M-1 company president Vadim Finkelstein must be one of the only people who witnessed Strikeforce’s headline fight on Saturday night who does not think Fedor Emelianenko was comprehensively beaten by Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva.

"I couldn’t believe my eyes, that the fight was stopped. And that Fedor was going to lose the fight. I don't consider it a loss, in the sense that the first round Fedor clearly won, and in the second round Silva clearly won. We don't know what would have happened in the third round,” he said after the fight.

"Silva was a very big guy. He outweighed Fedor by about 60 pounds. But at the same time, we don't know what would have happened. Clearly the eye came into play and as a result it is a loss."

The fight was called off on doctor’s advice in the interval before the third round was due to commence. Fedor’s right eye was sealed shut and even with protracted use of a frozen eye-iron, the swelling could not be abated.

“I believe the doctor made the right decision because the fighter's health is the utmost priority ...
if that is what the doctor felt was right, then I agree with that,” Finkelstein allowed.

Fedor said in his post-fight interview that he was considering retirement and that the loss - the third of his 35-fight career and the only time he has gone 0-2 - might be a sign from god that his time as a fighter is done.

"I hope that he doesn't retire. I am going to see what I can do and talk to him and convince him not to, because I don't believe he lost the fight - in terms of, he showed a lot of heart, he survived that second round, he could have come back and won that fight,” Finkelstein says.

“I believe he has enough strength to continue to fight… but ultimately it’s Fedor's decision.”