Despite never having competed in the UFC, Ronda Rousey called Fedor Emelianenko her GOAT in mixed martial arts.
As an MMA combatant who competed in the UFC and Strikeforce, Rousey had a 12-2 professional record. She has competed against the likes of Amanda Nunes, Holly Holm, and Miesha Tate.
Rousey’s history in the cage is iconic. She has gained great fame after competing in the WWE and collaborating with some of the greatest names in combat sports.
However, the 37-year-old dispelled any question when he declared Fedor Emelianenko as her GOAT. She named Fedor over other UFC competitors like Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Georges St-Pierre.
In an interview with talkSPORT, she stated:Â “I think Fedor dude, his time had it all. He had a relationship with judo too, I am a big nerd for judo and Sambo is basically Russian judo.”
“I’ve got to say too, him vs [Mirko Cro Cop] is my favourite MMA match of all-time.”
When asked how Emelianenko would do against UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Rousey said that Jones wouldn’t even need to practice for the match.
She said:Â “Dude Jones wouldn’t even have to train. That is the most Jon Jones thing ever. He’d get off of a boat from the Bahamas and go in there to win. God damn it, I trained my a** off and Jon Jones just showed up and won.”
Emelianenko is regarded as the most well-known figure to have never competed in the UFC. He started to become a dominant four-year champion under the PRIDE banner from 2003 to 2007.
He then competed for a number of different MMA organizations, including under the Strike Force banner.
UFC CEO Dana White solicited his signature, but the negotiations never became fruitful.
Though Emelianenko was repeatedly promised a matchup with Brock Lesnar, the match did not take place. This is because the Russian side insisted on a co-promotion with M1 Global, which the UFC declined.
The 47-year-old has created a remarkable history in mixed martial arts and retired in 2023 after losing his rematch with Bader. He is considered to be one of the best MMA athletes who has never competed in the UFC.