Yeah, but the first martial art he did is judo. He is also better at Judo than Karo. He is an mma fighter, who's throws are Judo based. They simply are, it is infact one of the things that he uses to his advantage in Sambo comps, due to the fact his throws are so much better. So to say Karo is Judo's only hope in mma, just isnt the case. Fedors throws (a noticable part of his game) are Judo based, as he would have known them prior to starting Sambo training.
Do you realize that anything Fedor does in a ring that includes Judo, is likely going to be considered, Sambo, since Sambo is rooted in Judo? When you disect Sambo, do you say, "Oh, that was a Judo throw, to such and such Folk wrestling reversal, to a Jiu Jitsu submission?" Is it really worth a chicken and the egg discussion? Fedor may have learned throws in Sambo prior to Judo, then taken up Judo to get better technically, then returned to Sambo.. Making the throws Sambo Based? What are we even discussing? When people look at Fedor, when Russia looks at Fedor, they see the pinnacle of MMA, who is a Sambo fighter, perhaps some will view Fedor as a Judoka first.. But I don't think there are many. When you look at Karo Parisyan fight, the ONLY thing that comes to mind is Judo, and a particular brand of No Gee Judo, it's clear as day in his fights as well. I really don't know what else there is to say.. Karo really has been the sort of poster boy representative of Judo, at least in the UFC for quite a while.
Koa my man, you're missing the point. Fedor was a Judoka from an early age and was a national champion and Olympic prospect, he started training Sambo in his 20's for MMA. If you asked Mark Coleman what type of fighter he was he might say an MMA fighter, but he's a wrestler. Same with Fedor and Judo. Obviously Fedor has developed a lot more from his base, but thats what it is.
I'm sure Strikeforce are talking to him. He's had a bad past but they should be able to get him at a cut rate. He's a good fighter and adds depth to their roster.
