Standing at just 6-foot tall and hardly tipping the scale at more than 240 pounds, Fedor Emelianenko still managed to have an unprecedented run as a heavyweight in MMA in the early 2000s. He is, without a doubt, in the conversation for the greatest of all time, but can he be considered the best without ever competing in the premier MMA organization?
In December 2000, Emelianenko suffered his first professional loss to Tsuyoshi Kosaka. He would not lose again until June 2010. Overall, Emelianenko went on a 29-fight unbeaten streak, which is an accomplishment few have ever come near.
No matter the opponent, Fedor disposed of them, often in a quick and violent manner. Many tried to dethrone “The Last Emperor” along the way. There was Ricardo Arona, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Heath Herring, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Gary Goodridge, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski. All were worthy combatants, but all succumbed to the greatness of Emelianenko.