Fedor Emelianenko: The Fall of the Last Emperor

nullWith every great moment in sports history, there is typically one that is just as sad a little further down the road.

No matter how invincible we think people like Anderson Silva or Georges St. Pierre are, time will make a coward of them all.

Such is the case with Fedor Emelianenko.

From 2000-2010 Fedor was considered a god in MMA. He went 10 years without losing a fight. It seemed impossible, but he kept finding ways to win. Through PRIDE to Affliction to Strikeforce, he kept finding himself on top.

But, as time moved on, fighters kept improving, while Fedor has hit a standstill with his evolving in the sport.

Now, a loser of three straight after being stopped by Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva, and now Dan Henderson, “The Last Emperor” looks like someone that has been dethroned.

Is Fedor still a top-level fighter? Yes.

He is still someone that can compete with the best.

But, he is far from the legend that he created over the last 10 years.

The story of Fedor is the same of other legends like Chuck Liddell. “The Iceman” seemed unbeatable back in 2006 but then suffered losses in five of his next six, four of which were by KO.

The fierce competitor we all grew to appreciate had to stand somber in the middle of the octagon with the UFC forcing him to retire in order for the downfall to stop.

It is hard for any athlete to “Go Out on Top” as most want to compete until they physically can’t anymore. It is their livelihood to compete. It is all they know.

Fedor deserves to keep fighting. He wasn’t dominated by Henderson. But, it was still clear that he will never be the dominant force he once was.

I would like my last memory of Fedor to be something positive and not the swollen-eyed figure I saw on Saturday.

  

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