MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. Russia’s world-renowned MMA (mixed martial arts) heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko told TASS on Thursday he intends to hold a bout in August to wrap up his fighting career with a battle for the Bellator championship belt.
Emelianenko’s last career fight was initially set to be organized on Moscow’s Red Square, but due to the recent sanctions over the events in Ukraine it is now impossible.
"Unfortunately, it won’t pan out [arranging the bout in Moscow]," the fighter said in an interview with TASS. "I am ready to hold a fight, which will conclude my career, at any possible venue. I would like to fight for the champion’s belt, because Bellator’s rating grants me the right to hold the bout for the champion’s title."
"There is a scheduled fight in May between Cheick Kongo [of France] and Ryan Bader [of the United States] and I want to hold my career-closing bout against one of them and [I] would have also liked to face Bader in this case. Such a bout may be organized within the framework of one tournament including the fight of [Russia’s] Vadim Nemkov in August," he added.
"This will be my last bout under the contract," Emelianenko said. "Scott Cocker [the head of the US-based Bellator promotion] hasn’t extended any offers yet to hold more fights, but I feel that I have strength in me and a huge desire to hold this title bout."
Emelianenko has been fighting under Bellator promotion since 2017 having held six fights, chalking up four wins and two losses. In late October 2021, Emelianenko defeated 35-year-old Timothy Johnson of the United States with a KO win in the opening round of their Bellator 269 tournament fight in Moscow.
Emelianenko, 45, currently boasts an official MMA record of 40 wins (16 by KO/TKO; 15 by submission and nine by decision) and six defeats (five by KO/TKO; one by submission).
‘The Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko
The MMA star had temporarily retired between 2012 and 2015. During that hiatus, Emelianenko held the post of the Russian MMA Union’s president and also served from November 2012 as an advisor to then-Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko.
Following his 2015 comeback, Emelianenko has had eight bouts so far, 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.
In late October 2021, Emelianenko defeated 35-year-old Timothy Johnson of the United States with a KO win in the opening round of their Bellator 269 tournament fight in Moscow.
Born on September 28, 1976, in the town of Rubezhnoye in Ukraine’s southeast, Emelianenko fought his way to the top earning numerous 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.".