https://youtu.be/_skdncsqQHQ
Although it may not be the greatest summarized indication of the fight, embedded above are some of the highlights from the wild Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabio Maldonado main event from the EFN 50 event in St. Petersburg, Russia this weekend.
The bout has been a highly talked about subject following the wild action from bell to bell, as well as the questionable majority decision ruling that went in favor of the Russian MMA legend.
Below is the MMANews.com recap of the action that went down inside the three round battle that took place on Friday.
In the main event of the evening, MMA legend and former longtime PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko fought in an epic, memorable battle with former UFC contender Fabio Maldonado.
The opening round of the Fedor-Maldonado bout was one for the ages, as Fedor brought the onslaught from the opening bell, only to quickly find himself nearly being stopped by Maldonado. Fedor was dropped and rocked multiple times standing in the round, and took a ton of punishment from Maldonado on the ground as well. Fedor was bleeding profusely, but survived and managed to get out of the first round, which Maldonado won huge.
Things didn’t calm down any in the second round, as both guys were tired, but managed to have another very eventful round. Fedor attempted a flying knee early in the round, which was quite the sight, before connecting and hurting Maldonado with a number of big shots. Things got a lot more competitive in the second half of the round, however.
Finally, what will likely end up being a candidate for Fight of the Year in 2016, Fedor and Maldonado reached the third and final round. Both guys were tired and their faces were a complete mess as a result of the big shots each landed in the first two rounds.
Throughout the majority of the final round, it was Fedor blasting away at Maldonado, seemingly trying to finish the fight to ensure a victory after the hellacious first round he endured. Once again, however, there were several moments where Maldonado landed big shots on Fedor as well. While the fight may not have had a finish, you certainly can’t say both guys didn’t try their hardest to get one.
In the end, it came down to the judges scorecards and despite what most would score as a pretty clear-cut 10-8 first round in favor of Maldonado, apparently the judges felt different. The scores came in 28-28, 29-28 and 29-28 in favor of Fedor, giving the MMA legend the victory over Maldonado by Majority Decision.
For Fabio Maldonado’s unfiltered, in-depth take on the fight, click here. For post-fight comments from Fedor, including his plans regarding whether or not he will continue fighting, click here.
https://youtu.be/TxN8Bdmd0wY
