Fedor Emelianenko has done everything he could possibly do in mixed martial arts.
He has won championships, tournaments, beaten some of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport and been one of the most humble athletes every step of the way.
That's why it's so difficult to think that his fight last night against Antonio Silva could be the last fight in the career of the greatest heavyweight fighter in MMA history.
When you have an icon like Fedor, you never think in your wildest dreams that they could just be knocked off the pedestal, but in sports anything can happen.
They are almost larger-than-life figures. They can conquer any challenge. The odds don't matter, the stakes never get in the way and somehow, someway—even in their most vulnerable moments—they always pull through.
Against Silva, Fedor couldn't pull through. The odds were in Fedor's favor, but Silva was able to use his size and skills to neutralize everything that Fedor usually does so well.
Silva was pretty effective in the first round of the fight, landing several punches including one that busted up Fedor's nose. It was a close round, but one that you probably had to give to Silva.
Then came the second round...and everything fell apart for Fedor. He couldn't muster any offense at all, and he wasn't able to do anything to stop Silva's relentless attack. Silva took him down and was able to get full mount position on him. Going into the fight, everyone thought that Silva's best chance to win would be to get on top of Fedor and just pound on him.
Sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Silva just started throwing his arms down on Fedor's head, and you could tell Fedor was in trouble.
To Fedor's credit, he was able to survive the onslaught, and was close to locking in an ankle lock submission. But he couldn't get position, and the round was over. Silva had beaten on Fedor so badly that Fedor's right eye was swollen shut.
As soon as the horn sounded for the end of the third round, the referee told the doctor to look at that eye. But before the doctor could render a decision, the ref called for a stop to the fight.
It was all over. Fedor had been dominated in a manner the likes of which none of us had ever seen. In true Fedor fashion, he didn't whine, complain or make excuses. He understood that he got beat by a better man.
So what happens next for Fedor?
When he was interviewed after the fight, he talked about retirement. "Maybe it's the time to leave. Yes, maybe it's the last time. Maybe it's high time...Maybe this is God's will," Fedor said.
It could have just been a heat-of-the-moment thing, but would you really put it past him if he did stop fighting?
He is going to be 35 years old this year, which is still young, but he has been fighting professionally since he was 20 years old. He has done it all in this sport. His unbeaten streak is one of the most impressive achievements in sports history.
Plus, he doesn't seem like someone who wants to stick around too long, only to see his legacy somewhat tarnished by old age.
There is some talk about him possibly moving down to light heavyweight, which would be a smart move for business because it would open a whole new world of challengers.
With that said, it's hard to imagine Fedor doing that. He has been a heavyweight for his entire career, and athletes are very prideful creatures. He might see moving down a weight class as an admission that he doesn't believe he is capable of competing with the top heavyweight fighters any longer.
We will find out exactly what is going with Fedor at some point in the future, but it wouldn't be a shock if this were the last fight for "the Last Emperor."
For the latest news and information, check out Strikeforce: Fedor vs Silva News, Results And More page.
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