavyweight last year, subbing Mark Hunt in just over a minute, owning Mirko Filipovic (at least until that unfortunate stoppage due to testicular trauma), then beating the living crap out of Badr Hari, who was supposed to be the most dangerous heavyweight striker in the world. 2009 could be Alistair's year.
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9.
Tim Sylvia
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10.
Ben Rothwell
- See previous rankings (published January 1, 2009)
Comments
terrence Says:
Would be nice to see Mir fight Fedor, assuming he beats lesnar (obviously). The only way Fedor is going to lose is if he gets submitted and I think Mir is the guy to do it. And if Mir can't you can pay him 5x whatever Fedor makes and justify it somehow.
terrence Says:
Would be nice to see Mir fight Fedor, assuming he beats lesnar (obviously). The only way Fedor is going to lose is if he gets submitted and I think Mir is the guy to do it. And if Mir can't you can pay him 5x whatever Fedor makes and justify it somehow.
lilpo0ts Says:
when it comes to fedor everyone thinks everyone can beat him, until he takes them to another plane of consciousness. i dont think at this point anyone will be able to call his losing fight. its like timing lightning strikes, its gonna happen but you will have to catch it on the replay.
as for the pay..guaraunteed fedor made more than anyone on the card..by far. if anything he got a huge chunk of ppv buys and maybe even ticket sales. prolly 5% of the beer sales. and 35% of the parking fees. and n ot to mention him shaking down everyone who needed to use the exit to get out
Don't forget M-1 payouts Says:
We also haven't seen what the M-1 payout was to Fedor -- I bet it is very solid and kept behind-the-scenes.
Sodak Says:
ben rothwell???? i know cro cop ain't what he used to be but he'd kick the shit out of ben rothwell
WUWU Says:
Sergei Kharitonov.
One of his most recent wins is over your number eight Alister. There's no way Ben Rothwell can be ranked higher than him, he has never even beaten a legitimate top 15 opponent.
brandon Says:
WTF IS BEN ROTHWELL DOING
shacklemenot Says:
i nominate this for comment of the week:
from lilpo0ts:
as for the pay..guaraunteed fedor made more than anyone on the card..by far. if anything he got a huge chunk of ppv buys and maybe even ticket sales. prolly 5% of the beer sales. and 35% of the parking fees. and n ot to mention him shaking down everyone who needed to use the exit to get out
Criminally Negligent Says:
AA should be third, he didn't do terrible against Fedor and he would smoke Frank.
gesus Says:
I cant wait till overeem joins in the UFC hw division..I see him dominating and moving a few notches up on the list here.
I also think AA should still be higher on the list, he really didn't do bad against the best hw in the world..yea he made the mistake of trying something that you really shouldn't do until your opponent is gassed out, but his standup game was working.
oh and one more thing...
a match that would be amazing, but probably wont happen is barnett vs. mir..that would be the shit.
MKO Says:
As far as heavyweights, if Big Nog couldn't submit Fedor in three chances, I really doubt Mir could.
terrence Says:
Well that's just what Mir needs. Have everyone doubting him then put him in the ring with Fedor.....then and only then would Fedor be in big trouble
Anonymous Says:
Does anybody think that lesnar would lose to arlovski