The 46-year-old Fedor Emelianenko says he is ending his 23-year MMA career with this bout, and he ceremonially laid down his gloves after the defeat in the familiar combat sports gesture by a retiring fighter.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Fedor Emelianenko placed his gloves on the canvas and then cracked a warm smile while nearly a dozen mixed martial arts greats behind him led the crowd in one last ovation.
“On the one side, I’m sad I didn’t deliver on the fight as I wanted to,” Emelianenko said through a translator. “But on the other side, I’m so happy that all these fans and all these veteran fighters are here cheering for me.” “It was bittersweet,” Bader said. “I idolized him like every MMA fan and fighter coming up. He put the sport on his back. That is a legend right there.”
The slightly pudgy, slightly undersized heavyweight improbably recorded a long series of spectacular knockouts and submissions while fighting for the Pride promotion in Japan. He acquired mainstream attention when he began fighting stateside in 2008 while retaining the blank-faced earnestness and violent talents that made him such a favorite.
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