By Daniel Luu

It was the tapout that was heard around the MMA world. The once seemingly indestructible Russian cyborg was defeated via triangle chokehold early in the opening round against highly touted heavyweight, Fabricio Werdum. While it was a shocking outcome to most, Fedor’s lost isn’t a huge surprise to those who kept their eyes on him in for the past four years.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Fedor is indeed a top pound for pound fighter and a top heavyweight fighter. But it wasn’t always Fedor’s skills that kept him unbeatable for so long rather it was his uncanny ability to beat the odds regardless of his skill set.
The real truth behind the myth of the Last Emperor is that the landscape of MMA has changed and he’s falling behind. Despite the best efforts of greats like Liddell, Crocop, Nogueira and Hughes, time eventually exposes the chinks in everyone’s armor. Fedor was durable enough and fortunate enough to stay in the win column longer than anyone, but his dominant reign eventually was going to end.
In recent bouts, Fedor has found himself in some close calls for example in his fight with Hong Man Choi, Fedor needlessly found himself on his back after trying to take the Korean giant down. Fedor’s overall striking skills looked painfully clumsy and unrefined in the Andrei Arlovski fight. In the Roy Nelson fight, Fedor found himself trading punches and top position in an unnecessary slug fest that could have been avoided if he executed a smarter game plan. But despite these mistakes, he was always able to win in spectacular fashion. Whether it was another remarkably timed overhand right, a slick armbar, or a relentless ground and pound beating, Fedor was able to get away with things most fighters wouldn’t have been able to.
Until now that is.
If Fedor fought a more patient fight, looking for better top control or to stand the fight up as opposed to leaving his arm behind in Werdum’s guard, then Fedor might have claimed another victim. Instead, many in the MMA world are now questioning his validity as the number one heavyweight fighter. It does not help his case that his last three opponent’s skills have come into question due to their recent losses to weaker competition. Nor the fact that his greatest opponents, Crocop and Nogueira, have been finding only mixed success at best against the new breed of heavyweight fighters in the UFC. The bigger, stronger, more athletic heavyweights like Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Junior Dos Santos, and Cain Velasquez have already demonstrated that they have the potential to replace yesterday’s heavyweight models.
However, I am a keen believer that the true mark of a man is how he responds to failing. Perhaps this loss will get Fedor motivated and focused on the things he needs to do to further cement his legacy. Losses can improve a fighter drastically; just ask Georges St Pierre and Anderson Silva. For a long time, many fans have treated Fedor as a fighting Demi God. With all the pressure finally off Fedor’s shoulders, perhaps the Last Emperor can finally be a man just looking to evolve as a heavyweight fighter.