The fighter’s tragedy

Fight fans worldwide will have been saddened by the recent post-fight speech by MMA legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko in which he intimated  that he is considering retiring from the cage. This came immediately after Fedor’s shock defeat to Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the first round of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix, with the Russian sambo expert looking painfully disappointed.

When asked if he was considering retirement, Fedor replied "Yes, maybe, it's the last time. Maybe it's high time. Thanks for everything. I spent a great beautiful long sport life. Maybe it's God's will."

After my initial shock at the possibility of MMA losing perhaps its greatest ever fighter, without even seeing him in the world’s premier fighting league, the UFC, I started to think about the deeper implications of all such announcements.

Fighters, perhaps more than any other sportsmen, know that they have a limited time at the top level. With a few notable exceptions, in particular UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, fighters of every style, talent and disposition must be aware that the day will come when they are simply not as strong, as fast or as fit as they once were. The accumulated damage fighters are prone to taking during a lengthy career exacerbates this decline significantly, with many fighters who once seemed invincible finding a knockout is something they are increasingly prone to experiencing.

Therefore, every fighter who reaches, and passes, the apex of their career is left with a huge, and undoubtedly painful, choice: to continue fighting, and risk seeing their career come to a close with undignified losses as they fa\il to recapture their former power, or perhaps in the ignominy of fighting in lower promotions; or to gracefully bow out of the game and leave their fans cherishing the best moments of their career.

Such a decision cannot be made lightly, and is surely made ever harder by the circumstances in which it almost always comes about. A fighter who is winning will always think he can win the next fight. Such confidence is a vital part of any successful fighter’s character. They must believe, without question or self-doubt, that they are capable of winning. Going into a fight without this attitude always ends in defeat, and possibly serious damage. Therefore, the tipping point at which the fighter reaches this decision will not come about after a win. It inevitably comes about only after a defeat, most likely consecutive defeats. The loss to Silva was the first time Fedor suffered consecutive defeats, following his surprise submission via triangle choke by Fabricio Werdum last year.

But the same drive which pushes the fighter to seek the next victory will also drive him (or her) to want to bounce back from a defeat, to at least end their career in a blaze of glory with one final, stunning win. It is easy to imagine the setting, almost like a Hollywood movie, where the once down-and-out fighter picks himself up, trains hard until he makes some grand self-realisation, and goes on to win the title before bowing out gracefully. The truth, however, is far less prosaic. Win a fight and you look to the next one, win a title and you want to defend it. But when the fighter is left with little other conclusion than he is past his best, then and only then will they face the prospect of ending their career.

Fedor is still a fantastic fighter with a lot to offer. His defeats, to me, do not indicate that he is past it by any stretch. Silva was a much bigger, heavier opponent in a game where weight counts for so much. Werdum was a BJJ specialist who caught Fedor from his guard, a fact remarkable not in that it happened but in that it took so long to do so. Fedor remained unbeaten for about 10 years, an astonishing achievement given the scale and quality of opponents he has faced.

With his recent election to the Russian Senate, Fedor is certainly thinking about his future. No-one can fight forever, and he can surely walk away from MMA with his head held high, looking forward to a new career. But one can only imagine the pain this decision is causing him. You need only look at his face (the half that wasn’t swollen out of all proportion) after his loss to Silva to prove that.

This is something all great fighters must face, sooner or later. If this is to be the end for Fedor, we should remember him not for the manner of his exit, but for the many unbelievable victories he achieved, the fact that he has dominated this sport for a decade. Fedor Emelianenko can surely stand beside the fighting world’s greatest names. Let him be honoured in the memory of fight fans for a long time to come.

Thankfully, on his return to Russia, Fedor is quoted as saying he intended to continue fighting. With all due respect to Antonio Silva, who was an impressive and worthy winner, a true legend like Fedor Emelianenko deserves to go out better than a by doctor’s stoppage. I look forward to seeing him fight again, and hopefully we will see Fedor prove himself a champion at least one more time.