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In the pantheon of all-time greats of mixed martial arts, very few competitors can compare to Fedor Emelianenko. Emelianenko rose to prominence as a trailblazer and legend in the highly volatile world of professional MMA, enthralling fans of the sport for over two decades.
Needless to say, it was a heartbreaking sight to witness 'The Last Emperor' depart from the sport following his first-round TKO loss to Ryan Bader at the recently concluded Bellator 290. Fedor Emelianenko has inspired an entire generation of mixed martial artists and has left an indelible mark on the sport.
At Bellator 214 in January 2019, Emelianenko was defeated by Bader in his attempt to win the heavyweight championship. The Russian was awarded a rematch with Bader after winning his next two fights. Unfortunately, the second fight ended in a similar TKO defeat, and he announced the end of his stellar career.
Several fighters and combat sports fans flocked to Twitter to respond to Fedor Emelianenko's retirement and pay tribute to the great legend. UFC bantamweight contender Rob Font wrote:
"Sad way to go #Bellator290"
Several MMA veterans, including Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, and Mark Hughes, joined Emelianenko inside the cage following the announcement of his retirement. Seeing all the MMA greats together touched Dan Ige's heart, who wrote:
"Damn that was sad but cool to see all the legends get in there and support Fedor."
Whereas fellow MMA icon B.J. Penn simply thanked Fedor Emelianenko for his contribution to the sport:
"Thank you Fedor 🙏 #PRIDENeverDie"
Check out some of the best fighter reactions below:
Check out some of the best fan reactions below:
Fedor Emelianenko's MMA retirement : The end of an era
Fedor Emelianenko made the last walk to the octagon at the recently concluded Bellator 290 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, United States.
On May 21, 2000, Emelianenko made his MMA debut and promptly won his first four bouts. After tasting defeat in his fifth fight, Emelianenko went undefeated in his next 28 bouts from December 2000 to June 2010, during which time he defeated the likes of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Kevin Randleman, and Mark Coleman.
Emelianenko is beyond question a luminary in the sport and a number of MMA awards have been bestowed upon him. Multiple outlets, including Sports Illustrated, ranked him as the decade's best mixed-martial-arts competitor.
Fedor Emelianenko was the best MMA fighter who never fought for the UFC, and he will never be replicated. Even before a fight, his charisma has always been enough to terrorize his opponents. 'The Last Emperor' maintained his composure under the brightest of lights in the biggest of venues. As combat sports enthusiasts, we consider ourselves lucky that we got to witness the career of a true legend who will never be forgotten.
