MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. World-renowned MMA (mixed martial arts) heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko of Russia told TASS on Monday he hoped that previously sustained injuries would be of no trouble during his next bout this fall.
The decorated Russian MMA fighter announced earlier in the month that he was likely to hold a fight this autumn at the Bellator tournament in Russia.
"I hope that my body system will be ready," the 44-year-old Russian fighter said. "However, I know how old I am already, and my injuries keep popping up. But I hope that with God’s help I will be ready for the fight this fall."
Last August, Emelianenko, nicknamed as ‘The Last Emperor,’ told TASS that he was not thinking about quitting sports and looked for more fights. The Russian fighter said at that time that he viewed the Russian capital of Moscow as the venue for his final bout.
Emelianenko currently boasts an official MMA record of 39 wins (15 by KO/TKO; 15 by submission and nine by decision) and six defeats (five by KO/TKO; one by submission).
In late December 2019, Emelianenko defeated Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson of the United States in the Bellator competition in Japan. On December 29, 2019, the Russian MMA veteran beat his opponent by KO in the first round of the bout at the Saitama Arena. Two minutes and 59 seconds after the start of the bout, Emelianenko dealt a powerful right blow, flooring the American.
It was the seventh bout for Emelianenko, who took his numerous fans worldwide by surprise in July 2015 by announcing his return to professional sports after an almost three-year hiatus.
‘The Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko
During his retirement period, Emelianenko held the post of the Russian MMA Union’s president and had also served from November 2012 as an advisor to then-Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko.
After his comeback in 2015, Emelianenko held seven fights to date, defeating India’s Jaideep Singh, then clinching another victory over Brazil’s Fabio Maldonado. In June 2017 he lost by TKO to US fighter Matt Mitrione. In April 2018, he defeated US heavyweight Frank Mir with a KO win in the first round and in October 2018 he enjoyed a TKO triumph over American fighter Chael Sonnen. In January 2019, he lost by TKO (punches) to Ryan ‘Darth’ Bader of the United States and then knocked out US fighter Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson in December 2019.
Born on September 28, 1976 in the town of Rubezhnoye in Ukraine’s southeast, Emelianenko fought his way to the top earning numerous champions titles throughout his career.
He is the MMA Pride Fighting Championships Heavyweight Champion (2003-2007), FIAS World Combat Sambo Championship Heavyweight Champion 2002, 2005, 2007 and Russian Judo Federation National Championship bronze medalist (1998, 1999).
In 2009, the esteemed American sports magazine, Sports Illustrated, named him "the top MMA fighter of the decade.".