Sherdog’s Top 10: MMA’s Greatest Overachievers

10. Fedor Emelianenko

Emelianenko didn't appear on any list except mine. However, I had him No. 1. In terms of what he accomplished in MMA, Emelianenko is head-and-shoulders above everyone else on this list, frequently cited as a top candidate for greatest of all time. And yet, while he had more natural ability than certain names on the list, I would argue it was well below at least a few of them. Before proceeding onwards, take a gander at Emelianenko’s second professional MMA fight.



What do we see? At 6 feet tall and 230 pounds, he is an undersized heavyweight, even for that era. He has no takedown defense. His judo and sambo background haven't prepared him to deal with amateur wrestling, and an average double-leg gets him down repeatedly. His submission game is painfully primitive and limited, relegated to a guillotine off his back, without the opponent even being in his guard. He shows some raw striking talent, able to throw some hard, meaningful punches, but nothing extraordinary.

And yet, just two and a half years after that fight, Emelianenko would bludgeon the seemingly unbeatable Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to win the Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight title, showcasing outstanding takedown defense, an advanced submission game, legendary ground-and-pound, and excellent striking. He was essentially undefeated for a solid decade from his debut, for 33 fights, until being defeated by Fabricio Werdum in 2010. I can't think of a similar improvement in MMA history. The other GOAT candidates of that time, like Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva, had ten times as much as natural talent, yet they all suffered losses during their relative prime while Emelianenko stayed undefeated in a division where a single missed punch can spell doom. And Emelianenko repeatedly crushed foes with far more natural talent, who began MMA already being far more developed, like Nogueira, Mirko Filipovic, Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman, Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski. All of this is a testament to Emelianenko's unquenchable, lifelong thirst to be a better martial artist, his peerless work ethic, supreme intelligence, and an uncanny ability to find ways to win, even when he was in horrible trouble. In retrospect, it's no surprise that the great Russian champion has become a fantastic coach producing and mentoring champions like Vadim Nemkov. “Overachiever” doesn't often get paired with Fedor Emelianenko, but it should.

Continue Reading » Number 9