‘Glorious Sweater of Absolute Victory’ Comes Out of Retirement for One Last Run at Heavyweight Sweater-Title [VIDEO]

(Props: serpreg via MiddleEasy)

The Glorious Sweater of Absolute Victory was more than a beloved Internet meme — it was a JoBu-esque talisman, embodying Fedor Emelianenko‘s supernatural talent as a fighter, and leading to his eventual downfall when he turned his back on it. Fedor first began wearing the GSoAV non-stop in 2009, then abruptly stopped before his losing streak in Strikeforce, which is too eerie to be a coincidence. Though he tried to appease the sweater by wearing it again before his July 2011 fight against Dan Henderson, it spitefully withheld its powers, teaching Fedor a painful but valuable lesson about loyalty.

But after another extended hiatus, the GSoAV re-appeared (magically?) before Fedor’s first-round knockout of Satoshi Ishii last December. It’s back again in this new footage, which proves that Fedor isn’t leaving his upcoming fight against Pedro Rizzo to chance.