5 Fedor Emelianenko wins that made him GOAT

Fedor Emelianenko is regarded as the greatest Mixed Martial Artist of all time by many. He is one of the few active fighters to have never competed in the UFC and is yet regarded as one of the legends in the sport of MMA.

'The Last Emperor' is known particularly for going undefeated in 28 consecutive fights, which included wins over four former UFC champions: one Pride FC champion, one former Pride champion, and two future K-1 champions and Olympic medalists.

His fighting style is such that he excels in all facets of MMA. In his stand-up game, he relies a lot on his aggressive boxing and makes frequent use of the Russian hook, along with technical power punches to the body and head.

He usually prefers to get deep inside his opponent's striking range with smart footwork. His ground game usually begins through the clinch instead of the usual leg takedowns. He has great proficiency in hip throws, thanks to his background in Judo and Sambo. On the ground, he favors a very aggressive style of ground-and-pound over submission holds.

However, there have been some fights that have put his skills as a heavyweight fighter to the test like none else. On that note, here are five Fedor Emelianenko wins that will remind you why he was considered GOAT:

#5 Fedor Emelianenko vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 3

Emelianenko became the PRIDE heavyweight champion after defeating 'Minotauro' in their first match by decision.

Nogueira was then seen by many fans as unbeatable due to his submission skills and endurance. However, Fedor Emelianenko quashed his submission attempts by keeping him on his back and defending with some brutal ground-and-pound.

Their second match ended prematurely in a no-contest due to an accidental head butt. Hence, a third fight between the two heavyweights was scheduled for Shockwave 2004.

In what was one of the few hyped-up trilogy fights of that era, the Russian fighter won by decision. 'Big Nog' was utterly dominated in standup and was taken down several times due to Emelianenko's hip throws that kept him on his back.

#4 Fedor Emelianenko vs Hong-man Choi

Emelianenko, who stands just 6' tall, faced the giant 7' 2" Hong-man Choi at M-1's New year's special event in 2007 called Yarennoka!.

Emelianenko defeated his unusually tall opponent in this David vs Goliath battle. It was relatively easy for the giant Choi to get his Russian opponent on his back. However, Emelianenko was quick to establish a guard and attempted an arm-bar.

The attempt failed, and both founders went back to the ground and repeated the same once again. However, this time, Choi was not able to escape the armbar.

#3 Fedor Emelianenko vs Mirko Cro Cop

The two legends faced each other for the PRIDE heavyweight title at PRIDE Final Conflict 2005.

At the start of the fight, 'The Last Emperor' found himself in a difficult position as 'Cro Cop' landed two stiff jabs on his opponent to break his nose. He also landed a few body kicks that discolored Emelianenko's mid-section.

However, it was only after Emelianenko landed his first takedown that he found his footing in the fight. The Russian landed several body shots on the ground, which weakened his Croatian opponent.

As the fight progressed, Emelianenko started winning the stand-up exchanges and scored several takedowns. Emelianenko won this fight by unanimous decision.

#2 Fedor Emelianenko vs Tim Sylvia

Emelianenko was scheduled to face former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, at Affliction: Banned. Prior to the fight, Sylvia was the fourth-ranked fighter in MMA, according to Sherdog.com.

Emelianenko finished the fight in 36 seconds. He threw a quick punch combination that dropped Sylvia. Emelianenko immediately took his opponent's back and secured a rear-naked choke to make Sylvia tap out.

It was in this fight that UFC President Dana White recognized Fedor Emelianenko's mettle. White had previously criticized the Russian fighter.

#1 Fedor Emelianenko vs Kazuyuki Fujita

After winning the title against 'Minotauro' Nogueira, Emelianenko made his first title defense against former IWGP champion Kazuyuki Fujita at Pride 26.

'The Last Emperor' was a heavy favorite going into the fight and was expected to make quick work of Fujita. However, his opponent stunned him with a right hook. Emelianenko clinched right away to prevent himself from getting hit with more strikes.

The fight went to the ground as Fujita took Emelianenko down from the clinch. But Fujita was not able to amount a significant attack, which led to Emelianenko recovering from the punch.

Fedor Emelianenko immediately worked his way back to his feet and landed a body kick and punches to knock Fujita down. He then took Fujita's back and submitted him with a rear-naked choke.