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Tag: Fedor Emelianenko

  • Conor McGregor Hints At BKFC’s Biggest Signing Yet: ‘Stay Tuned…’

    Conor McGregor Hints At BKFC’s Biggest Signing Yet: ‘Stay Tuned…’

    Conor McGregor is teasing what could be BKFC’s most monumental signing yet — MMA icon Fedor Emelianenko.

    Since becoming a part owner of BKFC in April last year, “The Notorious” has injected fresh energy into the promotion, reigniting its buzz and mainstream appeal. McGregor has also vowed to elevate the sport to new heights by bringing in marquee talent.

    During a press conference on Sunday to promote BKFC Florence, set for April 26, McGregor dropped a tantalizing hint that Emelianenko could soon join the promotion as part of their ongoing push to elevate the sport.

    The Irishman’s attention piqued when a reporter lauded his achievements, drawing comparisons to legends like Emelianenko and Royce Gracie.

    “Fedor Emelianenko?” McGregor said. “Stay tuned, we might have some announcement with Fedor Emelianenko. Hey Fedor, we’re waiting. Some news might be coming with Fedor Emelianenko. Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is signing and acquiring the best fighters of all time, past, present and future, and everyone wants to be a part of this.”

    “The Last Emperor,” hailed as one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in MMA history, was last seen competing at Bellator 290 in February 2023. His final outing concluded in disappointment as he suffered a first-round knockout loss to Ryan Bader in their rematch.

    Since hanging up his gloves, Emelianenko has offered few hints of a comeback to active competion. The 48-year-old Russian boasts a storied MMA record of 40-7, featuring victories over legends like Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and Andrei Arlovski, among others.

  • Coker Says Fedor Emelianenko’s Last Fight Won’t Be In Moscow

    MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko’s last fight in the Bellator cage won’t take place in Moscow amidst the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

    Emelianenko is coming off of a violent knockout of former interim title challenger Tim Johnson last October. He returned to fight in front of the Russian faithful and delivered one of his best performances in recent memory.

    Bellator 269: Twitter reacts to Fedor Emelianenko's KO of Timothy Johnson - Bloody Elbow
    Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA

    Bellator and Coker had previously planned to have Emelianenko fight one more time in Moscow, but those plans have been scratched amidst the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Bellator became the latest organization in sports to take a stand against Russia’s actions and disruption of the world order.

    Emelianenko has recently called for a rematch with Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader before he rides off into the sunset. Bader will face Cheick Kongo later this year at Bellator Paris.

    During his Bellator 276 post-fight press conference, Coker confirmed that Emelianenko’s planned last fight won’t take place in his home country.

    “It’s definitely not going to happen in Moscow this year,” Coker said of Emelianenko’s next fight. “We’re not gonna do Fedor’s retirement fight there for obvious reasons. We’ll be looking for an alternative site at some point, but we’re going to sit down with Fedor when he comes to [Bellator 277] in San Jose and see what he’s thinking.”

    Coker’s comments come after a slew of MMA fighters, including Bellator welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov, have spoken out and defended Ukraine against the Russian forces.

    Before his win over Johnson, Emelianenko had won three of his previous four fights over the likes of Rampage Jackson, Chael Sonnen, and Frank Mir. He lost to Bader for the heavyweight tournament championship at Bellator 214 via first-round knockout.

    Depending on how things play out in the upcoming Bader vs. Kongo fight, Emelianenko could face the winner for his final outing. He’s arguably the greatest heavyweight fighter in MMA history and would love the opportunity to go out on top.

    Who do you want to see Fedor Emelianenko fight before he retires?

  • Archives: Esparza & Jędrzejczyk Offended By Fedor’s Comments (2015)

    Months ago, Khabib Nurmagomedov made headlines after implying that women’s mixed martial arts is inferior to men’s mixed martial arts. Specifically, Khabib used Julianna Peña’s victory over Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 as an example in support of his claim and, unsurprisingly, Peña took issue with these remarks.

    Seven years ago, another Russian MMA legend, Fedor Emelianenko, made very similar remarks. And then-champion Carla Esparza as well as Joanna Jędrzejczyk both were offended, not unlike Julianna Peña years later.

    The following article was published on this day seven years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Seven Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 12, 2015, 1:48 PM]

    At the UFC 185 open workouts on Wednesday, UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza and number one contender Joanna Jędrzejczyk took exception to recent comments made by MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko.

    During a recent WHOA TV interview, the former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko controversially stated that he felt MMA is a man’s sport, adding that women have no business fighting in MMA.

    Esparza and Jędrzejczyk, who compete in the co-main event this Saturday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, disagree.

    “I like him so much and he’s a living legend,” Jędrzejczyk said. “But I think we can do a pretty good job, you know? I think it’s not right. We can fight good, we can bring the audience and we can make the show better. That’s all.”

    “Facts speak for themselves,” Esparza agreed. “He’s one of the greats. I have nothing against him. Maybe we differ a little bit in opinion. You know, I think Ronda and the crowd she brought in to LA, the proof is in the pudding. It shows right there.”

    Esparza continued, “I think female MMA is basically the biggest female sport out there right now. We’re being put on the same stage as the guys, and obviously, Ronda is headlining even above all the guys. It just goes to show, we’re on top right now.”

    “Some people are always going to feel the way they feel. But I think day-by-day, fight-by-fight, I’m hearing those whispers a lot less than I used to I think if we go out there and keep showing that we have skills, that we have heart — I feel like a lot of times girls bring it even more than the guys just with their tenacity and they’re just non-stop. That’s why it is where it is right now because they keep proving themselves.”

    Esparza concluded, “We’re legit and we’re here to stay. Nothing is going to stop this momentum that’s been going with the women.”

    What do you think about Fedor’s comments about WMMA?

  • (Archives) Henderson: Fedor May Be All Used Up After Bellator 214 (2019)

    Three years ago, heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko had just lost to Ryan Bader via TKO in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix Final. Despite having won two of his last three fights coming into that bout, a former foe of Fedor, Dan Henderson, considered the possibility that the then 42-year-old Emelanenko was, as he put it, “used up.”

    The following article was published on this day three years ago and it is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Three Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2019, 1:45 PM]

    Headline: Dan Henderson Believes Fedor May Be All Used up After Bellator 214 Loss

    Author: Andrew Ravens

    MMA Legend Dan Henderson has sounded off the state of Fedor Emelianenko’s career after suffering his most recent loss.

    This past Saturday night in the headliner of Bellator 214 at The Forum in Inglewood, California on the Paramount Network, Ryan Bader finished Fedor Emelianenko to win the vacant Bellator heavyweight title.

    Emelianenko is a historic figure in the history of the MMA game and no doubt an MMA Legend. In the eyes of Henderson, he praised Bader for a job well done but also thinks that Fedor’s chin is suspect and could be all used up.

    “Damn good job from Bader, for sure. Fedor’s had kind of a suspect chin,” Henderson told Fight Hub TV (H/T to MMAMania). “He’s still super dangerous. I figured [Bader] would win but not quite in that manner. It seems like [Fedor] could be all used up, unfortunately, I would love to see him out there more, but.”

    The MMA legend finished former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir in the main event of the Bellator 198 event at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois via strikes in the first round in a Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout. His next fight saw him beat Chael Sonnen on at Bellator 208 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York by first-round TKO.

  • Scott Coker Reveals Fedor Emelianenko Wants Ryan Bader Rematch

    MMA heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko wants a title shot against Ryan Bader for his retirement bout, according to Bellator’s Scott Coker.

    Emelianenko most recently made his return to the Bellator cage at the promotion’s Russia event in October. After a two-year hiatus, he knocked out former interim title challenger Tim Johnson less than two minutes into the fight with a barrage of punches.

    Bader is slated to face interim champion Valentin Moldavsky for the title unification at Bellator 273. Depending on how things play out, Coker says Emelianenko could get the next title shot, as he’s allegedly already requested.

    During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Coker revealed a recent conversation with Emelianenko for his next, and more than likely last, appearance in the cage.

    “That’s what Fedor asked me,” Coker said. “If Ryan Bader beats Moldavsky, I want Bader, that’s what he said. I’m going to give him some other options for the beginning of January and go from there. So we’re going to see how the fight plays out, and then make a business decision.”

    Fedor Emelianenko Fell To Ryan Bader In 2019

    Emelianenko lost to Bader back at Bellator 214 for the then-vacant heavyweight championship via first-round TKO. Many speculated that the Russian legend would retire following the loss, but he ended up taking a fight against Rampage Jackson later that year, earning a knockout.

    Emelianenko is arguably the greatest heavyweight in MMA history, with a decorated record against some of the top names in the sport. He won 31 of his first 32 professional fights, including titles in Strikeforce and PRIDE.

    Some in the MMA community, including former UFC champion Daniel Cormier, have called for Emelianenko to ride into the sunset after his knockout in his home country.

    As of now, Emelianenko is the third-ranked Bellator heavyweight in the latest rankings, and a title shot next wouldn’t be too far-fetched. Depending on how things play out, we could see Bader and Emelianenko battle in the cage once again before ‘The Last Emperor’ calls it quits.

    What are your favorite memories from Fedor Emelianenko’s career?

  • Flashback To When Fedor Dared Dana White To Let Him Fight Couture

    Fedor Emelianenko hasn’t thought too highly of UFC President Dana White for well over a decade now.

    The year was 2007. Fedor Emelianenko was the PRIDE FC world heavyweight champion for over four years strong and was days away from his 24th consecutive victory, with the then 1-0 Choi Hong-man pegged as the next victim.

    It was during this December that Dana White was quoted as saying the following:

    “I don’t think Fedor is a top-five heavyweight in the world, and I’m not saying that because I didn’t get Fedor. I’ve always felt that way about Fedor and I always felt Randy Couture would beat Fedor … Fedor is a farce.” 

    In a 2007 interview with MMA Weekly, Fedor was asked to respond to these comments, and the Russian legend was sure to include a daring proposal to Dana White in his retort.

    “Dana talks a lot and uses words lightly. Let Randy Couture fight me. Allow this fight that everyone wants to take place. Me, Randy and MMA fans all over the world want it. The only obstacle is Dana.”

    Fedor’s interest in fighting then-UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture was purely professional. Many people, Dana White included, have lamented the fact that the MMA world never bore witness to Fedor vs. Lesnar. However, a Russian icon in Fedor Emelianenko going against an American icon in Randy Couture in a champion vs. champion clash would have been pure money, and Fedor was convinced everyone wanted to see it. 

    “People want to see this fight and I want to meet him in the ring. I have the greatest respect for Randy and have always admired him. I am also thankful that he has such a high opinion of me.”

    As recently as two months ago, Fedor was still letting his thoughts on Dana White be known. The legend stated that White was selfish and lacks respect for fighters. That said, even though Fedor is incredibly still fighting, and winning, at age 45, don’t expect his swan song to include any high notes in the UFC.

    Who do you think would have won between Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture?

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