Fedor Emelianenko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fedor Emelianenko
Emelianenko in 2015
Born	(1976-09-28) 28 September 1976 (age 48) Rubizhne, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Native name	Фёдор Владимирович Емельяненко
Other names	The Last Emperor
Residence	Stary Oskol, Belgorod Oblast, Russia
Nationality	Russian
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	237 lb (108 kg)
Division	Heavyweight
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Style	Combat Sambo, Judo
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Stary Oskol, Belgorod, Russia
Team	FedorTeam (2015–present) Red Devil Sport Club/Alexander Nevsky OAMK (2003–2012) Russian Top Team (2000–2003)
Teacher(s)	Volk Han Andrei Kopylov
Trainer	Judo, Sambo: Vladimir Voronov Boxing: Alexander Michkov Muay Thai: Peter Teijsse Kickboxing: Ernesto Hoost
Rank	Merited Master of Sport of Russia in Sambo Black belt in Judo
Years active	2000–2012, 2015–2023 (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	48
Wins	40
By knockout	16
By submission	15
By decision	9
Losses	7
By knockout	6
By submission	1
No contests	1
Other information
Occupation	Council of Physical Fitness & Sports (2012–present) Russian MMA Union (president; 2012–present) Belgorod Regional Duma (deputy; 2010–present) M-1 Global (co-owner; 2007–present) Russian Ground Forces (tank division; 1995–1997)
University	Belgorod State University (department of physical education; g. 2008)
Spouse	Oksana ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2006)​ ​ ​ (m. 2014)​ Marina ​ ​ (m. 2009; div. 2013)​
Children	3
Notable relatives	Alexander Emelianenko (brother)
Notable students	Vadim Nemkov Viktor Nemkov Valentin Moldavsky Maxim Grishin
Notable club(s)	Champions for Peace (2011–present)

Fedor Emelianenko

Medal record
Representing  Russia
Men's Combat Sambo
World Championships
Bronze	2008 St. Petersburg	+100 kg
Gold	2007 Prague	+100 kg
Gold	2005 Prague	+100 kg
Gold	2002 Panama City	+100 kg
World Combat Sambo Federation
Gold	2002 Thessaloniki	+100 kg
European Championships
Gold	1999 Istanbul	+100 kg
Russian Championships
Gold	2012 Moscow	+100 kg
Gold	2009 Kstovo	+100 kg
Gold	2008 St. Petersburg	+100 kg
Gold	2007 Ulan-Ude	+100 kg
Gold	2005 Kstovo	+100 kg
Gold	2002 Moscow	+100 kg
Bronze	2000 Orenburg	+100 kg
Bronze	1998 Kaliningrad	+100 kg
Men's Judo
Russian Championships
Bronze	1999 Kstovo	Open
Bronze	1998 Kstovo	-100 kg

Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko (born September 28, 1976) is a famous Russian former professional MMA fighter, sambist, judoka, and politician. He was the PRIDE Heavyweight Champion from 2003 to 2007. Fedor also won the combat sambo world championship four times and was a national champion seven times. He also earned two bronze medals in Russian national judo. Many people consider him one of the greatest MMA fighters ever. He was often ranked as the top heavyweight fighter from 2003 to 2010. His career helped make MMA popular in Russia and around the world.

Fedor started his MMA career on May 21, 2000. He won four fights in a row before a controversial loss in December 2000. After that, he was unbeaten in his next 28 fights until June 2010. This amazing streak included wins over many champions. He first retired in June 2012 but returned in December 2015. Fedor retired for the second and final time on February 4, 2023. His final record was 40 wins, 7 losses, and 1 no contest.

In 2010, Fedor also started a political career. He was elected as a deputy in the Belgorod Regional Duma. Later, he became the president of the Russian MMA Union. He also joined Russia's Council of Physical Fitness & Sports.

About Fedor Emelianenko

Early Life and Training

Fedor Emelianenko was born in 1976 in Rubizhne, which was then part of the Soviet Union. When he was two, his family moved to Stary Oskol, Russia. His mother was a teacher, and his father was a welder.

At age 11, Fedor started learning sambo and judo. His first coach was Vasily Ivanovich Gavrilov. A year later, he joined classes taught by Vladimir Voronov, who became his main coach. Voronov said that Fedor wasn't special at first. But he became successful because of his hard work and determination over many years.

Fedor finished high school in 1991 and became an electrician in 1994. From 1995 to 1997, he served in the Russian Army. He was a military firefighter and then part of a tank division.

In 1997, Fedor earned the title of "Master of Sport" in both judo and sambo. He also joined the Russian national team. In 2000, he started fighting professionally in mixed martial arts because he needed more money.

Starting His MMA Journey

Fedor began his MMA career with the Russian Top Team. He trained with experienced fighters like Volk Han. After some time, he and his brother moved to train with the Red Devil Sport Club. Fedor also trained in the Netherlands with famous coaches and fighters.

First Loss and Early Wins

Fedor had his first loss in a fight against Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in December 2000. The fight was stopped early because of a cut on Fedor's head. This cut was caused by an illegal elbow strike from Kohsaka. Even though he lost, Fedor later won the RINGS Heavyweight Class Championship.

Fedor's Rise to Fame

Becoming a PRIDE Champion

In 2002, Fedor joined Pride Fighting Championships, a big MMA organization in Japan. He quickly defeated top fighters like Semmy Schilt and Heath Herring.

Winning the PRIDE Heavyweight Title

On March 16, 2003, Fedor fought Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira for the PRIDE Heavyweight Championship. Nogueira was a very tough fighter, known for his endurance and submission skills. Fedor surprised everyone by dominating Nogueira with punches and ground-and-pound. He won by a unanimous decision and became the second Pride Heavyweight Champion. He never lost this title before the organization closed.

Fedor defended his title against Kazuyuki Fujita. Fujita managed to hit Fedor hard, but Fedor recovered and won by submission. He also easily defeated Gary Goodridge and Yuji Nagata.

Winning the PRIDE Grand Prix

In 2004, Fedor entered the PRIDE Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament. He faced Kevin Randleman, a former UFC champion. Randleman famously slammed Fedor on his head, but Fedor quickly recovered and won with an armlock.

He then fought Naoya Ogawa and won quickly. In the final, he faced Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira again. Their first final fight was stopped due to an accidental head clash. In their third fight, Fedor won by unanimous decision, keeping his PRIDE title and winning the Grand Prix.

The Legendary Fight with Mirko Cro Cop

One of Fedor's most famous fights was against Mirko Cro Cop at PRIDE Final Conflict 2005. Cro Cop was a dangerous striker. In the first round, Cro Cop broke Fedor's nose with jabs. But Fedor managed to take the fight to the ground and wear down Cro Cop. Fedor became more dominant as the fight went on and won by unanimous decision.

Later PRIDE Fights

Fedor continued to defend his title. He defeated Mark Coleman with an armbar. His last PRIDE title defense was against Mark Hunt in December 2006. Despite a broken toe, Fedor won by submission.

Fedor's Career After PRIDE

Fighting in Other Organizations

After PRIDE closed, many wondered if Fedor would join the UFC. But he signed a deal with M-1 Global. He also fought in other events like BodogFight and Yarennoka! He defeated Matt Lindland and the giant Choi Hong-man.

Success in Affliction

In 2008, Fedor fought Tim Sylvia, a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, at Affliction: Banned. Fedor won in just 36 seconds by submission. Even UFC president Dana White was impressed.

In 2009, Fedor fought another former UFC champion, Andrei Arlovski, at Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Arlovski started strong, but Fedor landed a powerful punch that knocked him out in the first round. This win was named "Knockout of the Year."

Challenges in Strikeforce

Fedor then signed with Strikeforce. His first fight was against Brett Rogers in November 2009, which he won by TKO.

However, Fedor faced his first loss in 10 years in June 2010 against Fabrício Werdum. Werdum caught him in a submission, forcing Fedor to tap out. This was a big upset.

In 2011, Fedor entered the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. He lost to Antônio Silva when the doctors stopped the fight due to swelling around Fedor's eye. Later that year, he lost to Dan Henderson by TKO. After these losses, Fedor said that family changes and mistakes in his training affected his performance.

Return to Russia and First Retirement

After Strikeforce, Fedor fought Jeff Monson in Russia in November 2011 and won by decision. He then returned to Japan to fight Satoshi Ishii on New Year's Eve 2011, winning by knockout.

On June 21, 2012, Fedor fought Pedro Rizzo in Russia. After winning by knockout, Fedor announced his retirement from fighting. Even though he retired, he remained president of the Russian MMA Union.

Coming Out of Retirement

In July 2015, Fedor announced he would return to fighting. He signed with Rizin Fighting Federation in Japan. On December 31, 2015, he won his comeback fight against Jaideep Singh by submission.

In June 2016, Fedor fought Fábio Maldonado in Russia. He won by a majority decision, though the result was controversial.

Fighting in Bellator MMA

In November 2016, Fedor signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator MMA. His first fight was against Matt Mitrione in June 2017, which he lost by knockout.

In 2018, Fedor entered the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament. He defeated former UFC champions Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen by TKO in the first round. In the final, he faced Ryan Bader for the vacant Bellator Heavyweight World Championship. Fedor lost the fight by knockout in just 35 seconds.

Despite this loss, Fedor signed a new contract with Bellator. He fought Quinton Jackson in Japan in December 2019, winning by TKO. In October 2021, he defeated Timothy Johnson by knockout.

Fedor's final fight was a rematch against Ryan Bader for the Bellator Heavyweight World Championship on February 4, 2023. He lost the fight by TKO and officially retired from MMA after the bout.

Combat Sambo Achievements

Fedor competed in combat sambo throughout his MMA career. He won many medals, including:

• Bronze at the Russian Combat Sambo National Championships in 1998 and 2000.
• Gold at the Russian Armed Forces Championships in 1998.
• Gold at the European Combat Sambo Championships in 1999.

After starting MMA, he became a seven-time national champion (2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012) and a four-time world champion (2002, 2005, 2007) in combat sambo. In 2002, he won three gold medals in sambo tournaments. In 2005, he won two more gold medals. His final world title in combat sambo was in 2007.

In 2008, he won two national titles. In 2009, he won another national championship. His last national combat sambo tournament was in 2012, where he won gold. His combat sambo record from 2007 to 2012 was 21 wins and only 1 loss.

Fedor's Legacy and Fighting Style

Many experts and publications, like Sports Illustrated, have called Fedor Emelianenko the best MMA fighter of the 2000s. Famous athletes like Chuck Norris and Mike Tyson, and MMA fighters such as Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov, consider him the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. He is often listed as the greatest MMA heavyweight fighter ever.

Fedor is known for being good at all parts of MMA. He has strong striking skills and excellent grappling. He uses powerful "Russian hook" punches and smart footwork. He is also very good at hip throws from judo and sambo to take opponents to the ground. Once on the ground, he uses strong ground-and-pound to damage his opponents.

From 2000 to 2010, Fedor had an incredible record of 33 fights with only one controversial loss in MMA. During this time, he also went undefeated in dozens of combat sambo fights, winning gold in many tournaments. He defeated seven former UFC champions and many other top fighters.

Championships and Awards

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Political Career

Towards the end of his MMA career, Fedor became involved in politics. In 2010, he was elected as a deputy in the Belgorod Regional Duma. This was a five-year term.

In 2012, Fedor took on a role in Russia's Council of Physical Fitness & Sports. He also became the president of the Russian MMA Union.

Fedor has spoken about his views on his home region. He said he is of Russian ethnicity and sees Russia and Ukraine as "still the same country," even though they are different states.

Personal Life

Fedor married Oksana in 1999, and they had a daughter that same year. They later divorced. He then married Marina in 2009, and they had two daughters. In 2014, he remarried his first wife, Oksana.

Fedor is a practicing Orthodox Christian. He attends the church of St. Nicholas in Stary Oskol. His entrance music for fights is a religious song.

Many people who know Fedor say he is a humble person. He once shared that his motivation to win fights came from his past, when his family had very little. He said he sees every opponent as someone trying to take him back to that harder time. Before a fight, he tries to clear his mind and not feel any strong emotions like anger or pity.

Emelianenko at the Nippon Budokan in 2012

A sports psychologist once noted Fedor's unique "stare down" before fights. He would look very relaxed, almost as if he was about to perform. But then, he would give a quick, intense look that seemed to go "through" his opponent, showing no emotion. This look could make opponents feel very nervous.

Fedor's youngest brother, Ivan, also competes in Combat Sambo. Fedor was also chosen to carry the Olympic torch in Russia twice, in 2008 and 2014.

In January 2021, Fedor was hospitalized after getting COVID-19, but he was released a few days later.

Images for kids

• 

  Emelianenko vs Coleman at Pride 32 in late 2006.

See also

In Spanish: Fiódor Yemeliánenko para niños

• List of Bellator MMA alumni
• List of Strikeforce alumni
• List of Pride FC alumni
• List of male mixed martial artists
• List of Pride champions