Fedor Emelianenko vs Satoshi Ishii: Emperor Crushes Judo Champ

The results of the Fedor Emelianenko vs Satoshi Ishii had many long-time mixed martial arts (MMA) fans breathe a collective sigh of relief.  Fedor “the Last Emperor” Emelianenko, who many MMA fan consider the best fighter of all time, crushed Ishii on New Years Eve.

Ishii looked nervous and jittery from the start. Emelianenko softened him with punches and kicks. Ishii failed to take down Emelianenko. Before the first round was over, Emelianenko knocked out his opponent with a series with stiff punches.

Satoshi Ishii, a decade younger than Emelianenko, won a judo gold metal in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Before that, he won the All-Japan Judo Championship. So Ishii has impressive credentials as a fighter. But perhaps more satisfying for Emelianenko fans, Ishii, like several other fighters who faced the Last Emperor, predicted he would win.

He even said Emelianenko is a “different fighter” after his recent losses and “has become more tentative.”  Emelianenko has indeed lost three fights recently (against Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson). Before that, though, he was essentially undefeated in his entire career, leading many experts and fans alike to regard him as the best MMA fighter of all time. Aside from his MMA accomplishments, Emelianenko is a world Sambo champion and a high-ranking Judo practitioner in Russia.

via Fedor Emelianenko vs Satoshi Ishii: Emperor Crushes Judo Champ [VIDEO] – International Business Times.

Below is the footage of the fight from what appears to be a Russian TV station.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3h3yxl1tW8U]