Tag: Fedor Emelianenko

2023 MMA retirement tracker: A list of former UFC champions, legends and more who hung up the gloves

The MMA world already has said goodbye to many retiring fighters in 2023, from former UFC champions to icons of the sport.

MMA is a constantly evolving sport with a revolving door of athletes entering and exiting. Currently, fighters from the era who helped make the sport so popular are beginning to trickle away from competition and hang up their gloves in order to move on to the next chapter in life.

If there’s one thing that’s well known about combat sports retirements, though, it’s that they often don’t last long. The urge to compete, and perhaps more importantly get a payday, will continue to drive fighters back even well beyond their expiration dates.

2023 has seen an uptick in notable fighters announcing they are done with the sport, and we have a list of those who have opted to walk away this year (the list will update as new retirements are announced).

The 5 greatest heavyweight wars in MMA history, ranked

There’s nothing quite like a great heavyweight fight, even better when it’s an all-out war such as these classics from the UFC and more.

The heavyweight division, as defined by the unified rules of MMA via the Association of Boxing Commissions, consists of fighters who are between 206 and 265 pounds.

Prior to the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board conceiving a set of rules and weight classes in 2000 that became the base of operations we are now familiar with today, MMA was essentially the Wild West when it started out in the 1990s.

From open-weight matches to one-night tournaments, heavyweight fighters and classifications were a common occurrence in MMA’s early days. However, since the early 2000s, the heavyweight classification has largely stayed consistent across major promotions (despite some disarray amongst the lower weight classes).

With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of the classics that this iconic division has given us throughout the years by listing my top five heavyweight wars of all time.

As usual, these lists reflect my personal tastes and biases and are not meant to serve as some ultimate authority. That said, I feel very strongly about not only my list but also my honorable mentions at the end – which are more than strong enough to serve as their own top five.

So, without further ado …

Vadim Nemkov announces move to heavyweight, says he’ll likely vacate Bellator light heavyweight title

Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov turns course toward heavyweight.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] has long been considered one of the best light heavyweights in the world – and now he’s looking to add some more weight to his reputation.

With his mentor [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] retired and out of the promotion’s heavyweight division, and the weight cuts to 205 pounds becoming more challenging, Nemkov (17-2 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) has finally made a big career decision.

After training camp’s worth of consideration, Nemkov has decided he will move to heavyweight for his next bout – and plans to likely vacate the Bellator light heavyweight title, which he currently holds.

“I spoke to Fedor when everything was happening the last couple of fights. We decided I’m moving up to heavyweight,” Nemkov told MMA Junkie on Wednesday through a Russian interpreter. “I’m getting older and every fight is getting harder for me to cut weight. Let’s say that before I felt comfortable when I was training at 103kg (227lbs). Now, I feel even more comfortable at 106-108kg (233-238lbs). When I train right now, it’s 103kg. I feel less strong and dangerous. It’s not the same as I am at 106-108kg.

“It’s a new challenge for me. I’ve done everything I can at light heavyweight. Now, it’s a new challenge to go up in weight and get another title. At 205, I don’t see anything new for me. It’s going to be rematches with the fighters I already fought. I’d keep going back to the fighters I already met. … Probably, I will vacate (the title). Yeah, I will vacate the belt and move to the heavyweight division.”

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Nemkov, 31, is widely perceived as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters outside the UFC. He already holds wins over the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 promotion-ranked fighters at light heavyweight. He has not lost in 12 straight fights and holds a win over current Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader.

Although he won the first head-to-head meeting by TKO, Nemkov (17-2 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) wants another crack at Bader, given that Bader defeated Emelianenko and fellow training partner Valentin Moldavsky in the time since their original August 2020 clash. Bader (31-7 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) is set to fight Linton Vassell (24-8 MMA, 12-5 BMMA) at Bellator 300 on Oct. 7.

“I am definitely looking forward to seeing the Vassell fight with Bader,” Nemkov said. “Whoever wins, I’d definitely like to fight them. … Honestly, I fought Bader once, but Bader fought Fedor and Valentin Moldavksy as well. Bader looks completely different at heavyweight and he fights different. It would be interesting for me to fight him. But if Vassell is going to win, it’s going to be an interesting fight for me as well.”

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Given the Bader vs. Vassell fight is two months away, Nemkov knows a fight vs. the winner could take a while to materialize. With that in mind, Nemkov is open to taking one non-title heavyweight fight beforehand.

“I understand one thing,” Nemkov said. “The fight is going to happen in October: Bader-Vassell. After this fight, the champ will have to rest a little bit. I know there is going to be some fights maybe in Japan. I would maybe take a warm-up fight because I don’t want to wait long for a fight.”

Bellator has yet to comment on Nemkov’s proposed plans.

Bellator 290 gains: What all 28 fighters weighed on fight night

Find out how much weight all 28 fighters at Bellator 290 gained from the Friday morning official weigh-ins to Saturday night’s fights.

At Bellator 290 on Feb. 4 in Inglewood, Calif., 16 of the 28 fighters on the card gained more than 10 percent of their weight back. Two of those 16 exceeded the 15 percent threshold.

MMA Junkie obtained a list of fight-night weights Monday from California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster.

In California, fighters have their weights checked on fight day – not solely when they have to hit their marks on the scale. The extra procedure was instituted in 2017 as part of the commission’s efforts to cut back on excessive weight cutting. Within those rules was a cap on how much a fighter could gain from the official weigh-ins to the fight.

If a fighter gains more than 10 percent back before the bout, the commission can make a recommendation they move to a higher weight class. If a fighter gains more than 15 percent, the commission can potentially cancel their fight.

Check out the weight gains and percentages for all 28 fighters on the card at Kia Forum.

Video: Did Fedor Emelianenko ‘for sure’ retire as the MMA heavyweight GOAT?

Fedor Emelianenko certainly has a strong case that he’s the greatest heavyweight of all time.

The remarkable career of [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] came to an end this past Saturday at Bellator 290, where the former Pride legend was TKO’d in Round 1 by heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in his retirement fight.

At 46, Emelianenko may have hung up his gloves later than he should’ve, but there’s no denying his significance to MMA. And Emelianenko certainly has a strong case to be the greatest heavyweight of all time.

An entire generation may not be aware, but Emelianenko was the pound-for-pound king for a lengthy period of time in the 2000s. While never competed in the UFC, he started his career 31-1-1 with wins over former and eventual UFC heavyweight champions in Andrei Arlovski, Mark Coleman, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Kevin Randleman, and Tim Sylvia. It’s why Bellator president Scott Coker heaped so much praise on Emelianenko during Bellator 290 fight week.

UFC president Dana White, on the other hand, held it against Emelianenko that he never “tested himself” officially in the UFC – even though he owns wins over a bunch of UFC fighters.

The question is: Is he the greatest MMA heavyweight of all time? This week’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Nolan King, Danny Segura, Brian “Goze” Garcia, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia are split, with former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic also getting some love.

Check out their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 290.

Daniel Cormier: Stipe Miocic, not Fedor Emelianenko, greatest MMA heavyweight of all time

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier hails Fedor Emelianenko as a heavyweight great, but he’s not No. 1 on his list.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] hails [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] as a heavyweight great, but he’s not No. 1.

Emelianenko (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) retired this past Saturday after a first-round knockout loss to heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in the Bellator 290 headliner, marking the end of a legendary 23-year professional career that included stints in Pride, Strikeforce and Bellator.

“The Last Emperor” is considered by many to be the greatest heavyweight of all time, although UFC president Dana White thinks said that can’t be since he never competed in the UFC. Emelianenko started his career 31-1-1, a run until 2009 that included wins over former and eventual UFC heavyweight champions Andrei Arlovski, Mark Coleman, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Kevin Randleman, and Tim Sylvia.

Still, Cormier believes that former foe [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) had a better resume. Miocic holds the UFC heavyweight record for consecutive title defenses at three, which consisted of wins over Alistair Overeem, Junior Dos Santos and Francis Ngannou after claiming the belt from Fabricio Werdum in May 2016.

“I don’t believe (Fedor’s) the greatest heavyweight of all time,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “DC & RC.” “I think that belongs to Stipe Miocic, but only because Cain Velasquez was injured so much. I think in terms of skill, there’s no one that ever matched Cain Velasquez at heavyweight.

“But I believe that Stipe Miocic’s title defenses and the long reign that he had at the top of the division puts him atop. But Fedor is in the top five, and I don’t think that’s anything to be ashamed of.”

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In a video he posted on his YouTube channel in October 2021, Cormier previously said he considered Emelianenko the greatest heavyweight of all time.

Cormier himself is on many people’s heavyweight GOAT list. The former UFC dual champion was involved in a historic trilogy with Miocic, where Cormier dethroned him to capture the heavyweight title. But Miocic exacted his revenge in the rematch and closed off the trilogy with a second consecutive victory, which marked Cormier’s final fight in 2020.

Miocic hasn’t competed in almost two years, when he lost the title to Ngannou in a rematch at UFC 260.

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Bellator 290: Best photos from Inglewood

Check out these photos from Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

Check out these photos from Bellator 290, which took place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Scott Coker on Bellator’s CBS debut, Fedor’s retirement, Eblen’s first title defense, more

Scott Coker on Bellator’s debut on CBS, MMA legends’ tribute to Fedor Emelianenko, Johnny Eblen and much more.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – There’s a lot going on with Bellator these days.

The promotion is coming off one of the biggest events in its history, Bellator 290, which hosted two title fights and several other important matchups for the company. On top of that, Bellator 290 marked the company’s television debut on CBS.

With everything going on, Bellator president [autotag]Scott Coker[/autotag] spoke to media members following the event to reflect on Saturday’s card, as well as other things going on in the promotion.

See what Coker had to say about MMA legends’ tribute to [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag], [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag]’s first title defense, the Bellator-Globo partnership in Brazil, and more.

Spinning Back Clique: Conor McGregor returns as ‘TUF’ coach, Dana White downplays Fedor, more

This week’s live stream of “Spinning Back Clique” reacts to Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler as “TUF 31” coaches, Fedor Emelianenko’s legacy and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Nolan King, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] retired from MMA competition with his loss to Ryan Bader at Bellator 290. Afterward, Bellator president hailed him as the greatest heavyweight in the sport’s history, while UFC president Dana White offered a less complimentary view on where “The Last Emperor” fits in history.
  • [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] are confirmed as coaches on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and are expected to fight later this year. Did the UFC make the right call on the matchup for McGregor’s return? Can his unmatched star power revive the reality series?
  • Undefeated champ [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] claimed he’s the No. 1 middleweight in the world after a dominant title defense over Anatoly Tokov in the Bellator 290 co-headliner. Is Eblen’s statement fact or fiction?
  • Bantamweight star [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] revealed he’s signed a new eight-fight contract with the UFC and is more than pleased with the pay he negotiated with the promotion. Did O’Malley make a mistake for his future by signing such a long-term deal?
  • UFC 284 on Saturday marks the seventh champion-vs-champion fight in company history, with featherweight king [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] set to move up a division to challenge lightweight champ [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]. What would a win do for each man’s legacy going forward?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

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Photos: Fedor Emelianenko through the years

Check out these photos highlighting Fedor Emelianenko’s career through the years.

Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag]’s career through the years.