Fedor Emelianenko loses in Combat Sambo World Championship 2008 - Video

Fedor Emelianenko vs Blagoi Ivanov - ((their SECOND - (most recent) meeting)) - SAMBO - Video:



Fedor Emelianenko loses to Blagoi Ivanov in 2008 World Combat Sambo Championships - Semi-Final (Nov. 16/2008).

Fedor Emelianenko, widely considered the worlds top mixed martial arts fighter and king of Combat Sambo, lost to Bulgaria’s Blagoi Ivanov this past weekend by a score of 8-5 in the semifinals of the 2008 World Combat Sambo Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The former PrideFC heavyweight champion and current WAMMA heavyweight champion of the world, and considered the #1 MMA/Sambo fighter in the world, lost to the Bulgarian challenger Blagoi Ivanov, but Emelianenko and Ivanov actually first met back in February of 2008 at Russia’s Presidents Cup where Emelianenko outpointed the Bulgarian for his ninth straight victory in Combat Sambo competition.

Ivanov apparently used the previous meeting and experience to formulate a winning gameplan for their second encounter. Emelianenko was dominated from the outset and was in danger of losing 8-1 until the Russian Fedor quickly answered back with a brilliant knockdown, but it was just too late for the former Sambo champion to catch up and scored a knockdown in the final minute of competition to add four points to his total. Fedor acquired the bronze medal, his first since 2000 when he competed in Orenburg, Russia.

Here's a snip from Fedor himself:
"I have no excuses for my loss...I lost fair and square. Ivanov is better with his throwing techniques than with his striking. In general I dont think I am bad with my throwing skills, but I was not able to grip him (referring to his gi) properly and Ivanov made the better throws. With the remaining time, I was not able to catch up"

Emelianenko made no excuses for the loss, admitting that Ivanov beat him “Fair and square”, but some wonder that if Fedor’s time spent in Thailand filming “The Fifth Execution” with Michael Madsen and Rutger Hauer left him unprepared for the surging Bulgarian.

Fedor was still in Thailand as recently as two weeks ago and has also been making the rounds as Affliction’s media darling, promoting the upcoming reality series “Fighting Fedor” and his pending battle with Andrei Arlovski at ‘Day of Reckoning’ on January 24 in Anaheim, California.

Ivanov went on to win the gold medal after easily dispatching Germany’s Stefan Janos in the 100+ kg weight class.

Hopefully Fedor's Sambo loss will motivate him for his future MMA match with Arlovski, who in addition to being a vicious striker, happens to know a thing or two about Sambo himself. We’ll find out on January 24.