5 intriguing 'What if?' questions from UFC history
‘What if?’ questions are always fun to ask. In the context of the UFC, there are plenty of them to think about.
Throughout the UFC's history, there have been a ton of sliding doors moments that could well have changed the history of the promotion – and of MMA in general – had things been slightly different.
Sometimes these moments involve fighters withdrawing from bouts with injuries. Other times they involve fighters signing with the UFC at a different time. Either way, it’s fascinating to wonder what could’ve been.
BREAKING: Rafael dos Anjos out of the UFC 196 main event against Conor McGregor foxs.pt/1VBHzNj #UFC https://t.co/MPujp8uOZV
With this in mind, here are five fascinating ‘What if?’ questions from UFC history.
#5. What if Fedor Emelianenko had signed with the UFC?
If you rewind back to a decade ago, there was no question as to who the greatest heavyweight in MMA history was. Despite the objections of Dana White, the answer was Fedor Emelianenko.
‘The Last Emperor’ had ruled over PRIDE’s heavyweight division with an iron fist from 2003 to 2007, beating the likes of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop and Mark Coleman. Once PRIDE had closed its doors, he took out former UFC champions like Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski as well.
However, Fedor never did sign with the UFC, largely due to the promotion’s refusal to enter into a co-promoting agreement with the Russian’s management team, M-1 Global.
This has meant that, in more recent years, UFC champions like Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier have built their own arguments for being recognized as MMA’s heavyweight GOAT.
Dana White: Maybe if Fedor Emelianenko would have taken UFC offer in 2009, he ‘wouldn’t still be fighting at 45 years old’ (@DamonMartin) mmafighting.com/2021/10/30/227… https://t.co/cTrQQNrtwP
What if Fedor had signed with the UFC? Would the history of the heavyweight division be much different? The answer is yes.
Had Fedor joined the UFC when most of PRIDE’s roster did in late 2007, it’s likely that he would’ve defeated Randy Couture to win the UFC heavyweight title. This is simply due to his hard-hitting style meshing well against the wrestling of ‘The Natural’.
How long he’d have held onto the title is anyone’s guess, but it’s definitely possible that he’d have kept it until the rise of Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos and Brock Lesnar in 2009. Had he done this, then it’s likely there’d be no question around his status as heavyweight GOAT.
Had he entered the octagon in 2009, meanwhile – after the Affliction promotion crashed – there’s every chance he’d have beaten Brock Lesnar for the UFC heavyweight title. It’s unlikely that Lesnar could’ve withstood the Russian’s punching power.
The story for him likely would’ve ended in the same way – with ‘The Last Emperor’ being overpowered by Velasquez or dos Santos – but MMA history would certainly be different.
In the future, it’s likely that due to the UFC’s market power, Fedor will end up being airbrushed from history, just as Frank Shamrock has.
Had he won the UFC heavyweight title, though, he’d probably be seen in a similar light to Nogueira and Couture. He would have mainstream recognition to go along with the adulation of hardcore fans.