Mendes compared Emelianenko to Velasquez and Cormier

AKA Hall of Famer head coach Javier Mender compared legendary Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko to his charges Kane Velasquez and Daniel Cormier.

"Cormier hasn't been a heavyweight for that long, but he's still one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Kane Velasquez hasn't been able to reach his full potential due to injuries. Unfortunately, he wasted many years. Cormier has competed at featherweight and heavyweight, so I consider him the greatest P4P fighter. As for the heavyweight, for me the greatest is Fedor.

Yes, if Fedor had moved to AKA to train back in the day, he would have made even more progress, as Cormier and Velasquez are two great heavyweights, just like Fedor himself. They would help each other and be great sparring partners. Iron sharpens iron - Daniel and Kane would have improved their skills too.

Are there similarities in the stylistics of Cormier, Velasquez and Fedor? They are different. "In terms of technique Kane is the best, Cormier is more of a fighter in his type, and Fedor is an unusual puncher with great speed, power and strength," Mendes said in an interview with the Ushataika YouTube channel.