On Feb. 12, Fedor Emelianenko will step back into the cage for the first time since his historic first round submission loss to Fabricio Werdum in June of last year.
Fedor’s loss was a moment in MMA history that many people thought may never come. Most of us knew it was possible for Fedor to lose, it was just something most of us never expected to see, especially in the fashion that it happened.
It happened so early in the fight, so quick and anti-climactic, and with one little tap of the hand the baddest man on the planet admitted on that summer night in San Jose there was someone better.
For us, it was the end of an era. For Fedor, it was simply a technical error. “I wanted to finish the fight with Werdum early and I made a mistake,” he told ProMMAnow.com in an exclusive interview this week.
MMA fans did not know how to take Fedor’s loss. Many thought “The Last Emperor” might even consider retiring. Yet it seems quite the opposite was true, he wanted to get back in there as soon as possible.
“I enjoy the competition of sport very much. This is what motivates me,” Fedor said.
That makes sense when one thinks about all the training and preparation that goes into a fight. And for it to be over in one minute and nine seconds, at the very least must leave the competitor on the losing end feeling deeply unfulfilled.
And as far as retiring… forget about it.
“I will continue to compete for as long as my health and God allows me to,” Fedor explained. “I look forward to getting back in the cage and performing to my highest level.”
On Feb. 12 Fedor will face a six-foot five-inch 265-pound monster named Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, a knockout artist but also a BJJ black belt certainly capable of submitting Fedor.
Silva has even mentioned that Werdum has “shown the blueprint” on how to beat Fedor and has said that the weakest part of Fedor’s game is on the ground.
Fedor is not buying it though. No one had ever submitted him before and is not worried that they have somehow exposed a hole in his game. He’s put the loss behind him.
” I have moved past this and have been training hard,” said Fedor. “I approach each fight the same. All I can do is prepare my best and everything else is God’s will. … My training camp has been very strong.”
Fedor has said he has moved on and if he can score an impressive victory over Silva, it will go a long ways toward helping the media and fans move on from this loss too. Everyone can make a mistake right? Now we all eagerly await to see if that is really all it was or if the demigod has truly lost a step.
If Fedor were to win the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament it would practically erase the loss to Werdum, as if it never happened. It would be a massive rebound for the Russian Zen master and he spoke about the competitors involved.
“The tournament participants are all highly skilled athletes,” he said. “As for whether it is the greatest tournament ever assembled, it is not for me to say. That is something left to the media and to the fans.”
You may have seen recent photos or the video of Fedor riding a horse. I told him he looked like a cowboy and asked him what the experience was like and if it was fun. “Thank you (laughing),” he said. “It was a relaxing day out with friends and I enjoyed it very much. I often try new experiences in the company of good friends.”
NOTE: If you missed our exclusive interview with Fedor’s manager Vadim Finkelstein from last week, you can check that out here: Vadim Finkelstein discusses Fedor’s loss and difficulty in working with the UFC.