The Secret to Fedor's Success: He Wins

Every sport has its singular champion, a prodigious talent who reigns supreme. And as surely as all dynasties inevitably end, every legendary champion eventually tastes defeat and is proven to be very much human.

If Fedor Emelianenko's recent one-punch knockout of Brett "The Grim" Rogers is any indication, we shouldn't hold our collective breath.

With an incredible professional record of thirty-one (31) victories, one (1) highly questionable loss and one (1) no-contest due to an accidental head-butt, the Russian heavyweight is considered the world's top heavyweight mixed martial artist and is arguably the world's top fighter in any weight class.

Fedor's style is difficult to categorize, as he rarely favors any particular style of attack. A combat sambo champion with excellent striking, wrestling and submissions, he's perhaps as well-rounded as any fighter in the world.

Fedor's preferred technique might best be described as that which ends the fight; he is just likely to end a fight with a skillfully-executed arm bar as he is to knock out his opponent with a single thunderous overhand right on the jaw. We've all seen him do it time and time again; it's never much of a surprise but nonetheless always spectacular. Consider Fedor's 36-second disposal of former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, a much larger opponent with a sizeable reach advantage who on paper looked to be a good matchup for the Russian. Fedor stunned Sylvia connecting hard on some quick combos, sending him to the mat to cover up, where instead of continuing strikes on the ground Fedor hopped on his back and secured a windpipe choke. There can be no question about Fedor's motives, which weren't "He's hurt! Pound him out, finish him!" but rather "End the fight." (Note the lack of an exclamation mark.) The man's pulse probably never rose above 80 beats per minute.

What may distinguish Fedor Emelianenko is his understanding of the fight as a game, rather than a match against a specific fighter with specific attributes he must overcome. It's no secret that Fedor doesn't focus or otherwise modify his training camp to account for an opponents' strengths or weaknesses. His training, rather, focuses heavily physical endurance, strength, striking, balance and mental discipline under duress.

It is an approach to fighting as as problem-solving challenges rather than defeating individuals that may inform Fedor's style. It is a simple strategy; be fit, be prepared and be alert. Don't force anything; patiently exploit an opponents' first mistake and end the fight.

The manner in which he does this may vary, but almost invariably, it happens.