br>
The last fight of Fedor Emelianenko, the triumphs of Islam Makhachev and Vadim Nemkov in the main MMA promotions of the world – Sports correspondent sums up the busy year in the world of mixed martial arts.
Makhachev tamed the Wolf and became No. 1
The past year will be remembered by UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for his confrontation with Alexander Volkanovski. The Australian, who holds the featherweight belt, defeated the Russian twice to become the fifth double champion in league history. But both times turned out to be unsuccessful:
- In February, Islam arrived in the opponent’s territory. In Perth, a tough five rounds awaited him and a triumph by a judge's decision, which Wolf fans did not like;
- < li class="article__list-item">
In October, Alex came to Makhachev’s home arena in Abu Dhabi and, having agreed to replace the injured Charles Oliveira, was knocked out in the debut of the fight.
And if, after the first victory, the UFC did not make the successor of Khabib Nurmagomedov and the beloved student of the late coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov number one, regardless of weight categories (P4P), then in the fall, after Jon Jones’ injury, the long-awaited change of king finally happened.
So Makhachev became the ninth fighter in the history of the leading fighting organization, who was recognized as the best in the entire roster. Before him, the leaders in the P4P list were Anderson Silva, Jones, Jose Aldo, Demetrius Johnson, Daniel Cormier, Khabib, Kamaru Usman and Volkanovski.
Vadim Nemkova recognized in Bellator
Unlike his compatriot Makhachev, Fedor Emelianenko’s student fought one fight in the past year: in the summer, Nemkov defeated the famous Cuban Yoel Romero by unanimous decision and defended the champion title in the light heavyweight division for the fourth time. And then he took it and released the belt. Nemkov completed all the tasks, but the weight loss became unbearable – in 2024 the Russian will fight for gold in the heavy division.
Vadim’s main achievement in 2023 is first place in the P4P promotion ranking. Despite Bellator's anti-Russian policy (there are still no legal broadcasts of league tournaments in our country), the bosses could not turn a blind eye to the merits of our athlete and acted fairly.
Russian hero stopped one step away from the UFC title
Russian Sergei Pavlovich in April dealt with another American (he hit poor Curtis Blaydes on the head) and went on a craziest streak. Six wins by knockout in the first round! A unique achievement that can only be rewarded with a title chance.
And then the cards are mixed up for the UFC. The current heavyweight champion Jones tore his pectoral muscle and was out for eight months – a temporary belt was introduced, for which Sergei and British talent Tom Aspinall became contenders. The winner would eventually automatically become the undisputed champion, as “Bone” John would fight the aging legend Stipe Miocic and end up in MMA.
However, we were disappointed at the November show in New York. Aspinall dealt with Pavlovich's defense, and the formidable puncher lost in 69 seconds… But Sergei is still very young, so in the new year the 31-year-old heavyweight will have a new run for gold.
Doping scandal ruined 2023
After his October fight against Brent Primus of the United States, undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov tested positive for doping and was suspended for six months. The Russian, who made it to the Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix final, explained that the banned substance entered his body through medications prescribed by a doctor.
Fortunately, the promotion decided to support Khabib’s cousin and not put a spoke in the wheels of one of the league’s main assets (by the way, it has already been bought by PFL). The management will discuss the status of the athlete only after the opening of doping test B, but for now Nurmagomedov retains both the belt of the current champion and a place in the Grand Prix.
The Last Emperor said goodbye
…but, it seems, he will still make some noise in another form of martial arts. In February, Emelianenko announced the end of his MMA career after an early defeat in a rematch with American Ryan Bader. Fedor Vladimirovich waited too long for the second fight: both his simple and respectful age (46 years old) had an effect. Yes, it is unpleasant to leave after a defeat, but no loss will harm the legacy left by a great athlete.
In August, Emelianenko Sr. adjusted his plans. After leaving his post as head of the Russian MMA Union, he made a loud statement about his readiness to hold a boxing match against the former absolute world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. And even though the aged American has disowned the veteran superfight, we will not be surprised if the Last Emperor will soon find a worthy opposition.
Recent Comments