Eurasia Fight Nights 50 was about one thing and one thing only: Fedor Emelianenko's return to Russian MMA. The Last Emperor, known for his dominance in the cage from 2000 to 2009, is a hero in his home country, and the Russian promotion pulled out all the stops to make the occasion a memorable one.
There were grandiose entrances, an orchestra and elaborate promotional packages. And for Emelianenko, there was a cherry-picked opponent selected to ensure an impressive victory for the legendary fighter.
The opponent, of course, was Fabio Maldonado. The UFC cut the 36-year-old Brazilian in 2015 with a 4-6 record, but he gained a bit of popularity during that run for his exciting, brawling style. That reputation, alongside a consistent lack of success against high-level competition, made him a great tune-up fight for Emelianenko, known for his technical brilliance and resiliency.
Unfortunately for all parties, the fight was not an easy one.
The first 30 seconds saw Emelianenko throw flurries at Maldonado until he slipped away and caught the former Pride champion coming in with a left hand that folded him to the canvas. Maldonado smelled blood and landed brutal ground-and-pound for more than two full minutes. Emelianenko eventually worked his way back to his feet and stumbled away, but he was sporting massive damage.
Maldonado continued pushing the pace but was visibly exhausted from the deluge of strikes he landed on Emelianenko in the opening minutes. The horn would sound for the end of the round, and Emelianenko rebounded off the stool surprisingly well.
While the first frame was lopsided, the second saw both men take turns on offense. Emelianenko continually walked down Maldonado and threw knees and leg kicks while Maldonado slipped out, pressed forward and threw combinations. Maldonado, however, was on cruise control at this point and likely had his nose broken by a knee during the round.
The third once again saw Emelianenko start hard and heavy, but Maldonado managed to keep him in check with his left hand. Still, Maldonado's questionable gas tank prevented him from ever mounting any sustained offense, and he spent nearly the entire round on the perimeter of the cage, getting boxed up and tagged with leg kicks.
Both men survived, but while the contest was met with mixed reactions, the decision was met with unanimous ire. While many scored the fight a 28-28 draw or even a 28-27 win in favor of Maldonado, the cards read 28-28, 29-28 and 29-28, making Emelianenko the winner by majority decision.
Naturally, the outcome was met with immediate backlash on social media, with pundits such as Luke Thomas and Jeremy Botter labeling it a "joke," with some taking it a step further and questioning the legitimacy of the officiating:
The performance likely nixes the chances of a high-profile jump to the UFC for Emelianenko. The possibility of Emelianenko finally joining the UFC after a career largely spent in Japan was a major storyline entering EFN 50, and Emelianenko went so far as to tell MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani (h/t MMA Fighting's Marc Raimondi) on Monday that he's closer than ever to signing with the world's largest promotion.
This controversial win over a middling castoff, however, will likely give UFC decision-makers pause about the 39-year-old.
Everything else aside, however, this fight was a testament to the toughness of Emelianenko. He was absolutely battered in the first round and easily could have stayed down and taken a loss. Instead, he battled back from adversity and made it to the end as he has so many times before.
It wasn't a pretty win, and it most certainly wasn't a clean one, but even after 41 fights, Emelianenko can still impress.
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