Fedor Emelianenko Set to Retire After June 21 bout with Pedro Rizzo
By Chris Leslie on May 19, 2012
Fedor Emelianenko has decided to hang it up after an illustrious thirteen-year career in MMA. MMAFighting reports the Russian fighter’s June 21 bout with Pedro Rizzo will be his last.
In an interview translated by Ukranian MMA journalist Artem Yalansky, Fedor states:
“My previous fight was in Moscow and my last fight will be in St. Petersburg on June 21st,” Emelianenko says. “It will be the last fight in my career.”
“Is this your final decision?” the interviewer asks.
“Yes,” Emelianenko says, “I think it’s time to end my career.”
Fedor has officially stated he is retiring to spend more time with his family but the 35-year-old fighter has also alluded to lingering injury issues after his last several fights.
Fedor has wrestled with the choice to retire for several years now, mentioning that he began thinking of retirement prior to his first loss in ten years to Fabricio Werdum.
The humble Ukrainian-born fighter was one of the most controversial fighters in MMA history due to his rabid fanbase and detractors. What cannot be argued is that Emelianenko is one of the most decorated heavyweights in MMA history and that his ten year unbeaten streak is one of the longest in MMA history. A fact made even more impressive since he fought at heavyweight.
While his detractors harp on matchmaking and his confrontational management team, and many of his fans lived in the past, it cannot be denied that Fedor was one of the best heavyweight fighters in history. Fedor was a PRIDE and RINGS tournament champion, in addition to being a three-time SAMBO World Champion, and two third place finishes in Judo.
Fedor’s career began nearly 12 years ago on May 21, 2000 in Yekaterinburg, Russia and it will end June 21 in St. Petersburg.
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allways been a fan, allways will be. but good decision. it was a good run.
I’m sure he’d delay retirement if Dana White picks up the phone and makes him an offer.
This needed to happen. He is one of the all-time greats of the old guard. Unfortunately, but deservedly, I don’t think his face will end up on the Mt. Rushmore of MMA, because he never competed in the UFC and did not evolve his game over the years. That being said, the fact that he was able to be so dominant for so many years doing things his way, shows was an amazing competitor he was. Its too bad he went from “unbeatable” to losing three fights in a row ( 2 of them in somewhat brutal fashion). I just wonder if years from now his legacy will be “one of the best” or “never realized his potential” or “a giant question-mark on how he would have fared in the UFC.”
Well said Chris. I am one of the people who think he is the greatest fighter of all time, and to me unquestionably the greatest heavyweight of all time. I’m sad to see him go, but its was prob time and I don’t feel he had anything left to prove personally. Still think he could’ve made a run in the UFC though! Whether his management team sucked or not Idk, because I really don’t understand that part of the business good enough. His bank account would prob be the best judge of that…
It’s always easy for people to look back at the long since deflated records of fighters’s opponents, and minimize the accomplishments by saying those fights weren’t worth as much. But in Fedor’s time he really beat the best of the best in the world, time and time again. And for 10 straight years he didn’t even accidentally get Cain’d. If anything his career was a very very special feat that may never be duplicated. Like one of those 3 no hitters in a row type miracles. Anyway I’ll miss that chubby and humble assassin, and I’ll still believe every rumor I hear that he’s joining the UFC! It will still prob happen!
he won’t change his mind if UFC calls- he never cared and doesn’t now. although there is a lot of fighter speak used with the press MOST guys would rather share there fortune with their family & children.
(most folks with kids may know what i’m talking about).
for MMA he has a long career and grinding a 35 year old body for another 5-10 years might be the difference between running with kids in the field in a decade or watching them from a lawn chair. whch would you pick?
another loss via :
stoppage due to father time
it might have made us mad… the things he did or didn’t do?
but i never heard anything negitive about the guy.. in trouble or disrespectful maybe his managment?
best heavy weight ever or one of the best heavy weights ever?????
doesn’t matter anymore (imo) he as always been a stand up guy!
who knows the politicts that went along with his career, how many desent fighters come out of russia? how many fighters have a org.(K1) on their nuts and won’t let go?
you do you fedor!
thanks for the exciting and competitive shows you have been apart of :)
VERY EMPRESSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
imo
i still think you can beat brock!
Fedor is the best MMA fighter of all time. Dana White is scum. No one cares about Dana White. Fans want to see Fedor fight in the UFC. It is absolutely incredulous to see White laud the greatness of Lesnar and Couture when they have terrible winning percentages and Fedor’s winning percentage is amazing. White is a narcissistic egomaniac, he has disrespected the most respected MMA fighter of all time. White is vulgar, has no class and no perspective. By dishonoring Fedor, White dishonors himself. Fedor is the epitome of class, sportmanship and greatness. White is a pathetic administrator. He is petty and vindictive. He couldn’t bully Fedor’s management before and now it is pathetic payback time, making sure that Fedor can’t get any fights. White needs to be let go by the UFC, not Fedor.
I probably should have posted this when the story first broke, but here it is anyway for anyone who might happen to read it. I wrote this up when Fedor lost to Hendo:
After Dan Henderson ko’d Fedor I was reading a lot of posts trashing Fedor and his legacy. Not surprising, but to me a little annoying:
“Bye Fedor….that sound is your legacy going in down the drain!”
“Fedor Emelianenko’s true MMA record is now 3-3.”
“Listen, Fedor NEVER was the best HW in the world, NEVER! What has he done to deserve that accolade? What fought Big Nog four times? Cro Cop? Coleman? Sylvia? Arlovski? Please, the rest of the names he’s fought aren’t even worth wasting the time to mention.” (it’s funny, some of the guys this person is trashing as the opponents that Fedor beat are actually ex ufc hw champs, some were the champs when Fedor was running through people in Pride.)
When Fedor started in Pride in June 2002 his record was 10-1, he was riding a 6 fight win streak, and the current ufc champion was (temporarily) Josh Barnett. Barnett had won the belt via GNP 2nd round stoppage over Couture, but was stripped of the belt when he later tested positive for steroids.
Over the next 4 1/2 years, until December 2006 when Fedor fought for the last time in Pride, he went 16-0-1. Beating the likes of Schilt, Herring, big Nog (2-0-1), Coleman (2-0) (former ufc hw champion), Randleman (former ufc hw champion), Cro Cop, & Hunt.
This list may not be that impressive to some, especially those who did not watch Pride and only see what these guys have done lately.
Big Nog was 19-1-1 when he faced Fedor for the first time and was riding a 13 fight win streak, with his previous win being a submission victory over Dan Henderson. He went on a 5 fight win streak before facing Fedor again and the fight was stopped due to an accidental head butt. There was an immediate rematch 4 months later with Fedor winning.
Mirko was 16-2-2 with 12 of those 16 wins coming by tko/ko, and was on a 7 fight win streak when he lost to Fedor.
Over this span of 4 1/2 years the ufc hw champions were, Barnett, Rodriguez, Sylvia, Mir, Arlovski and again Sylvia. Barnett was stripped of the belt when he tested positive for steroids. Sylvia was also stripped of the belt after popping for steroids, after his first title defense against Gan McGee(?). Who knows how dominant Mir would’ve been as he suffered the motorcycle accident before he could start his run as champ. And arlovski was a one time champ until losing it to Sylvia.
So Fedor’s real mma record is 3-3? Now I know the rules were different than the unified rules but as far as I know it was still considered mma. 2 guys fighting under the same rules. Are the people who sh1t all over him and his record saying he isn’t comparable to the guys I mentioned above who were ufc hw champions during a lot of Fedor’s (almost) 10 year unbeaten streak?
What has he done to earn that accolade? During the time he was beating everyone outside of the ufc, the ufc’s hw champs IMO couldn’t be considered all that much better. Certainly not the guys I mentioned. So at one time, for a period of about 4 – 4 1/2 years he was one of the best, if not the best.
Is he comparable to the new breed of hw? Not a chance. Is he the dominant force he once was? No. But to trash on the man and his legacy because he’s suffered a few losses is bs.
I was glad to see no one really bashed him here.
@John
Lol damn. I think Dana has his good points, and although I think he’s a total dead beat for how he treated fedor, I don’t think he’s all terrible. But hey more power to ya for sticking up for fedor lol. Actually I was watching a replay of an old fedor fight in pride the other night and who was in the front row..none other than Lorenzo Fertita. Just flying to Japan to watch some bum fight huh ;)
@newfie
Damn I repent for anything negative I may have ever said to you. I’m a card carrying fedor fan and believe that most true mma fans agree that he’s the best ever, hands down. But there is no way I could ever have summed it up as good as you did lol. That was literally irrefutable evidence that he’s the best ever estimation. Newer fans tend to look back at people’s records and down play them, ignorantly negating the weight of the fights and the talent of the fighters in those eras. It’s pretty.stupid, but whatever. Anyway I agree, good to see no one bashing him here.
@devin
We may have had disagreements about some things but as long as things stay civilized its ok, I don’t mind differences in opinion it’s the name calling that some idiots resort to that bugs me.
As for the Fedor post, thanks for the compliment!! Obviously I am one of those that thinks in his time Fedor was either one of the best or THE best HW in the world.