Fedor Emelianenko has officially retired from Mixed Martial Arts
Russian mixed martial arts legend Fedor Emelianenko has announced his retirement after knocking out Brazilian veteran Pedro Rizzo earlier today in St. Petersburg.
Emelianenko finished the Brazilian veteran Pedro Rizzo in a mere 44 seconds.
The Last Emperor had this to say after his victory: “I think it’s time. I’m retiring from sports. I still have the SAMBO World Championships. My family is the reason I will not be fighting again. My daughters are growing without their father, so it’s the right time to leave.”
Emelianenko went undefeated for almost a decade until his loss to Fabricio Werdum in June 2010 and was adamant about his decision: “There’s no ‘fantastic’ offer that could tempt me out of retirement. I’m not obsessed with rematching Fabricio Werdum. There’s no agreement for such a fight, therefore there’s nothing to talk about.”
Fedor’s retirement signifies the end of an era. Now that he has formally walked away from a legendary career the Last Emperor can devote his time to being a father to his children. We wish him nothing but the best.
