Is Fedor really the best heavyweight fighter out there?

November 9, 11:43 AMTampa MMA ExaminerDoug Drexler

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Saturday's win over formerly undefeated Brett Rogers looked more like a matter of survival than convincing victory for the consensus #1 heavyweight fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko.

After enduring a first round that left him bloodied and injured, Emelianenko came back in the second round and landed a powerful right hand that left his opponent crumpled in a heap.  After a few token follow-up punches, the ref called a halt to the match at 1:48 of the second round.

If Rogers had landed a similar punch that resulted in a fight-ending TKO, the forums would be buzzing with phrases like "lucky punch" and "immediate rematch."

The question that will be debated until he agrees to fight against the best competition available is whether or not Fedor Emelianenko is really the best heavyweight fighter on the planet.

Most credible rankings have him at the top of the heavyweight division.  But for how much longer?

Every fighter has an "off night" every now and then, even the best.  After all, every athlete is human.

However, when I was watching the fight unfold, my immediate thought was, "It's a good thing he's not fighting someone the caliber of a Brock Lesnar or Shane Carwin right now."

Everyone has an opinion on how Fedor would do against the best that the UFC's heavyweight division has to offer.  We'll never know for sure unless he ends up competing against them at some point before he retires.

For now, the question surrounding whether or not Fedor really is the best will have to continue being debated in the world of cyberspace.

He's unlikely to lose his top spot in the rankings after winning via TKO in the second round against a previously undefeated Brett Rogers (even though Rogers' opponents career records were sub-.500).

But if he doesn't face any serious competition soon, I would expect to see some new names atop the heavyweight rankings by the end of 2010.

Photo courtesy of Sherdog.com.

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