UFC commentator Joe Rogan believes there’s a strong possibility that Fedor Emelianenko, arguably the greatest heavyweight in MMA history, used performance-enhancing drugs during his undefeated run.
Hardcore MMA fans remember the streak like it was yesterday. Emelianenko, the first and final Pride heavyweight champion, was the real-life version of The Undertaker in the sport’s world.
Outside of a lone cut stoppage, the man anointed as “The Last Emperor” accomplished the unprecedented feat of going unbeaten for a decade, during a time when Pride Fighting Championships had the best stable of heavyweights in the world.
Fans were left on the edge of their seats every time Emelianenko stepped into the ring, wondering which night it would all unravel. Who would be the first man to finally topple the longtime pound-for-pound great?
It hardly needs to be said that Emelianenko has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, but then again, Pride wasn’t exactly known for stringent testing.
When speaking on the issue of steroids in MMA on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast (which contains NSFW language), Rogan touched on the possibility of Emelianenko seeking performance-enhancing drugs to get an edge over the competition:
Until you know for sure, you can’t say you know, but I would imagine the possibility is high. He looked big, a big f-----g thick dude. Go back and look at what he looked like when he fought [Kazuyuki] Fujita. He was a thick m----------r. He didn’t look anything like he looked when he fought [Antonio] “Bigfoot” Silva. So what happened? Did he stop lifting weights? That’s possible. Or, did he stop taking whatever the f—k he was taking? That’s possible too.
Fingers have been pointing left and right after Anderson Silva recently failed multiple drug tests.
Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett confirmed a few weeks ago to MMAFighting.com that two kinds of steroids, Drostanolone and Androsterone, were found in Silva’s system.
A witch hunt has been ensuing ever since to catch the next major MMA star performing outside of the rules.
But that time has long passed for Emelianenko.
All that he was belongs to history now. The former heavyweight champ retired in 2012, going 3-3 in his last six fights, never testing positive for any form of banned substances.
Jordy McElroy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon and FanRag Sports.
