Coker: Losses Have Not Diminished Fedor’s Legacy
Strikeforce
CEO Scott Coker does not believe consecutive losses have done
anything to tarnish the legacy of former
Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight king Fedor
Emelianenko.
Emelianenko last fought in February, when the cageside physician deemed him unfit to continue against Antonio Silva after a one-sided second round. That loss came on the heels of his June 2010 submission defeat, his first in nearly a decade, to two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Fabricio Werdum.
“Fedor’s record of having no losses over a 10-year period -- that’s
quite an amazing feat, I would think, in any sport, to go
undefeated in 10 years,” Coker said during a teleconference. “To
me, does it diminish where he is today? I don’t think so, because
he’s still a legend in this sport. With Fedor, losses are going to
happen. You know how this business goes.
“He fought some really good guys,” he added. “Everybody knows Fabricio’s an amazing jiu-jitsu master, and ‘Bigfoot’ Silva is a giant, so he fought guys that were really good. You can’t take that away from the other guys. Do I think it diminishes Fedor and his legacy? No, I don’t.”
Emelianenko will headline what Coker (Pictured, file photo) said “could arguably be considered the best top-to-bottom fight card in the history of Strikeforce” when he meets former two-division Pride champion Dan Henderson at Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Henderson” on Saturday at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
“These guys are legends of the sport,” Coker said.
Prior to his defeats to Werdum and Silva, Emelianenko had gone 27 consecutive appearances without a loss. That included wins over five former UFC champions: Mark Coleman (twice), Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia and Kevin Randleman. Coker expects the 34-year-old Sambo stylist to compete with a renewed sense of urgency and purpose.
“I think he’s going to come out here hungry, and he’s going to come looking for Dan. And I know Dan’s going to come looking for Fedor,” he said. “I believe this fight will go right to the center of the cage from round one. I think it’s going to be an amazing fight.”
Emelianenko last fought in February, when the cageside physician deemed him unfit to continue against Antonio Silva after a one-sided second round. That loss came on the heels of his June 2010 submission defeat, his first in nearly a decade, to two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Fabricio Werdum.
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“He fought some really good guys,” he added. “Everybody knows Fabricio’s an amazing jiu-jitsu master, and ‘Bigfoot’ Silva is a giant, so he fought guys that were really good. You can’t take that away from the other guys. Do I think it diminishes Fedor and his legacy? No, I don’t.”
Emelianenko will headline what Coker (Pictured, file photo) said “could arguably be considered the best top-to-bottom fight card in the history of Strikeforce” when he meets former two-division Pride champion Dan Henderson at Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Henderson” on Saturday at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
“These guys are legends of the sport,” Coker said.
Prior to his defeats to Werdum and Silva, Emelianenko had gone 27 consecutive appearances without a loss. That included wins over five former UFC champions: Mark Coleman (twice), Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia and Kevin Randleman. Coker expects the 34-year-old Sambo stylist to compete with a renewed sense of urgency and purpose.
“I think he’s going to come out here hungry, and he’s going to come looking for Dan. And I know Dan’s going to come looking for Fedor,” he said. “I believe this fight will go right to the center of the cage from round one. I think it’s going to be an amazing fight.”
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