Fedor vs Monson results recap for M-1 fight in Russia

It wasn't the knockout or submission finish that fans were hoping for, however; Fedor Emelianenko did get the much needed win via unanimous decision against Jeff Monson earlier today (Nov. 20, 2011) at M-1 Global's "Fedor vs. Monson" event from the Olympic Arena in Moscow, Russia.

After dropping his last three fights under the Strikeforce umbrella, getting back on track with a victory was all that Fedor wanted, or needed, regardless if he got the finish or not.

"The Last Emperor" received the nod after peppering his stocky foe with a nice mixture of leg kicks that hit their mark to go along with plenty of well-placed right hands that had Monson making repeated trips to the canvas.

Coming out with a more cautious stance, Fedor landed kicks to the body and legs of Monson early and often. The Sambo specialist mixed it up well as he connected with some straight right hands and after only a few minutes of action, Fedor had already busted up the nose of "The Snowman."

Fedor showed a more relaxed and composed striking game, as he dropped Monson on two occasions in the second round. He also showed great composure throughout the fight, as he refused to play into the hands of Monson by not following him to the ground every time he floored him.

Rushing in for the finish is what lead to his demise against Fabricio Werdum and Dan Henderson.

Monson, a jiu-jitsu black belt and two time ADCC champion, looked to take the fight to the ground any chance he could. However, displaying great takedown defense, Fedor stuffed every single one of Monson's attempts.

In the final minutes of the fight, Monson had barely any spring left in his step to even attempt a takedown, all courtesy of countless inside leg kicks from Fedor that will surely have Monson limping for days.

So where does Fedor go from here? Join me after the jump to find out.

After the fight, it was announced that Fedor would look to make a rather quick return, as he is scheduled to compete in a little over a month on New Years Eve at DREAM's year end event; possibly against Olympic judo gold medalist turned mixed martial artist, Satoshi Ishii.

Ishii, who was once rumored to be ready to join the ranks of the UFC, has a 4-1-1 record in mixed martial arts. The Olympic gold medalist was last seen battling to a draw with former middleweight contender Paulo Filho at Amazon Forest Combat 1 in Brazil.

This fight could very well come down to who has the best grappling skills; the Olympic judo gold medalist Ishii, or the Sambo specialist, Fedor.

So how do you feel now that Fedor finally ended his three-fight skid and gained possibly some much needed confidence?

Could we expect a resurgence of his career?

Or do you feel that Emelianenko needs to earn a more impressive win against a higher-quality opponent for you to proclaim that "The Last Emperor" is back?

To catch the rest of the results from M-1 Global's: "Fedor vs. Monson" event, click here.