Sherdog’s Top 10: Greatest Strikeforce Fights

4. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum | June 26, 2010

While it lasted a mere 69 seconds. Werdum vs. Emelianenko is one of the most important fights in MMA history, let alone Strikeforce's existence. It was thrilling for the short time it lasted and even received one first-place vote. This fight took place 13 years ago this month, when Emelianenko was overwhelmingly considered the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. After all, he had never legitimately lost. As discussed under his entry on our list of the greatest fighters of the 2000s, which he easily topped, he had had his first pro fight in August 2000 and didn't lose until this meeting in June 2010. In those 10 years, Emelianenko was essentially undefeated in his first 33 fights. His time as Pride heavyweight king lasted for an amazing seven years and 19 straight victories after triumphing over Rodrigo Nogueira at Pride 25 in early 2003. Werdum at the time was a talented heavyweight who at almost 33 years old, had never quite cracked the elite of the division. He had impressive wins over Gabriel Gonzaga twice, Brandon Vera, Antonio Silva, Aleksander Emelianenko and even Alistair Overeem at that point, but had also been soundly defeated by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Andrei Arlovski and knocked out in just 81 seconds by Junior dos Santos. Yet, as a more than +400 underdog, Werdum was confident going into a showdown with the greatest ever.

Initially at least, matters didn't look good. Just 25 seconds into the contest, as the two men fired punches at one another in the pocket, Emelianenko caught the Brazilian with a right uppercut and then a right hook, putting Werdum on his butt. The underdog was far from out, but already in trouble as the great Russian tried to finish the jab with his legendary ground-and-pound. He got off some hard hammerfists to the skull, but Werdum almost caught him in an armbar. Emelianenko got out neatly but the Brazilian attacked again with another submission while being battered in the head, locking in a tight triangle armbar. Emelianenko resisted desperately, but Werdum simply adjusted his legs even tighter. Several times Fedor correctly angled off to the side, but the Brazilian's squeeze was so tight he still couldn't breathe. Finally, he had no choice but to tap. As Werdum rose to his feet in drunken, ecstatic celebration, Emelianenko remained on his knees, calmly wiping his eyes in deep disappointment. Commentator Gus Johnson, who I always felt was underrated calling MMA, lost his voice celebrating the finish along with the deafening crowd. Truly an iconic moment in the sport, and it all might not have happened if Emelianenko had been a little more cautious in trying to finish off Werdum.

Continue Reading » Number 3