Fight Facts Retrospective is a branch of the Fight Facts series
that chronicles the accomplishments and achievements of legendary
fighters and historic promotions. Join us as we celebrate the
incredible career of the iconic
Fedor
Emelianenko, ahead of what may be his final battle as a pro.
Emelianenko faces
Ryan Bader
atop
Bellator 290 in February for the
Bellator MMA heavyweight throne.
Granted the nickname “The Last Emperor,” the all-time great
conquered practically all comers during his renowned run through
Pride Fighting Championships and beyond. A shoe-in
MMA Hall-of-Famer in its theoretical existence, Emelianenko
remains the most obvious first choice to add to an MMA Mount
Rushmore.
* * *
Fedor on One Side, Cyborg on the Other: From March 2003 to June
2010,
Fedor
Emelianenko served as considered the consensus No. 1
heavyweight in the world. This over seven-year, roughly 2,660-day
span lording over his weight class is the longest for any male
fighter in the sport’s history.
Heavy Is the Head That Wears the Crown: In August 2007, Sherdog
implemented
divisional rankings based on a voting panel. Emelianenko served
in the top spot of heavyweight from the series’ inception to
June 2010, or nearly three years. His stretch on top is the
longest of any heavyweight to date, with the Russian the only
non-UFC fighter to claim that place.
He Did It His Way: Over the course of his legendary career,
Emelianenko never fought in the UFC but faced many men that had
competed under his banner. From the UFC alone, he topped seven
former or future champs.
Nothing but Net: Not counting a no contest, the heavyweight held a
win rate of 100% in Pride FC. He alone sported that percentage
among all those to compete under its banner at least 10 times.
Practically Perfect in Every Way: In 2000, Emelianenko met and
ultimately lost to
Tsuyoshi
Kosaka, where Kosaka cut Emelianenko with an illegal elbow and
the wound resulted in a TKO. In many other rulesets at the time,
the fight would have ended as a no contest, and Emelianenko’s
record would have been 31-0 with two no contests when he took on
Fabricio
Werdum in 2010.
Empowered by Megadeth: Between his time with Pride and
Strikeforce, Emelianenko served as the main attraction
for both Affliction MMA events. Throttling
Tim Sylvia and
then starching
Andrei
Arlovski in the span of just over six months, he reigned
supreme as the only competitor to notch two first-round finishes
under its banner.
Keep It to Six: Suffering just a half-dozen defeats since his pro
debut in May 2000, the only opponents to beat him fought in the UFC
at one time in their own careers.
Head of the Adjustment Bureau: Across his storied 47-fight career,
Emelianenko has never lost a rematch. He has faced Kosaka,
Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and
Mark Coleman
more than once, and on the second (and third) match, he prevailed.
His fight with Bader will be a rematch of their 2019 meeting, which
Bader won by first-round knockout.
Last Chance to Pull This Off: Should Emelianenko defeat Bader, he
will become the only fighter in MMA history to claim both the Pride
FC and Bellator crowns. Every other eligible competitor has already
retired, making him the last person that could achieve this
feat.