Former ACA Champion Yevgeny Goncharov in a conversation with , he expressed the opinion that if it wasn’t for the injury, then Fedor Emelianenko I would have fought the American Ryan Bader better, but the defeat will not affect the legacy of the Russian fighter.
Emelianenko lost early to Bader in a fight for the heavyweight championship belt at the Bellator 290 tournament. The fight in the United States ended in a technical knockout in the first round. After the fight, the Russian announced his retirement.
– I was very upset because of Fedor’s defeat. I wanted and I believed that he would succeed. Even in the worst-case scenario, I thought, “Lord, let Fedor fight.” If the fight dragged on, anything could happen. After all, Fedor has good skills. I knew that Fedor had an injury that prevented him from preparing for the fight. I won’t go into the nuances. Fedor was not in the form he could be. I’m sure if he had won optimal conditions, the fight could have gone differently. But we have what we have.
That’s a shame. But I was thrilled to see how Bellator chief Scott Cocker showed respect for Fedor and rounded up famous fighters in the past that Fedor has fought with. And they came to support Fedor. It was beautiful and symbolic. Even such a ceremony softened the bitterness of defeat.
Fedor has a great career! He hasn’t lost to anyone in ten years. I think no one has seen and will soon see a heavyweight with a record of 31-1 (this is Emelianenko’s record since the beginning of his career until 2010).
Think about these numbers. And this record was achieved in one of the strongest leagues in history – in Pride. Fedor did not choose easy opponents for himself. Fedor is the best heavyweight of all time. Although he was never a born heavyweight. With a weight of 105 kg, he could withstand anyone – the strongest wrestlers, drummers, etc. He didn’t care. And this defeat of Bader will not affect the name and the legacy. Only people who don’t understand what Fedor has done for global MMA may think otherwise. But look how Fedor was met and seen in the United States. People understand his greatness. Fedor will go down in history. And remember everything Fedor did for Russian MMA. Fedor did this sport in our country.
It used to be fights without rules, but today it’s a sport with its own titles and so on. It’s thanks to Fedor Emelianenko. His merits and achievements cannot be interrupted. And now this defeat… Even if it would be very nice and fair to walk away with a belt. But Fedor’s career was successful. It’s hard to wish for a better career, Goncharov told .
In total, Emelianenko has 40 wins and seven losses in MMA.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
