The Pan Report: Fedor V. Silva Recap; Or the Emperor's New Clothes

Fedor Emelianenko suffered a devastating second round TKO loss at the much larger hands of Antonio Silva in the opening quarterfinal round of the Strikeforce HW Grand Prix Tournament.  To the dismay of his many fans in attendance last night in New Jersey, the MMA icon hinted in an interview immediately following the bout that this second consecutive loss might signal his retirement from the sport.

The fight started in a way similar to Emelianenko's recent outings. The Russian surged ahead with his darting strikes and lightly bounced on his feet, attempting to find an opening to capitalize on. He landed a few successful blows, but "Big Foot" Silva appeared unfazed and countered by smothering the former Pride star against the cage.

The Russian’s series of tactical faux-pas began early. One could suspect hubris knowing Emelianenko possesses so much experience. When both fighters hit the ground following Silva’s attempt to slam Emelianenko’s guillotine off him, the Russian legend threw caution to the wind and attempted to dominate his much bigger and accomplished BJJ opponent on the ground.

While on their feet, Emelianenko kept his hands on the lower side of his chest. Though it is true that stance is a trademark of his, one can assume training for an opponent with a long reach advantage would include ensuring develops a high guard.

Another miscalculation by Emelianenko appeared to be the lack of preparation for the mammoth size advantage afforded to Silva. The Russian received a serious beat down for the better part of the second round while on his back, receding into the most primordial survival mode.

Though Emelianenko’s right eye had already been injured by the end of the first stanza, the many hammer fists thrown by Silva from a full mount position only made the Russian’s face look gorier. The referee called an end to the bout due to the severity of Emelianenko’s injury in between rounds two and three. 

The medical suspension handed to Emelianenko immediately following the bout has him out indefinitely pending the results of a CT scan, in addition to a 90-day period due to the severity of the blows received. In a post-fight interview, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker alluded to a possible broken orbital bone, though no confirmation was available at the time of posting.

The Emperor’s post-fight retirement statement elicited quick reactions from fighters and promoters alike. Among them, members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will have noticed Coker’s infallible optimism. Having recently inked a 4-fight deal with Emelianenko’s management team (M-1), Coker downplayed his anxiety as best he could, referencing his recent successful contractual agreement with the Russian’s reputedly fickle posse.

MMA fans might have witnessed the end of one of the greatest careers in the sport last Saturday night. It appears the sport has changed faster than the icon has been able to adapt. As a small-size HW, Emelianenko seems unable to rival with other larger opponents (Lesnar, Carwin, Velasquez, Dos Santos and Overeem) at this stage of his professional career.  Since a move to LHW appears highly improbable for the legend, it might be wise for him to retire when his stock remains so high.  His last two outings should not cloud fans' judgment as to the importance of this athlete for the sport.

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