Anderson vs Fedor - who is the GOAT?

Discussion in 'MMA Forum' started by Haggis McJackass, Oct 20, 2012.


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  1. Haggis McJackass

    Haggis McJackass Semi-neutralist Overseer Full Member

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    For years Fedor has been considered MMA's #1 GOAT, and Anderson has been considered the UFC's GOAT.

    But then Fedor's career suddenly fell off a cliff, while Anderson keeps trucking along like always. Any way you want to look at it, the gap has closed in the last couple of years.

    How do you call it?

    For me, I don't know. I've seen several of Fedor's fights, but I wasn't following the sport until the ass end of his undefeated run. So I am lacking some awareness of the significance of some of his wins at the time. But it seems like quite a close call to me.

    What's the consensus?

    This poll is for this moment in time, so we can't assume that Anderson will rack up any more victories. It's as if he declared his retirement today. If you think he'll fight and defeat GSP and that'll put him over the top, well, that fight hasn't happened so it obviously can't be taken into account. :good

    :hat
     
    Haggis McJackass, Oct 20, 2012
    Haggis McJackass, Oct 20, 2012
    #1
  2. Beouche

    Beouche Juan Manuel Marquez Full Member

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    Fedor. Anderson doesnt have a prime Cro Cop or prime Big Nog on his resume. And he was never undersized the way Fedor was. And he baulks at the thought of taking on the most dangerous fight out there
     
    Beouche, Oct 20, 2012
    Beouche, Oct 20, 2012
    #2
  3. Haggis McJackass

    Haggis McJackass Semi-neutralist Overseer Full Member

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    I guess a lot depends on whether or not you view Fedor's losses as tarnishing his career. Obviously they don't mean much in the grand scheme of his career, but there's a long way between not meaning much, and meaning nothing. :good

    And it's a similar matter of opinion with regards to Anderson's lack of a Big Nog or Cro Cop. He doesn't have that defining fight, but with the exception of Chael, he has pretty much annihilated every one of his opponents. Prime Rich Franklin is no joke, but Anderson tooled him like he was nothing.

    It's one of these things where it just depends what impresses you more - submitting Randleman immediately after getting dropped on your head, or not allowing yourself to get picked up in the first place. :conf

    :hat
     
    Haggis McJackass, Oct 20, 2012
    Haggis McJackass, Oct 20, 2012
    #3
  4. Beouche

    Beouche Juan Manuel Marquez Full Member

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    I disregard his losses - Fedor at the tail end of his career and prime Fedor are two totally different beasts. Same applies to Cro Cop. Both guys were beaten by guys they would have whooped in their primes

    Cop and Nog are ATGs and though Henderson and Franklin are good wins, they dont compete

    If he wants an ATG on his resume - then man up and fight Bones. His attitude to that fight tells you all you need to know

    For the record, i think Anderson is the most skilled MMA fighter of all time, but his resume and attitude towards fighting the best lets him down
     
    Beouche, Oct 20, 2012
    Beouche, Oct 20, 2012
    #4
  5. Hitta_Squadup

    Hitta_Squadup Beast ***e Full Member

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    Clearly it's the Spider...and he can solidify this even further by facing and beating GSP & Bones Jones...
     
    Hitta_Squadup, Oct 20, 2012
    Hitta_Squadup, Oct 20, 2012
    #5
  6. Beouche

    Beouche Juan Manuel Marquez Full Member

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    Anderson and Fedor both walk around the same weight (around 225)

    Anderson cuts like **** to take on small men, while Fedor was often in with guys 50+ lb heavier
     
    Beouche, Oct 20, 2012
    Beouche, Oct 20, 2012
    #6
  7. Haggis McJackass

    Haggis McJackass Semi-neutralist Overseer Full Member

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    Are they really?

    Or is it just because he lost?

    I guess you can ask "Was he physically capable of beating Werdum, Bigfoot and Hendo?"

    If he was, then his losses must surely count against him. :good

    Saw an interesting quote from Cro Cop just today:

    "I am very pleased with the fight despite the fact that the fight did not get the finish. For the first time since Pride I was aggressive and attacked constantly; in past years that has not been the case. In the UFC I had a feeling that I was 'frozen' and mostly I moved away [from opponents], I had a huge mental barrier. Why I cannot explain it any more than that doesn’t matter."

    16-0 in the UFC, with 15 of them being totally dominant wins, is nothing to dismiss out of hand. :good

    And yes, I wish he would fight Bones as well. But Anderson was already 36 when Bones staked his claim as a dominant champion. I find it hard to judge a 37 year old too harshly for not jumping up 20 pounds and challenging an enormous monster who has just cleaned out 205. :good

    And I'm not really sure why Anderson's submission win over Henderson (still the only time anyone except Big Nog has stopped Hendo) tends to be handwaved away. :conf

    :hat
     
    Haggis McJackass, Oct 20, 2012
    Haggis McJackass, Oct 20, 2012
    #7
  8. Atlanta

    Atlanta Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Fedor has Big Nog and Cro Cop. Okay, and...

    Anderson has Henderson, Franklin(x2), and Belfort. With a win at Light Heavyweight over Forrest Griffin(former titleholder). Not to mention Sonnen, Horn, Sakurai, etc.

    Maybe I have a bias towards Anderson.
     
    Atlanta, Oct 20, 2012
    Atlanta, Oct 20, 2012
    #8
  9. Beekeeper

    Beekeeper Bedtime Story, Aoki Style Full Member

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    OKAMI

    This content is protected
     
    Beekeeper, Oct 20, 2012
    Beekeeper, Oct 20, 2012
    #9
  10. Vic-JofreBRASIL

    Vic-JofreBRASIL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Fedor..
     
    Vic-JofreBRASIL, Oct 20, 2012
    Vic-JofreBRASIL, Oct 20, 2012
    #10
  11. Haggis McJackass

    Haggis McJackass Semi-neutralist Overseer Full Member

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    What kind of Brazilian are you. :-(

    :lol:

    :hat
     
    Haggis McJackass, Oct 20, 2012
    Haggis McJackass, Oct 20, 2012
    #11
  12. achillesthegreat

    achillesthegreat FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE Full Member

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    I voted Anderson but in reality Fedor was a 205 fighting monsters.
     
    achillesthegreat, Oct 20, 2012
    achillesthegreat, Oct 20, 2012
    #12
  13. Stoo

    Stoo Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    Fedor, GSP is closer to Fedor than Anderson imo, Id go Fedor, GSP and Anderson in my GOAT top 3 in that order
     
    Stoo, Oct 20, 2012
    Stoo, Oct 20, 2012
    #13
  14. dillinja

    dillinja Guest

    Easily fedor he was dominating pride at a time when it was the strongest org in the world, anderson is a top fighter but if you actually look at his resume how many really great fighters has he beat?
    People might speak about his more recent loses but what about anderson and the fights he has lost?
    Also fedor was an undersized heavyweight yet decided to fight heavyweight because he was the best in the world, he was the best if the last generation, however he will always find it hard to beat guys like jds as they have the size and skill that was not there in the last generation of mma. As mma is fairly new in the guise it is watched today in the space of ten years a fighter could still be the goat but not be relevant compared to the fighters of the present generation.
     
    dillinja, Oct 20, 2012
    dillinja, Oct 20, 2012
    #14
  15. techks

    techks ATG list Killah! Full Member

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    I first followed MMA in 07 so I've seen some of Fedor's prime while it was happening but I felt like the media was shoving him too much down our throats so I considered him overrated. Fedor to me was a wild brawler with decent ground game and I preferred Silva's style much more. I liked Silva at that time and still do. I used to consider him the best or up there with Royce but when Anderson was/is considered the GOAT I considered him slightly overrated. Anderson's dominance and longetivity are brilliant though.

    Looking at it now I didn't at the time realize just how big his wins over Nog and Cop were as well as Andrei possibly being a better win at the time then a Franklin but def a Sonnen or Belfort. I've never held the losses at the end of his career against him as he isn't making a living tarnishing his career like a Roy and his prime is still fresh in my memory. Both excellent fighters though now I gotta say Fedor until Silva beats JBJ if he does. Love Fedor's willingness to fight anyone but love Silva's style more. Both well-rounded fighters and legends that will never be duplicated.


    Agree with everything apart from "fighting the best". I wouldn't say he's reluctant to fight the best I'd say he's reluctant to fight guys elite that are in a bigger weightclass than him. Not only JBJ but he refused Evans too. Not that I think Evans would've beaten him but still he showed reluctance to face him aswell as Johnny.
     
    techks, Oct 20, 2012
    techks, Oct 20, 2012
    #15
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