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There were so many legends of MMA in the cage who traveled to Inglewood, California, from every corner of the country who knew exactly the feeling Fedor Emelianenko had on Saturday.
The legendary Russian heavyweight, who in the first half of this century helped make MMA what it is today, had just been knocked out in 2:30 by Ryan Bader in the main event of Bellator 290 at The Forum.
There was a scratch on his nose. Blood dripped from his lip. His face was reddened. He was winded as he tried to express his emotions after an incredible 23-year career had come to an end.
So many of his former rivals, and his peers from a time when MMA literally had to fight to survive another day, were brought to California by Bellator to celebrate his retirement.
It happened to "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali, in Nassau, Bahamas, in 1981, when he was beaten by Trevor Berbick. At Ali’s peak, Berbick wasn’t good enough to tie his shoes, but at the end, Ali suffered an ignominious beating.