MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. Russia’s world-renowned mixed martial arts (MMA) heavyweight veteran Fedor Emelianenko should ditch his ambitions to face off in the boxing ring against legendary ex-heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson of the United States, Russia’s US-born MMA fighter Jeff Monson told TASS on Thursday.

Last week, Emelianenko said in an interview with the MMAFighting.com sports website that he would like to take on Tyson in a boxing match. Emelianenko, 46, boasts an official MMA record of 40 wins (16 by KO/TKO; 15 by submission; 9 by decision) and seven defeats (6 by KO/TKO; 1 by submission).

"I believe that Fedor should refrain from making a comeback return to the ring by fighting against Mike Tyson," Monson said. "He needs to preserve his legacy; he is an outstanding athlete and champion."

"I think it would be much better if he focused on coaching children and directed his energy toward serving the well-being of the Russian people. But, he should not be attempting a comeback in the world of sports," Monson added.

Jeffrey William Monson, 52, nicknamed "The Snowman," hails from the US state of Minnesota. As an MMA fighter, he has 85 fights to his name, chalking up 60 wins. He is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion. The US-born athlete was granted Russian citizenship in May 2018 and, in September of that year, was elected to the Council of Deputies (City Council) of the Krasnogorsk District, Moscow Region, an inner suburb of the neighboring City of Moscow.

'The Last Emperor': Fedor Emelianenko

The MMA star had temporarily retired between 2012 and 2015. During that hiatus, Emelianenko held the post of president of the Russian MMA Union and also served from November 2012 as an advisor to then-Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko.

Following his 2015 comeback, Emelianenko had eight bouts, 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 September 2022, 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 Rubezhnoye, Ukraine, Emelianenko fought his way to the top, earning numerous titles throughout his career.

He was the MMA Pride Fighting Championships Heavyweight Champion (2003-2007), FIAS World Combat Sambo Championship Heavyweight Champion 2002, 2005, 2007, and the 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."