Fedor vs Monson Nov 12 (not SF or UFC)...

[Nemesis21]

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/9/6/240 ... ovember-12

[REDDzone]

Meh, not the best matchup but I admit I am more excited for this than I would have been if he had fought some no-name eastern euro guy like was originally reported.

[CPT]

I had heard that Fedor was going to fight Gonzaga in Russia.

The link seems to indicate that Monson was supposed to fight Gonzaga, so who knows.

I hope they make it a PPV just to see how low the number is.

[spykelee]

Wow, that's an awful fight... but at least Fedor get's the W.

[Cammo101]

Well, they dug deep, but they finally found a fight Fedor could win.

[skflives]

Well, they dug deep, but they finally found a fight Fedor could win.

Be serious man. Outside of Cole Konrad is there anyone outside the UFC/Strikeforce that you wouldn't say that about? Jeff Monson is one of the best heavyweights out there for Fedor to fight. That's the sad state of MMA now that Zuffa has brought Strikeforce.

These are the other top guys outside of the Zuffa universe that Fedor can fight:
Brett Rodgers and Andrei Arlovski on big slides themselves and have already gotten KO'ed by Fedor
Cole Konrad (Bellator would probably chose to not risk their young champion against someone like Fedor until he lost another fight)
Gabe Gonzaga (lost to every top heavyweight he's ever fought other than Mirko Cro Cop and has gotten KOed in the first round in 5 out of those 6 losses)
Bobby Lashley (fed can after can. Didn't look all that impressive in most of those wins and got KO'ed by a journeyman. A fun journeyman with killer side burns but a journeyman nonetheless)
Todd Duffee (lost by KO in his last 2)
Valentin Overeem tapped to strikes to same guy who KO'ed Lashley and in in less time
Jon Olav Aienmo rarely fights and recently KO'ed by Dave Herman



That's a pretty sad looking list. Am I missing anyone?

[Cammo101]

Shamil Abdurahimov is 12-1 with wins over Sokoudjou and Monson. He would have been a much more formidable opponent. Gonzaga and Duffee would have been as well.

Fedor may very well be able to beat any non-Zuffa HW, but they still found him the safest possible fight.

[CPT]

Safest possible fight might be a stretch, but Monson doesn't even really have a path to victory. At least some of those other guys have the power to knock him out.

Out of the guys available, it's not a bad choice, but isn't going to do much to dissuade those who say Fedor has avoided fighting the top competition.

[skflives]

Shamil Abdurahimov is 12-1 with wins over Sokoudjou and Monson. He would have been a much more formidable opponent. Gonzaga and Duffee would have been as well.

Fedor may very well be able to beat any non-Zuffa HW, but they still found him the safest possible fight.

Gabe Gonzaga (lost to every top heavyweight he's ever fought other than Mirko Cro Cop and has gotten KOed in the first round in 5 out of those 6 losses)
Todd Duffee (lost by KO in his last 2)

P.S: It would have been Gonzaga's 1st fight in over a year since his self imposed sabbatical and around 10 months since Duffee's last fight (which only lasted 19 seconds)

As for Shamil Abdurahimov, he's a complete unknown whose biggest victories came via split decision (not even a unanimous decision) against Jeff Monson and a journeyman light heavyweight. Yea, that would get people to stop screaming can crusher whenever Fedor's name is brought up.

[Cammo101]

As for Shamil Abdurahimov, he's a complete unknown whose biggest victories came via split decision (not even a unanimous decision) against Jeff Monson and a journeyman light heavyweight. Yea, that would get people to stop screaming can crusher whenever Fedor's name is brought up.

No one outside of the UFC (with the possible exception of Gabe Gonzaga) is going to stop the people calling Fedor a can crusher. Certainly not beating a washed up journeyman in Monson coming off a fight where he got killed by an up and comer.

[skflives]

Yea but at least Monson's someone people know. If you're going to get ripped regardless you might as well get ripped beating someone with name recognition and whom has faced more than 2 quality fighters.

[singh_shady]

This is what it is.. I'll always watch Fedor's fights but this isn't anything to get really excited for.

[Cammo101]

Yea but at least Monson's someone people know. If you're going to get ripped regardless you might as well get ripped beating someone with name recognition and whom has faced more than 2 quality fighters.

But Monson is a guy people knows is not very good. Put him in with a lesser known guy like Abdurahimov and you can at least talk him up as a quality opponent.

It is kind of like picking someone to debate against between the guy you know is dumb and the other guy you don't really know.

[skflives]

Monson is the ideal first opponent for Fedor. He's a good fighter. He's tough guy and has excellent grappling skills. But he's the kind of guy that Fedor should dominate and if Fedor can't get past him then we know Fedor is done. If Fedor wins we can then look at how dominate his victory is to say whether or not he's still got something left. If Fedor is going to take on a young guy he shouldn't waste time with Shamil. He should fight someone like Todd Duffee. People know him enough that a win helps Fedor while a loss reignites Duffee's stagnant career.

Shamil is a complete unknown quality. He really hasn't fought many guys with name value so there is no telling if he's a guy with an inflated record or if he's the real deal. So if Fedor fights him and blows him out it won't really prove anything to anyone. If Fedor loses to or struggles with him we don't know if its because he's done or if Shamil is actually that darned good. I mean, can anyone say with any confidence that whose the best fighter between Shamil Abdurahimov and Guram Gugenishvilli?