Fedor Emelianenko Defeats Pedro Rizzo, Retires From MMA

Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor retires from MMA after knocking out Rizzo

Fedor Emelianenko retirement talks have been running wild lately, and his knockout victory against Pedro Rizzo on Thursday indeed will mark the last time the legend will compete in mixed martial arts.

Emelianenko met Rizzo in the main event of M-1: Fedor vs. Rizzo in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 21, making quick work of the UFC veteran. A stiff right hand floored Rizzo, and Emelianenko needed little time to finish the contest after that.

Following the contest, Emelianenko announced that he would retire from competition after a career for the history books.

“I made a final decision. This was my last fight. I’m leaving the sport for the sake of his family, for the sake of children. At this point I want to devote more time to my daughters,” Emelianenko said.

The win was “The Last Emperor’s” third in a row after suffering the first losing streak of his career during his time in Strikeforce. Emelianenko was released from the promotion, according to Dana White, after losses to Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva, and Dan Henderson, consecutively.

Emelianenko and M-1 Global claim that they were not released, however, as the fighter’s contract was with Showtime and not the fight promotion.

Prior to the losses, Emelianenko earned a technical knockout win in his Strikeforce debut against Brett Rogers, while he defeated UFC veterans Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia during his time in Affliction.

Emelianenko, one of the most popular fighters in the history of the sport, was long considered the greatest heavyweight on the planet and was also given the number one pound-for-pound spot by many. His career ends without ever fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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