The future looks grim for a match featuring Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem at UFC 146. Though Overeem’s failed drug test comes as no surprise to those who have followed him since his lanky K-1 days, the timing couldn’t be much worse. Desperate fans have taken to lobbying via Twitter for journeyman Mark Hunt as a potential replacement to face Dos Santos (a rumor summarily quashed by UFC President Dana White.)
With the short list of suitable replacements looking very short indeed, a novel idea would be for White to sign Russian legend Fedor Emelianenko to challenge Dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title. Given White’s acrimonious history with Emelianenko’s management, the possibility seems as unlikely to ever become a reality as it is intriguing, but there is real logic behind it. Considering White’s promotional savvy and history of confounding expectations, one should never say never.
Here are five reasons why Dos Santos vs. Fedor actually makes a lot of sense.