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What we learned about Fedor in Strikeforce debut

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Updated Nov 12, 2009 4:11 PM ET
     
 
Fedor Emelianenko's debut on prime time television Saturday night wasn't just a hallmark moment for Strikeforce — it was also a hallmark moment in the career of the greatest fighter in the history of the sport. Here are three things we learned about Emelianenko. 1. Fedor is now a legitimate superstar in North America Emelianenko has been considered by many to be the best fighter in the history of the sport, but he's also a virtual unknown in a North American market dominated by the well-oiled UFC machine. His pay-per-view main events for the defunct Affliction promotion drew less than one-third of the viewers than even the weakest UFC cards. His debut on prime-time television would answer the ultimate question surrounding his career: Could Emelianenko become a superstar to casual fans? That question was answered before his bout with Brett Rogers even began. The Sears Centre crowd was noticeably quiet for most of the evening, but they exploded with cheers when Emelianenko was shown pacing backstage on the screens in the arena. When he made his way down the elevated ramp leading to the ring, they gave him one of the loudest reactions I've ever heard at a live event. The backstage area at the Sears Centre was a ghost town. Every fighter on the card was in the audience to watch Emelianenko. UFC fighter Clay Guida stood on a chair, recording Emelianenko's entrance with a digital camera. Nobody wanted to miss the chance to see history. CBS did a masterful job of marketing Emelianenko as a mythical figure leading into the fight. It paid off when he finished Rogers with a dramatic and violent right hand in the second round. It was an unique and perfect moment, an ending that couldn't have gone better if you'd scripted it. Josh Gross, a longtime MMA journalist who has seen Emelianenko fight on multiple occasions, immediately turned to me and said the words that were on the minds of everyone covering the event: "They can sell a Fedor pay-per-view now," said Gross. They certainly can. 2. Emelianenko may not be unbeatable, but he's still the best Brett Rogers entered the bout as a gigantic underdog, and many (myself included) felt that simply surviving the first round would be a moral victory for the hard-punching heavyweight. But Rogers did more than simply survive. He broke Emelianenko's nose with a hard jab in the first round, battered him with hard shots on the ground and was able to avoid Fedor's legendary submission attempts. Making Emelianenko seem human was thought to be an impossible task, and Rogers did it.
Despite having a much tougher time than predicted, Emelianenko displayed all the traits that carried him to a 30-1 record. He put together wickedly powerful punch combinations. He worked his trademark submission game while taking powerful shots on the ground. And in the end, he used his extraordinary fight vision to end the fight with the same overhand right that knocked Andrei Arlovski out of the air and to the canvas in his last bout. It was a lightning quick punch that Rogers never saw coming. Yes, Fedor is human, and he's beatable. But those human qualities will make him even more endearing to the legion of new fans he earned on Saturday night. 3. Strikeforce may not have anyone who can beat Fedor Fabricio Werdum, who weathered a tough first round against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva before winning a unanimous decision, will likely get the next crack at Emelianenko. Few will give him even the most remote of chances to beat The Last Emperor, however, and it's not exactly a compelling matchup for fight fans. Strikeforce boss Scott Coker told Heavy.com after the show that he's in the process of bringing several new heavyweights to the company. One of those fighters is expected to be former WWE star Bobby Lashley, a giant of a man with a college and military wrestling background. Lashley, who trains with American Top Team, has plenty of potential and is one of the strongest fighters in the heavyweight world. But Lashley was offered a fight with Emelianenko at Affliction: Trilogy this summer as a replacement for Josh Barnett and turned the bout down, feeling that he wasn't ready for the challenge. There's no indication that Lashley would be ready for Fedor in the near future. Former UFC champions Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia are rumored to be on the verge of joining Strikeforce, but Emelianenko has already beaten both fighters quickly and there is little to no desire for a rematch with either man.

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For more MMA news and features, check out InsideFights.com.

Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Oveerem has the best chance to defeat Emelianenko. He's the best striking heavyweight in the world, has a great submission game and has the size and strength to give Emelianenko real trouble.But he hasn't defended his championship in two years and there's no guarantee he'll do so in the future. Coker said after the show that Overeem will have to defend his championship in the first quarter of 2010, or Strikeforce will move on without him. Emelianenko will probably face Werdum in the first quarter of 2010, and the current plan is for him to face Overeem for the championship on pay-per-view later in the year. Outside of those two fights, however, the talent roster becomes remarkably thin. Unless Coker is able to nab a big-name heavyweight from the UFC, there may be no challenges left for Fedor if he's able to get past Werdum and Overeem. One thing is for certain, however: at this moment, Emelianenko is still the best heavyweight in the world.

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