Fedor Emelianenko Knocks out Pedro Rizzo, UFC or Retirement Are Only Options

Fedor Emelianenko has reportedly fought for the last time. This afternoon, Fedor met Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo in Russia and knocked out the former contender 84 seconds into the first round.

At 38 years of age, Rizzo didn't look confident in the stand-up portion of the fight. He is likely thankful that he didn't have to stand and exchange for long. Less than 90 seconds into the fight, Emelianenko sent Rizzo to the ground with patented looping hooks, before knocking out “The Rock” with ground and pound only moments later.

After an illustrious career that saw him defeat the best heavyweights in PRIDE, he bested former UFC champions Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia under the Affliction banner.

When Affliction shut down, it was assumed that Fedor would be joining the UFC roster to continue competing with top names from across the globe. Instead, he joined Strikeforce, where he put together a depressing 1-3 record before being released from the organization.

Critics are claiming that Fedor filled his record with cans and that he hasn’t fought anyone worthwhile in years. Fans are claiming that he simply got old and his skill decayed. In any event, the 35-year-old doesn’t have anything left to give unless he joins the UFC.

A move to UFC seems unlikely though, as M-1 Global has never been able to come to terms with the Zuffa brass. However, now that Fedor is riding a three-fight winning streak, it is possible that Joe Silva may have a plan to squeeze out a little more juice from "The Last Emperor's" hardcore fan base.

If Fedor truly is going to retire, this is the right moment. Rizzo is a quality name, despite being well past his prime, and Fedor looked to be in great shape. The fans who saw the contest will welcome this as the final image of a man who could go down as the greatest heavyweight of all time.

Update: If you are reading this article but have yet to hear the official news, Fedor Emelianenko has retired from mixed martial arts. For further reading check out http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1231526-fedor-emelianenko-officially-retires-after-84-second-ko-of-pedro-rizzo#comments