Interesting thought…
This is probably a pointless article, but I just thought it seemed pretty interesting.
We all know Fedor has a near faultless 27-1 record. Fewer people know that the lone blemish on Emeliankeno’s record was against an ex-UFC and Pride veteran named Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. Fedor was stopped due to a pretty severe cut at 17 seconds of the first round.
The cut was opened by a standing elbow delivered by Kohsaka in the first true exchange of the fight. Elbow strikes in the RINGS organisation in which they fought were illegal unless the fighters were wearing elbow pads. However, they were participating in a knockout round of a tournament, and as they believed Fedor couldn’t continue onto the next round with his cut, Kohsaka was awarded the victory and a spot in the next round.
So far your thinking, “Thank you Sam, what a nice little story”, but here’s the interesting part. Kohsaka got to move onto the next round, where he faced none other than… Randy “the Natural” Couture.
So just think, if it wasn’t for this illegal Kohsaka blow, a Couture and “Cyborg” fight would have already happened. Granted, MMA was nowhere as popular then, and even though Randy had just won the UFC heavyweight title for the second time, Fedor wasn’t the force he is now, so the hype wouldn’t be what it is now. Also the RINGS organisation had rules that would probably have affected the quality and legitimacy of the fight, i.e. no ground and pound and standing 8 counts for knockdowns.
It just seems with this illegal blow from “TK” that should have been a disqualification win to Fedor, and the falling through of potential Bodog and UFC fights, that a Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko fight was just not meant to be.
People were starting to think that about the Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell fight too though…
P.S. Couture defeated Kohsaka via unanimous decision after 2 rounds.
Sam Cupitt is is a contributor to FiveOuncesofPain.com
| All posts by Sam Cupitt
No offense Sam, but I wrote this article two months ago:
http://www.sprawl-n-brawl.com/2007/08/mma-history-lesson-fight-that-almost.html
great article, i like to know the back story of important fights and fights i have never seen. Very interesting that TK still got the win and not a DQ.
You filled in a few gaps I didn’t know, not a pointless write up at all. Thanks.
thanks, i was thinking of looking this up this morning too
lol, “loan blemish” ?
Mike David:
Uh, no offense, but maybe Sam Cupitt has no idea who you are and never read your article? I’ve never read any of your articles.
Dizzle are you confused by the term? Or the spelling mistake? It was meant to be lone…and it just fell through the cracks. Are you perhaps my first spelling nazi?
I am sure if you were to read Mike David’s article, commenters have voiced the same issue.
Elwood: Illinois Spelling Nazis
Jake: I hate Illinois Spelling Nazis
How come more people are not acknowledging the OBVIOUS:
When a fight ends from an illegal move, it is a no-contest, NOT a victory for the perpetrator.
It is insanity to award a win to Kosaka due to an illegal move!!!
Thus, in fact, Fedor has never truly lost.
How come nobody is saying this???
Because it is a lot easier to say than, Fedor is 27 and one fight that was ruled against his favour… and one no contest. Unfortunately, it will end up being one of those things that goes down in history and does not tell the true story. Like the Nick Diaz no contest, or the Royce Gracie win.
yea but didn’t fedor avenge his loss by giving his oppenent a cut?
Yeah, I had a feeling of a deja vu when I started reading this… not only is it not a very original thought among hardcore MMA fans, but David’s article breaks it down in more vivid detail. What a crazy tournament in retrospect.