When it comes to combat sports, legends rarely get a happy ending.
via first-round technical knockout in the Russian’s farewell fight at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Saturday night. While there was some hope coming into the bout that “The Last Emperor” could turn back the clock one more time, Bader dispelled that notion in short order, as he floored his opponent with a right behind the ear before sealing his victory with a series of unanswered punches on the canvas.
“I feel great. He hit me a few times, but I didn’t lose consciousness. I felt everything,” Emelianenko said at the post-fight press conference. “I was really happy to see all the legends, all the fighters,” he said. “With some of them I shared the ring, with some of them I was watching and learning from them. It was great to have them come and support me.”
“I take everything as it happens. If I win, lose, it doesn’t really matter. That’s how it has to happen,” he said. “You saw today, the whole arena was cheering for me. I get my popularity and my fan base based on my actions inside the cage, not because I was doing trash talk and talking bad about my opponents.”
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