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Fedor Emelianenko to Fight Again, Not Ready to Say Goodbye
By Benn Schulberg
Published Feb 15, 2011
Fedor Emelianenko is fighting on after hinting at retirement following his loss to Antonio Silva in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix heavyweight tournament.
The mixed martial arts world was left in shock this past Saturday night after Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko was beaten handily by underdog Antonio "Big Foot" Silva in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix heavyweight tournament quarterfinal match and then announced he might have stepped in the octagon for the last time.
That post-fight interview left fans praying their beloved Russian warrior would have a change of heart after distancing himself from the loss. His camp thought he might take a few weeks to decide his future, but after just two days, Fedor has apparently made up his mind to continue fighting. According to the Russian mixed martial arts website, valetudo.ru., Fedor explained his current position after arriving back in Russia.
"I rushed to declare my retirement. I will fight more. Possibly, I will return to the Heavyweight Grand-Prix. I am capable of having a few more fights. I didn't make any analysis yet on why I lost. I need to recover, I can't see very well yet."
Fedor's coach confident he will come back strong
Fedor's Sambo coach, Vladimir Voronov, believes this is the new beginning for his prized student. "It's very nice that Fedor has his fighting spirit, he is ready to rip everyone apart right now. Yes, his eye is swollen, but it will heal. Most importantly for him is not to have any psychological pressure. After this, he will train with a triple effort."
No longer superman, but can't count Fedor out
At 34-years-old, Emelianenko is still a dangerous opponent for any fighter in the world, but back-to-back losses to Werdum and Silva have shattered his superman mystique. It'd be unwise to count Fedor out considering his resume and decade of dominance, yet he's facing a difficult climb back to the top of the ranks Younger and larger competition await. Silva, who outweighed him by more than 50-pounds Saturday night, used his hulking stature to dominate Emeilianenko for the first time ever.
Images
Fedor Emelianenko returning home to Russia after loss - lifesports Fedor talking comeback - lifesports
Emelianenko as alternate in Strikeforce World Grand Prix heavyweight tournament
Emelianenko (31-3) is under a Strikeforce contract for three bouts after signing an extension earlier this year. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said that Fedor is eligible to return to the tournament as an alternate and would fight against the loser of April 9's Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal between Febricio Werdum and Allistair Overeem. Striking coach, Alexander Michov, was not deterred by his fighter's recent loss. "Fedor is capable to return to the tournament. Everybody stumbles; this is not the end of the world."
Fedor still a big draw for Strikeforce, M-1 Global
What is clear, though, is the fact that mma fans, Strikeforce, and M-1 Global are rejoicing following Emelianenko's decision to soldier on. Fedor will continue to be a top draw no matter who and where he fights. His popularity still seems to be growing due to his American exposure, and despite the losses, "The Last Emperor" will continue to headline for Strikeforce. His bout against Silva in front of a crowd of 11,287 brought in a record for viewership of mixed martial arts on Showtime. The average audience of 741,000 with a peak rating of 1.1 million during the main event, blew away an August 2009 card featuring Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos by more than 20 percent.
Fedor fading or will he rise to the top again?
We now know that Fedor will fight again but his future success is unclear now that he has dropped two fights in a row, casting serious doubt as to whether he can ever reclaim his longstanding spot as the best heavyweight in the world. Results are never good for champion-caliber fighters who keep competing once they hit their downward slide. It's a sad reality of combat sports and it'd be a travesty if Fedor stayed on too long for his own good. But, this is the great Fedor, and maybe this latest defeat will bring a renewed sense of urgency to his game that carries him back to his perch on top of the world. We'll soon find out
By Benn Schulberg
Published Feb 15, 2011
Fedor Emelianenko is fighting on after hinting at retirement following his loss to Antonio Silva in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix heavyweight tournament.
The mixed martial arts world was left in shock this past Saturday night after Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko was beaten handily by underdog Antonio "Big Foot" Silva in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix heavyweight tournament quarterfinal match and then announced he might have stepped in the octagon for the last time.
That post-fight interview left fans praying their beloved Russian warrior would have a change of heart after distancing himself from the loss. His camp thought he might take a few weeks to decide his future, but after just two days, Fedor has apparently made up his mind to continue fighting. According to the Russian mixed martial arts website, valetudo.ru., Fedor explained his current position after arriving back in Russia.
"I rushed to declare my retirement. I will fight more. Possibly, I will return to the Heavyweight Grand-Prix. I am capable of having a few more fights. I didn't make any analysis yet on why I lost. I need to recover, I can't see very well yet."
Fedor's coach confident he will come back strong
Fedor's Sambo coach, Vladimir Voronov, believes this is the new beginning for his prized student. "It's very nice that Fedor has his fighting spirit, he is ready to rip everyone apart right now. Yes, his eye is swollen, but it will heal. Most importantly for him is not to have any psychological pressure. After this, he will train with a triple effort."
No longer superman, but can't count Fedor out
At 34-years-old, Emelianenko is still a dangerous opponent for any fighter in the world, but back-to-back losses to Werdum and Silva have shattered his superman mystique. It'd be unwise to count Fedor out considering his resume and decade of dominance, yet he's facing a difficult climb back to the top of the ranks Younger and larger competition await. Silva, who outweighed him by more than 50-pounds Saturday night, used his hulking stature to dominate Emeilianenko for the first time ever.
Images
Fedor Emelianenko returning home to Russia after loss - lifesports Fedor talking comeback - lifesports
Emelianenko as alternate in Strikeforce World Grand Prix heavyweight tournament
Emelianenko (31-3) is under a Strikeforce contract for three bouts after signing an extension earlier this year. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said that Fedor is eligible to return to the tournament as an alternate and would fight against the loser of April 9's Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal between Febricio Werdum and Allistair Overeem. Striking coach, Alexander Michov, was not deterred by his fighter's recent loss. "Fedor is capable to return to the tournament. Everybody stumbles; this is not the end of the world."
Fedor still a big draw for Strikeforce, M-1 Global
What is clear, though, is the fact that mma fans, Strikeforce, and M-1 Global are rejoicing following Emelianenko's decision to soldier on. Fedor will continue to be a top draw no matter who and where he fights. His popularity still seems to be growing due to his American exposure, and despite the losses, "The Last Emperor" will continue to headline for Strikeforce. His bout against Silva in front of a crowd of 11,287 brought in a record for viewership of mixed martial arts on Showtime. The average audience of 741,000 with a peak rating of 1.1 million during the main event, blew away an August 2009 card featuring Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos by more than 20 percent.
Fedor fading or will he rise to the top again?
We now know that Fedor will fight again but his future success is unclear now that he has dropped two fights in a row, casting serious doubt as to whether he can ever reclaim his longstanding spot as the best heavyweight in the world. Results are never good for champion-caliber fighters who keep competing once they hit their downward slide. It's a sad reality of combat sports and it'd be a travesty if Fedor stayed on too long for his own good. But, this is the great Fedor, and maybe this latest defeat will bring a renewed sense of urgency to his game that carries him back to his perch on top of the world. We'll soon find out
