Sherdog’s Top 10: ‘Where Were You?’ Moments

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4. Changing of the Guard
Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Werdum”
June 26, 2010 | San Jose, Calif.
Fedor Emelianenko reigned unchallenged over the heavyweight division for the better part of a decade, a stone-faced and slightly paunchy destroyer of challenger after challenger’s championship hopes and dreams. During that run, Emelianenko defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mark Coleman twice, Kevin Randleman, Kazuyuki Fujita, Mirko Filipovic, Mark Hunt and former UFC champions Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, among many, many others. The only loss on his record, a cut stoppage due to an illegal blow, hardly seemed to matter. Emelianenko was unbeaten. His marriage of speed and power to incredible three-dimensional skills formed the template, not just for future heavyweights but future fighters on the whole.

In a substantial surprise, Strikeforce signed Emelianenko to a contract in August 2009. He overcame a rocky first round to come back and knock out Brett Rogers in his promotional debut that November, and a bout with former UFC heavyweight Fabricio Werdum was set for June 2010. Werdum had once been a hot prospect and had beaten excellent opposition, but an embarrassing knockout loss to a debuting Junior dos Santos put him on the outs with the UFC and led him to Strikeforce.

Nobody gave Werdum much of a chance. Emelianenko seemed nigh invincible, and he had beaten fighters with Werdum’s skills -- a strong guard and top-notch grappling game, decent striking and not much in the way of wrestling -- before without real difficulty. Like a flash of lightning, however, it was over. Emelianenko landed a big right hand that dropped Werdum to the canvas, and after a few seconds of frenetic grappling, the Brazilian locked up a tight triangle-armbar. It was only a matter of time before Emelianenko tapped.

The undefeated run was over, and the mystique that accompanied it shattered. Emelianenko would lose two more before finishing his career with three victories, while Werdum would go on to win the interim UFC heavyweight championship and complete the revitalization of his career.

Number 3 » Of Ultimate Importance