Opinion: UFC Should Still Pursue Fedor Emelianenko

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

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The man who is widely considered one of the greatest -- if not the greatest -- mixed martial artists in the history of the sport was inching closer to finally making his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut. Then Fedor Emelianenko once again turned into a mere mortal, this time on UFC Fight Pass, as he barely squeaked by Fabio Maldonado to take a controversial majority decision in the Eurasia Fight Nights 50 headliner on Friday in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Emelianenko was nearly finished in the first round, but with the help of some lenient officiating, he was given multiple chances to get himself back together. Although he managed to win the next two rounds, the best result he should have received was a draw; a decision victory was awfully generous. Should this pedestrian effort end any thoughts of the UFC signing the former king of Pride Fighting Championships? Nope.

Obviously, getting smoked in the first round by a guy the UFC released after he went 4-6 in his previous 10 bouts leaves him a far cry from the man who dominated the heavyweights for many years. However, he’s still Fedor, and there’s still some intrigue surrounding what he would accomplish in the UFC. The luster was knocked off Emelianenko’s reign of terror when he was submitted by Fabricio Werdum and stopped by Dan Henderson and Antonio Silva in Strikeforce. He’s clearly not the fighter he once was, but there are worse heavyweights out there than “The Last Emperor,” right?

The fact of the matter is that adding Emelianenko to a relatively flimsy heavyweight division in the UFC would still be a big deal. As we’ve seen over the years, having an unbeaten run for any considerable length of time is highly unlikely. For every champion we assumed would finally be the one to hold onto the title for more than a fight or two, there was always another guy coming to knock him off.

When put into perspective, Emelianenko’s undefeated tear was an anomaly. It was truly astounding for a man that size to remain unbeaten for so long. He would eventually have to fall. Yes, he fell hard, and since he returned, he hasn’t really beaten anybody that would be considered a real threat. Still, would you completely write him off if he were to compete with the UFC heavyweights? You shouldn’t.

The landscape of the heavyweight division isn’t one that’s terribly daunting. Stipe Miocic is the current titleholder, but not everyone is sold that he’ll remain the champion for long -- not because Miocic isn’t a good fighter but because all it takes is one punch to end a fight in the heavyweight division. If Alistair Overeem were to beat Miocic at UFC 203, there aren’t a lot of people who think he could hold onto the title for an extended period of time, either. Clearly, just about anybody can defeat anyone at any time, so why couldn’t Emelianenko make a run at the belt? Granted, his best days are behind him, but he still possesses the skill and ability to get past any of these vulnerable heavyweights.

Furthermore, who wouldn’t pay to see a heavyweight fight between Emelianenko and Brock Lesnar? Of course, Lesnar would have to beat Mark Hunt at UFC 200 before agreeing to another UFC fight, and Emelianenko would have to sign on the dotted line after lowering his asking price. Even so, that fight carries quite a bit of intrigue. As a matter of fact, Emelianenko against just about any top-ranked heavyweight is a fight that would interest fans. Fights with Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos would all be exciting, as would a rematch with Werdum.

Honestly, it’s really all about getting the Russian into the UFC. He may not be the dominant force we remember, but he deserves the opportunity to fight in the Octagon if he wants it. Yes, he laid an egg and somehow escaped with a victory, and yes, he might get his head knocked off, but if he wants to compete, he should get the chance. All that needs to happen is for him to take a little bit less money to join the biggest MMA organization in the world.

It will be somewhat unfortunate if MMA fans who only watch the UFC get to see a version of Emelianenko that is but a mere fraction of the one we all knew, but I’m willing to bet that it would still be seen as a coup if the UFC signed him and put him in a high-profile match. I’d watch, wouldn’t you?

Andreas Hale is the editorial content director of 2DopeBoyz.com, co-host of the boxing, MMA and pro wrestling podcast “The Corner” and a regular columnist for Sherdog.com. You can follow on Twitter for his random yet educated thoughts on combat sports, music, film and popular culture.