Fedor Emelianenko lost his third fight in a row two weekends ago, falling to Dan Henderson in a first-round knockout and stoppage. The third consecutive loss, coupled with a release from Strikeforce, left plenty of fans wondering if Emelianenko would retire. After all, it was Fedor who raised the possibility following his loss to Big Foot Silva two fights ago.
Looks like the worries are unfounded; Fedor is not retiring. M-1 Global President and co-founder Vadim Finkelstein said in a statement Monday that Fedor has future fight plans.
“We consulted with Fedor and it was decided that he should not leave the sport in this way. His friends and past opponents support Fedor in continuing his career and he agreed,” said Finkelstein. “We want to organize a fight for Fedor in Russia and have already begun working in this direction. If everything goes as planned, we will produce a card in Moscow or St. Petersburg sometime in the fall with Fedor as the main event.” The opponent is yet to be determined.
More plans are also in the mix according to Finkelstein, “In addition to the fight in Russia, we’re also working with our Japanese contacts to organize a New Year’s Eve event in Japan that Fedor would participate in as well.”
Boom, done. I have to say I’m quite pleased. Before getting knocked out by Henderson, Fedor had recorded a knockdown and was winning the fight. He’s not the untouchable specimen he was five or 10 years ago, but he’s good enough to keep fighting. I’m glad to hear he will not go out on his third straight loss.
