Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
“The Doggy Bag” gives you the opportunity to speak about what’s on your mind from time to time.
Our reporters, columnists, radio hosts, and editors will chime in with our answers and thoughts, so keep the emails coming.
This week, readers weigh in on Fabricio Werdum's upset of Fedor Emelianenko, Chael Sonnen’s war of words and the latest edition of Sherdog.com’s heavyweight rankings.
Gentlemen, my question for you is short and simple. What did the Fedor upset tell us about our sport? Should we be shocked, or was this to be expected after such a long reign?
-- M. Potter
Brian Knapp, associate editor: The upset told us what we already knew about the sport -- to expect the unexpected. Fans, media and promoters are guilty of working hard to create the impression of invincibility in elite fighters, and Fedor Emelianenko came closest to making it a reality. We often forget that even the greatest among us are human. Fabricio Werdum simply provided a reminder.
The frequency with which upsets occur in mixed martial arts is part of what separates it from other sports. We should never be shocked by anything that happens inside the cage when two highly trained athletes throw their hands and feet at one another. Fedor is human, and he made a human mistake, diving into the guard of one of the sport’s top submission grapplers. It happens, and it will happen again, perhaps to Georges St. Pierre, perhaps to Anderson Silva, perhaps to Jose Aldo.
The defeat in no way diminishes Emelianenko’s contributions to the sport. Despite critics who wish to rewrite history, he remains the most accomplished heavyweight ever to grace MMA by a wide margin.