Former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko never lose a contest between 2001 and 2010 and dominated in nearly every other promotion he’s competed in. Fedor holds notable wins over the likes of Andrei Arlovski, Mark Coleman (twice), Cro Cop, Mark Hunt, Matt Lindland, Big Nog (twice), Kevin Randleman, and Tim Sylvia.
Most recently Emelianenko defeated former UFC champion Frank Mir in the opening minute of the first round at Bellator 198 and advanced to face Chael Sonnen in the second round of the Grand Prix.
However, in the opinion of UFC commentator and analyst, Joe Rogan, “The Last Emperor’s” heyday may be marred by steroids. This is not the first time Rogan condemn the Pride fighter for that, in the past, Joe suggests ‘high possibility’ that Emelianenko was using performance enhancement drugs.
“[Bellator] does some [drug] checking; they do have state athletic commissions,” Rogan said on his podcast (Quotes via MMAWeekly). “Japan was encouraging [steroid use]. Who knows who was doing what and who wasn’t doing what, but when you talk to the guys who were over there, like Enson Inoue, and he’ll tell you they had it in capital letters in the contract: WE WILL NOT TEST YOU FOR STEROIDS.”
“I’m super suspicious about all those old fights now,” Rogan added. “I mean steroids, performance-enhancing drugs, we’re looking at a different human [in Emelianenko], that’s what I’m thinking.”
Fedor lost to Matt Mitrione by TKO last summer in his Bellator debut, but he previously won five straight fights in a row after three consecutive losses.
Rogan believes that steroid use was so popular in Japanese fighting leagues like PRIDE that it was essentially a level playing field. So no doubt, Emelianenko’s record is as impressive as it looks after all.
“Whatever everybody was on back then, they were all on the same shit,” Rogan said. “Fedor was still beating everybody’s ass.”
Do you agree with Joe Rogan’s comments on Fedor?
