Fabricio Werdum made history on Saturday, defeating Fedor Emelianenko with a combination triangle choke/armbar submission.
The fight began with both fighters feeling each other out briefly, and then Emelianenko made his move. He came in with a lunging overhand right hook, catching Werdum and taking him down to the canvas.
Emelianenko stayed contently in Werdum’s full guard, attempting to rain down punches in what looked like it would be another execution of his classic ground-and-pound style. Emelianenko continued to throw sweeping, windmill punches from Werdum’s guard and briefly ended up with his arm across the front of his body. Sensing this mistake, Werdum locked in his signature armbar/triangle submission and proceeded to squeeze Emelianenko tightly. Despite his attempts to take pressure off the submission, Emelianenko was forced to tap. This ended his domination in the sport of MMA and his multiple fight winning streak.
While many people criticize Werdum’s win as a fluke, it must be noted that he is a two-time world Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion and also a two-time Abu Dhabi champion. In terms of heavyweights, Werdum is one of the best grapplers in the world and was certainly deserving of this win.
It’s likely that there will be a rematch in the relatively near future due to the way this fight ended, and also due to Emelianenko’s otherwise impressive record in the sport of MMA. Regardless of what happens next, this fight proves that Emelianenko can be beaten just like any other fighter, and that anyone can be caught in a well-executed submission.
As of this win, Werdum is the new Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion and Emelianenko is simply back in the mix with all of the remaining fighters. One thing is for sure—irrespective of his loss, Emelianenko is still a large PPV draw and will most likely be involved in some type of highly promoted event, whether it is a championship fight or not.
Tags: Heavyweight, Strikeforce
