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The 46-year-old says he is ending his 23-year MMA career with this bout, and he ceremonially laid down his gloves after the defeat in the familiar combat sports gesture by a retiring fighter; Emelianenko bows out with 40 wins from 48 fights.
Fedor Emelianenko lost his final MMA bout on Saturday after Ryan Bader stopped him halfway through the first round with a relentless finish at Bellator 290
The 46-year-old says he is ending his 23-year MMA career with this bout, and he ceremonially laid down his gloves after the defeat in the familiar combat sports gesture by a retiring fighter.
"On the one side, I'm sad I didn't deliver on the fight as I wanted to," Emelianenko said through a translator. "But on the other side, I'm so happy that all these fans and all these veteran fighters are here cheering for me."
The much-loved Russian MMA pioneer is one of the most compelling competitors in MMA history, and bows out with 40 wins from 48 fights.