I think I had Rizzo 7th all time at heavyweight the last time I toyed with rankings, but this is still a young sport. I'm sure he will get passed quickly, and often, over the next couple of years.
What great fighter with longevity? Anderson? Fedor was the best in his division for 8 years. If you want, you can drop it down to 6 if you want to cut it off after the fight with Hunt. Guess where Silva is in his reign. 6 years. How many fights did Fedor have starting with his first fight with Nogueira until his fight with Hunt? 15 How many has Silva had starting with his victory over Franklin? 15
For years he avoided the best? Fedor fought the best in Pride for years while the UFC was filled with bums and the two best HW's there were Arlovski and Sylvia(who were both finished by Fedor is less than a round, combined!!!!) Anybody with half a brain knows that Fedor would have destroyed Couture and Mir.
Fair enough, but I still believe that it's what Fedor lacks and hurts him in this discussion. Him and Anderson Silva are almost the same age, and while not undefeated during Fedor's reign, Anderson Silva won two championships. So if he was past his prime by the time he was in Strikeforce, so be it. But, that is no valid excuse for being #1:deal Not when Anderson Silva is roughly the same age and still as dominate as ever. After Pride, he avoided the Best in the World and went 1-3 against Strikeforce. It should be clear as to why he never fought in The UFC.