By: Jason Jones
For: SportZonej
2/13/2011
Fedor Emelianenko, the greatest heavyweight in MMA history was outsized, shorter, and didn't have the punching reach like his opponent Brazilian giant Antonio Silva. Fedor; a native from Stary Oskol, Russia, would be in for a very long night. Normally, I would be praising his ability to defeat a much larger, stronger foe with smart heady fighting that has become his trademark. Normally, I would write that Fedor exploded with a flurry of over-hand rights with a nasty trailing left that would catch his opponent off kilter. Not tonight though. Fedor lost at the end of the second round thanks to a ground and pound game which cut the Russian and left his face looking the worst since his legendary fight and win with Mirco Crocrop. The cage side Dr. wouldn't let Fedor go on, thus likely ending what has been the greatest most storied MMA career ever told and providing the slightly classy Silva with his first signature win of his 16-3 MMA record.
Truth be told, I'm rather saddened by the statements Fedor made after the fight: “Maybe it is the time to leave,” he told an interpreter. “Maybe it is the last time. Maybe it is my time.” I don't want to see his mastery of opponents leave. Sure he has lost in his last two fights, but I believe Fedor still has some gas left in the take and still can be very relevant in the youthful MMA world. Fedor is not the fighter he was when he broke into the MMA world in 2000 by defeating Bulgarian Martin Lazarov with a Guillotine Choke. Nor is this the same fighter that submitted Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and Antonio Nogueira in an amazing 2004. The truth to this is that Fedor began to show decline in his TKO win over a new comer Brett Rogers. Some would write that the MMA Heavyweight division has passed Fedor by and that he is no longer at 34 able to keep up with the younger, bigger, quicker and in only some cases stronger heavyweights.
The worst thing most fighters can do in either boxing or the MMA is stay around for one too many fights. Some would write that these fighters just need to pad their financials so that they can retire with a solid portfolio. However, I say if Fedor can still fight at a respectful level without getting hurt beyond the normal MMA fight bruises and cuts then he should. I love watching him and yes this is a rather bias and selfish opinion, but I would continue to watch him through his entire career should he choose to move on. I put Fedor up as my favorite fighter not only for his dominance early on or the fear that other fighters had before and after fighting him. I put him #1 because of his skill, his humbleness, his desire to follow God's will, his calmness in the face of adversity and for his desires to simply be there for and provide for his family. Fedor has skills as an MMA fighter that 99% of the current fighters only wish they had. They might be more physically gifted now than Fedor and in some cases more marketable, but no one will posses the total package that Fedor possessed for almost 2 full decades. Sorry Brock, but that was meant mostly for you.
I believe that Fedor Emelianenko will be back in the octagon. I believe after the sting of this fight passes he will realize that his game plan will have to change. Fedor is a smart fighter who will learn to adjust to the new surroundings. No longer can Fedor intimidate and in most cases win the fight with psyching out his opponents before ever landing a punch. Now, he must learn a different discipline. A discipline that he has always known, but never had to employ. The art of deception. I bet in Fedor's next fight, he will be a solid underdog and his opponent will NOT respect who he really is...........Still the Greatest MMA Heavyweight the world has ever seen.
No comments:
Post a Comment