New York City, New York (June 27, 2010) After suffering his first loss in nearly a decade to the highly touted ADCC champion and submission specialist Fabricio Werdum on Saturday night’s co-produced Strikeforce event, which aired on Showtime, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko made it clear that he will use this loss to learn and reflect with intentions to return to action as soon as possible; resuming his position as one the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
“Who does not fall that does not arise,” says Fedor. “I was quick to attack Werdum on the ground and committed a fatal error against a prominent opponent. I believe in my abilities as a fighter and will return to my training with a newfound outlook. I will use this moment to reflect and return stronger to fight in America.” While putting the evening into perspective Emelianenko told reporters,”It happens so that I was made an idol. Everybody loses. That happens. I’m an ordinary human being as all of us are.”
M-1 Global will be speaking with Strikeforce with the intention of establishing a rematch with Werdum; “Fedor is a strong fighter and no one truly expected Fedor to lose tonight but fights are fights and we must regroup and make our plan for a new future,” says M-1 Global’s co-founder, Vadim Finkelchtein . “I think a rematch with Werdum will bring a different outcome than what we witnessed this evening and would be in the best interests of the promotions and for the sport. This is an opportunity for us to learn and evolve.” Though no date for a return has been established, company officials have stated that an early fall fight would appeal to the fighter and his camp, possibly as early as September or October of this year.
As a global mixed martial arts company committed to driving the evolution of the sport and showcasing match-ups that the fans deserve to see, M-1 Global and Fedor Emelianenko will gather as a group and assess Saturday night’s result; from here out, M-1 will establish a new and more engaging history in order to transition and lead the sport of mixed martial arts further into the 21st century.
