Torres says it's time for Fedor to change things up or else

It's been a rough few weeks for Fedor Emelianenko. The former PRIDE heavyweight champ lost badly against Antonio Silva, then moments after the loss, said he might be done fighting. Last week, he admitted he'd spoken out of emotion and will probably return. Now comes the time for hard decisions says Miguel Torres. Fedor needs to shake things up or there's little sense in moving forward. 

"When you man up, people will critique you and hate you for leaving, call you names and judge you for doing what's good for you," Torres told Fanhouse's Matt Erickson. "I feel Fedor's situation. It (freaking) sucks, but (crap) happens. All we can do is get better – and (screw) everyone else."

Fedor has always trained in Russia and has a tight knit training camp, but those old ways aren't working against the new breed of more athletic, bigger and well-rounded heavyweights.

"I say yes, (he needs to leave)," Torres said. "Russia will always be his home, but he lacks growth. Sometimes loyalty can hold you back."

Emelianenko didn't seem to have a gameplan in the fight against Silva. He fought with his hands low, looking to wing the one-shot knockout punch. After an even first round, Silva timed Fedor perfectly at the start of the second and scored a takedown. Stuck underneath the mammoth 285-pounder, Fedor never got back to his feet. 

"He needs to adjust to the times and start working on being a cerebral fighter (again) and not a showman," Torres said. "He needs to play catch-up in a world he used to dominate. That stings really bad, but you man up or get left behind."

A UFC bantamweight title contender, Torres knows from experience. He dominated the 135-pound ranks in the U.S., racking up 17 straight wins from 2004-2009. But Torres' game got stale and too often, he fought to his opponent's strengths. He paid the price, getting blasted out via knockout in two straight losses against Brian Bowles and Joe Benavidez. Just like Fedor, he had to switch things up. Torres left his camp and friends in Northwest Indiana behind.

"I left to find growth – and everyone hates me for it, saying I'm a deserter and forgot where I came from," Torres said. "Even now, with my new style, people say I'm scared or not exciting. When I was training here, I didn't give a (care) and fought for the fans. When I lost, everyone threw (crap) on me saying I was nobody. My new style is actually cerebral and smart. I don't get hurt anymore, but lost fans. When I get the belt back, they will (love me) again, but I won't care. I'm all grown up."

There's been some talk of Fedor training with kickboxer Ernesto Hoost. That should be the start. Frankly, it wouldn't be the worst thing for Emelianenko to train in the U.S. to work  with experts in all disciplines, that includes a nutrionist to make sure he's getting the most out of his 230-pound frame. 

David Baron  Phil Baroni Don Barr Pat Barry  Vitor Belfort