Background and career
Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko (born 28 September 1976) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist (MMA), sambist, judoka and politician. Emelianenko was the PRIDE Heavyweight Champion from 2003 to the organisation's closure in 2007, a four-time combat sambo world champion, a seven-time combat sambo national champion, and two-time Russian national judo bronze medalist, among other championships and accolades. He also competed in RINGS, Strikeforce, M-1 Global, Rizin, and Bellator MMA, and is regarded as the most prominent fighter never to compete in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). Emelianenko is widely considered to be one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, consistently ranked as the top heavyweight fighter from 2003 until 2010, and the best fighter of the 2000s. Emelianenko's career helped popularize the sport of MMA in his home country of Russia after gaining attention in Japan, South Korea, the United States, and worldwide. Emelianenko began his MMA career on May 21, 2000, compiling four straight victories before a controversial loss in December 2000. Emelianenko was unbeaten in his first 28 fights up until June 2010, including wins over four former UFC champions, one future Strikeforce champion, two PRIDE champions, one former and two future K-1 champions, one Pancrase champion, and two Olympic medalists. He originally retired in June 2012 with a record of 34 wins and 4 losses before making his return in December 2015. Emelianenko retired for the second and final time on February 4, 2023, with a record of 40 wins, 7 losses, and 1 no contest, holding wins over seven (one interim) former UFC champions. Fight Matrix currently ranks him as by far the greatest heavyweight mixed martial artist of all time, and the fourth greatest fighter of all time pound-for-pound. Emelianenko began his political career in 2010, being elected as a deputy of the Belgorod Regional Duma. He subsequently became president of the Russian MMA Union (later honorary president and chairman of the supervisory board), and a staff member of Russia's Council of Physical Fitness & Sports.
Emelianenko was born in 1976 in the city of Rubizhne, Luhansk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. In 1978, when he was two, his family moved within the Soviet Union to Stary Oskol, Belgorod of the Russian SFSR. His mother, Olga Fedorovna, was a teacher, and his father, Vladimir Alexandrovich, was a welder. At age 11, Emelianenko began to practice sambo and judo under the tutelage of Vasily Ivanovich Gavrilov. A year later, he was admitted to sport classes taught by Vladimir Voronov, a coach who worked with him. According to Voronov, Emelianenko did not stand out from his peers initially but would achieve future success thanks to his own perseverance and hard work for many years. Voronov died in August 2020 due to complications caused by coronavirus. Emelianenko finished high school in 1991 and graduated with honors from a professional trade school as an electrician in 1994. From 1995 to 1997, he served in the Russian Army as a military firefighter and then as a member of the tank division near Nizhny Novgorod. His parents divorced during this time. In 1997, Emelianenko received the certification of "Master of Sport" in judo and sambo. He also became part of the Russian national team and won an international judo tournament in Kursk the same year. Emelianenko's partial record in judo was 12 wins and 7 losses in 1999-2000. In 1999, he took third place at both the Moscow International Tournament and the Sofia Liberation A-Team tournament. In 2000, due to a lack of money, Emelianenko left the Russian national team and began to compete professionally in mixed martial arts.
Emelianenko began his mixed martial arts as a member of Russian Top Team (RTT), a stable linked to Fighting Network RINGS where he trained under senior members like Volk Han and Andrei Kopylov. After his bout with Gary Goodridge, the Emelianenko brothers left Russian Top Team and began to train in St. Petersburg with Red Devil Sport Club, managed by Vadim Finkelchtein. Finkelchtein would remain his manager up until his first retirement in mid 2012. Emelianenko is also a member of the VOS gym in the Netherlands, where he trains with Johan Vos and Lucien Carbin. Emelianenko has trained with the likes of Ernesto Hoost, Tyrone Spong, and Denis Lebedev.
Emelianenko suffered his first loss in a controversial bout against Tsuyoshi Kohsaka at the King of Kings 2000 Block B event on 22 December 2000, via doctor stoppage due to a cut 17 seconds into the fight. Footage shows that the cut was caused by a missed looping punch where Kohsaka's elbow struck Emelianenko's head. Emelianenko said that this elbow reopened a cut sustained in his previous fight against Ricardo Arona. The controversy surrounding the loss was due to the fact elbow strikes were illegal for the event. After defeating Renato Sobral in an elimination bout, Emelianenko fought for the World Heavyweight Class Championship against Bobby Hoffman the same night. However, Hoffman refused to fight Emelianenko, asserting he had sustained an injury to his shoulder during his previous match, and forfeited. Emelianenko was awarded the win by default and he was given the RINGS Heavyweight Class Championship.
Entering the Pride Fighting Championships on the heels of winning the RINGS King of Kings 2002 tournament, Emelianenko debuted at Pride 21 on 23 June 2002 against the 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m), 256 lb (116 kg) Dutch fighter Semmy Schilt, whom he defeated by unanimous decision. His next opponent was heavyweight Heath Herring, in a contest to establish the number-one heavyweight contender. Emelianenko, considered an underdog, dominated Herring with ground-and-pound, winning by doctor-stoppage after the first round.
Emelianenko was then signed to fight heavily favored Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira for Pride's Heavyweight Championship title at Pride 25 on 16 March 2003. Nogueira was coming off wins against Mark Coleman, Heath Herring and an upset comeback victory against Bob Sapp, as well as victory in the RINGS 2000 King of Kings Tournament, in which Emelianenko had participated. Nogueira was considered by many fans to be virtually unbeatable, due to his endurance and submission skills. Emelianenko rocked him early with punches and Nogueira pulled guard. Emelianenko survived Nogueira's guard, considered the most dangerous in MMA and easily defended all of Nogueira's submission attempts, dominating him for 20 minutes with a brutal ground and pound. The judges rendered a unanimous decision and Emelianenko became the second Pride Heavyweight Champion, a title he would never lose. Three months later Emelianenko embarked on his title defense. His first match was against former IWGP Heavyweight champion, amateur and professional wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita. A heavy favorite, Emelianenko was expected to make quick work of Fujita, but was caught by a right hook that stunned him. Badly hurt, he worked his way to a clinch, but was taken down. With Fujita unable to amount a significant attack, Emelianenko was able to recover. He worked his way up and knocked Fujita down with body kick and a punching combo. He then submitted Fujita at 4:17 in the first round with a rear naked choke. Emelianenko reminisced about it in February 2009, "Fujita is the only one who ever hit me right, and he hit hard!". Next came a one-sided bout against heavy underdog Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge at Pride Total Elimination 2003. Emelianenko took down Goodridge after wobbling him with standing combinations, then finished him with ground and pound in the first round by referee stoppage. Emelianenko broke his hand in this fight, resulting in surgery. He subsequently reinjured this hand, leading to several postponed bouts. In 2011, Goodridge recalled his fight with Emelianenko; "Fedor hits so hard, I don't remember anything (from the fight). No one has his speed and power combo. He fought for 10 years at the top. He doesn't owe anything else to the sport." His next fight against New Japan professional wrestler Yuji Nagata at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 ended the same way, with Emelianenko first knocking Nagata to the ground twice with punches. Emelianenko fought at this event as opposed to Shockwave 2003 on the same day due to a higher fight purse because of the competition between the Japanese television networks screening these events and K-1 Premium Dynamite!! on the same night. Pride then set up an interim title match between Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Cro Cop, which ended with Nogueira winning via second round armbar.
