UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Although some international fighters are struggling to get travel clearance into the United States, [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] is on the ground at Mohegan Sun Arena this week.
Emelianenko (39-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), the legendary former PRIDE heavyweight champion, made the trip from Russia to the United States to corner his teammates competing at Bellator 244, including headliner Vadim Nemkov, who challenges Ryan Bader for light heavyweight gold.
Throughout the pandemic, Emelianenko has been training, he told MMA Junkie after Thursday’s ceremonial weigh-ins.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Emelianenko said. “Everything is fine. I’ve never stopped training. I’m constantly training, waiting for the next fight.”
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bellator and president Scott Coker had begun planning a “retirement tour” for the 43-year-old, with potential stops in the United States, Russia, and Japan. However, like many other of the promotion’s plans, the unforeseen outbreak threw a wrench into the plan.
It might not be exactly the retirement tour that was imagined before the pandemic, but Emelianenko is up against the clock and is weighing his options. Emelianenko indicated he’s potentially open to fighting now, even in the midst of the pandemic – and even if there are no fans in the arena.
“I don’t necessarily feel a sense of urgency (to compete), but I also don’t want to wait too long either,” Emelianenko said. “If there are no people in the audience then the TV audience is that much larger. It doesn’t take away from the fight. Eyeballs are still watching.”
On Thursday, Emelianenko and Coker will sit down in Connecticut to discuss business.
“I have a meeting with Scott to discuss what the future holds as far as fighting,” Emelianenko said. “Obviously, (the pandemic) is unfortunate. Tomorrow, there will be a fight without fans, but these are the times we’re living in.”
As for potential opponents, Emelianenko expressed interest in free agent [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]. Only six men have defeated Emelianenko – and Werdum (24-9-1) is one of them.
After his most recent UFC fight that finished off his promotional contract, Werdum voiced his desire to rematch Emelianenko after his shocking upset of “The Last Emperor” under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner in June 2010.
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Emelianenko expressed a mutual interest in running that fight back.
“For myself, yes, I would like to fight him,” Emelianenko said. “Whether that’s a fight fans are interested in seeing or Bellator is interested in putting on, I don’t know that.”
After Emelianenko spoke to MMA Junkie, Coker also contributed his thoughts on the situation in a separate interview. He said the retirement tour is still going to happen. It’s just a matter of where or when. The promotion has looked at the United States, Europe, Moscow, and co-promotion with RIZIN in Japan.
“(The plans) haven’t changed,” Coker said. “It’s just now we have a little beat now because of the COVID situation. We’re going to see how it goes because Europe has started to open up where you can actually have some fans. The numbers are way down and they kind of have it under control a little bit better than we do.
“… But listen, Fedor has to fight in front of fans. I think that’s why you don’t see a lot of the MMA stars fighting now because they need the fans there to support it. Fedor is the same way. He’s the greatest heavyweight of all time. For me, it would be a shame for him to fight in an arena where there’s nobody there to watch his last few fights. We’re going to play it by ear. This is actually the first time I’ve seen Fedor.”
As for a matchup with Werdum, Coker said it’s really up to Emelianenko. If Emelianenko really wants the fight, the Bellator president said he’ll do his part to help make it happen. A decade ago, Werdum and Coker worked together during their respective stints in Strikeforce.
“I love Fabricio and it’s something really that’s Fedor’s decision,” Coker said. “One of the things I’m going to talk to Fedor tonight is, ‘Is this an important fight for you?’ Whatever he says, then we’ll go make it happen. If it’s an important fight to him, then we’ll probably put it together. If not, it doesn’t mean we won’t still pursue Fabricio.
“The fight with him and Fedor would be something that if it was an important revenge-type scenario for Fedor in his mind, and something that still eats at him every day, then it would be something we’d be interested in.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT_mLfR21lc