From the Sun.co.uk:


CHUCK LIDDELL has savaged Fedor Emelianenko following the news the Russian superstar has become a free agent.

Widely regarded as the finest mixed martial artist in the world, Emelianenko parted ways with Russian promotion M1-Global earlier this month.

The news has been greeted with excitement by mixed martial arts fans around the world, with thousands of them desperate to see him fight UFC legend Randy Couture in a dream match up.

And Liddell claims he would love to see the fight happen so that the hype surrounding Fedor can finally be dispelled.

‘The Iceman’ said: “I’d like to see Fedor fight Randy because I don’t think he can beat Randy.

“He’s good on top – a good ground and pound guy but I think he’d have a real hard time getting on top of a guy like Randy.

“He’s not going to be able to throw him because Randy’s a Greco-Roman wrestler and his shot’s pretty poor so he’d have to submit him from the bottom.

Liddell claims the Russian’s failure to face any big name fighters in the last two years is proof heavyweight grappler Emelianenko is overrated.

Liddell added: ““I truly believe he’s overrated. I’ve heard he picks and chooses some of his fights.

“You’ve got to wonder why he chose to fight a guy like Matt Lindland – who weighs 185lbs!

“I heard he was negotiating with some other people who were heavyweights who would have been more of a challenge to him and he turned those down.

“He doesn’t have a great shot, he doesn’t have one punch power and to my knowledge he’s never knocked anyone out from his feet standing up.

“So I think anybody that can stop a takedown is going to be a good fight for him if they can strike.”

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/ufc/article944485.ece

More Dana White propaganda or does the Iceman raise valid points? Discuss.

He does make some valid points--Fedor doesn't have great wrestling and hasn't knocked a lot of guys out standing--but I think Liddell is missing at least one of Fedor's key strengths: IIRC he gets a lot of his takedowns in the transitions from striking to grappling. When Randy beat Chuck, he softened him up with boxing and clinch work and then proceeded to take him down. Fedor has had a lot of success unbalancing and distracting fighters in close range boxing and then smoothly switching to takedowns. These two facts (if I'm both remembering and interpreting them correctly) suggest a definate approach for Fedor if he fights Liddell. Coutures greatest strength is controlling the clinch, and from there deciding where he wants the fight to go, and his choices aren't good: Fedor clearly outstrikes Couture, he is dangerous on his back (though this is probably Couture's best bet, but it's not great as his GnP is not very powerful however more consistent), and Fedor, again due to his transitions, is very dangerous in the clinch.
Yeah, that's right: I understand fighting better than Chuck Liddell.

I agree it is time for Fedor to get back to fighting top competition. He's forcing people to speculate about him and question him.

To me it seems like he is following the path of Rickson Gracie....

Fedor is pretty slick at escaping from the bottom. His cardio is good. His armlocks are all top notch. His takedowns certainly aren't bad. He beat Nogueira pretty decisively. His record against competition is good, but could be better. I don't know that he would dominate Couture, but I'd think it would be a pretty fair fight.

I don't think Liddell would do very well against him. I don't think he has the size or power to **** his day up. Not sure if he should be talking ****. Except for the Fujita fight, Fedor has never really been rocked badly, and he recovered quickly from that. He took a full on cro cop kick to the dome and it didn't even shake him.

Perhaps the Sylvia fight will show us something.

Yeah, Tim's arm raised in victory!

Anyway...


Fedor has had a lot of success unbalancing and distracting fighters in close range boxing and then smoothly switching to takedowns.

Yes, and Couture is better at that.

Also, when's the last time Couture got armbarred? Inoue? Yep, I checked, Inoue. TEN FUCKING YEARS AGO.

I heard Fedor went all the way with the whole football team!

God damn, Liddell is worse with the rumors than a teenage girl.

I would like to see Fedor in the UFC, but it would make me sad if he got his little Russian ass handed to him. I think he would be a great matchup for RANDYTEHNATURAL1!!(Not a big Randy fan here) I honestly think Fedor would come out on top via submission.

Fedor is pretty slick at escaping from the bottom. His cardio is good. His armlocks are all top notch. His takedowns certainly aren't bad. He beat Nogueira pretty decisively. His record against competition is good, but could be better. I don't know that he would dominate Couture, but I'd think it would be a pretty fair fight.

I don't think Liddell would do very well against him. I don't think he has the size or power to **** his day up. Not sure if he should be talking ****. Except for the Fujita fight, Fedor has never really been rocked badly, and he recovered quickly from that. He took a full on cro cop kick to the dome and it didn't even shake him.

Yeah, I understand the whole "Fedor hasn't been challenged lately" argument, but the anti-Fedor backlash as of late is a bit annoying. He's a phenomenally well-rounded fighter with one of the best resumes in the business, last year or two notwithstanding. Also one time I had a dream his car broke down in front of my house and he came inside to use my phone and he was very nice and polite about it.

I wouldn't call it "trashing" Fedor, he makes points, and never says fedor isnt good, just over rated.

I would like to see Fedor in the UFC, but it would make me sad if he got his little Russian ass handed to him. I think he would be a great matchup for RANDYTEHNATURAL1!!(Not a big Randy fan here) I honestly think Fedor would come out on top via submission.

BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!

Anyway, I think Liddel makes an intersting point with a few things. He is very right it that Fedor could not take Randy down (Olympic caliber wrestlers are kinda hard to take down) and Randy would very easily control the clinch with his uber awesome Greco skills. When you consider striking, people always underestimate Randy's striking. Who remembers him teaching Belfort how to box? Or use boxing to close the distance and soften up Liddell? Or knock the **** out of Sylvia for five rounds? Fedor would have little chance against someone who can force the fight to stay standing and then dominate the course of the stand-up action and if losing there force the clinch and dominate there.

Yeah, Tim's arm raised in victory!I was searching for Tim Sylvia highlight clips on youtube and dailymotion the other day. See, I wanted to refresh my memory on exactly what kind of fighter he was, but I didn't want to sit through his full bouts... because he's boring as ****.

I couldn't find any.

Not one.

There isn't enough interesting footage of Tim Sylvia to make a clip a couple of minutes long. Have a good long think about that folks.

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/%2522tim%2Bsylvia%2522%2Bhighlight

LOLOLOLOL