F. Emelianenko (photo) made history at the now-defunct Japanese PRIDE event. Photo: Strikeforce/Disclosure
Considered by many the main heavyweight of all time, and even the biggest name in mixed martial arts in history, the legendary Russian Fedor Emelianenko is back in MMA. Retired since 2012, when he beat Brazilian Pedro Rizzo in the Russian “M-1 Global” event, and dedicating himself to politics since then, Fedor announced his return to the sport that made him famous.
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“For every athlete, it is very important to be able to be involved in their favorite thing: giving their all in training, performing in competitions and defending the honor of their homeland. During my years at the Ministry, I was able to work on the development of the arts, work closely with the presidents of sports federations, helping them to recognize the internal problems of sport, and, as far as possible, trying to resolve them. But now, I feel like it’s time to get back into the ring,” said Fedor, in a statement published by the Russian website “Union MMA”.
“I was able to recover and heal all the old wounds. During the past three years I have maintained my physical fitness, but this level is not enough to go into battle. Therefore, I recently started intensive training. We have assembled a team of versatile coaches and athletes who will help me in the training process. I will try to participate in the professional growth of athletes. There is still work to be done before I prepare to finally leave the ring. Negotiations are underway with companies that promote fights. As soon as an agreement is reached, there will be new information about the date of the fight and my rival”, guaranteed the Russian.
There is still no information about which event will see the return of the “Last Emperor”, as he was known. However, as soon as Fedor's return to the ring was announced, speculation began on specialized websites and forums. The main favorite is Bellator, UFC's great rival, chaired by Scott Coker, a great friend of the Russian and who, in 2009, after the end of PRIDE, agreed to sign him to the extinct “Strikeforce”. Emelianenko has even been seen at some Bellator events as a guest. Other fans, however, are not giving up hope of seeing the heavyweight finally in the Ultimate Octagon, an old dream of the public, but which never came true.
At 38, Fedor Emelianenko has a professional record of 34 wins, four losses and one fight without result. PRIDE heavyweight champion from 2003 until the end of the event in 2007, Fedor maintained one of the longest undefeated streaks in history, after going without being defeated between 2000 and 2010. The “Last Emperor”'s unbeaten streak came to an end with the surprising submission suffered in the first round for the Brazilian Fabricio Werdum in Strikeforce, to this day one of the biggest upsets in the history of MMA.
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