Rings “King of Kings 2000 Block B”
Dec. 22, 2000 | Osaka, Japan
Given more than a decade of hindsight and reflection, the Rings “King of Kings” tournament has rightfully taken on an epic character. The series featured a staggering number of future stars, including Dan Henderson, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Ricardo Arona and Randy Couture. No other participant would achieve as much in the future as “The Last Emperor,” though.
Emelianenko won a tough -- and maybe undeserved -- decision in an opening matchup with future Pride Fighting Championships star Arona and faced Japanese wrestler Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in the second round. Not long after the fight had gotten under way, however, Kohsaka nailed Emelianenko with a possibly unintentional and definitely illegal elbow to open a gigantic cut over the Russian’s right eye. The referee stopped the fight and awarded the win to Kohsaka.
It would be Emelianenko’s only loss in a nine-year run as MMA’s greatest heavyweight.
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