Not so “interesting” after all.
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is now the stateside promoter for Eagle Fight Club in Miami, has been looking to sign a cross-promotion showdown between former heavyweight champions Fedor Emelianenko and Junior dos Santos.
The 45 year-old Emelianenko (40-6, 1 NC), currently signed to Bellator MMA, was the PRIDE FC heavyweight titleholder before the dissolution of the Japan-based combat sports promotion back in late 2007. Dos Santos (21-10), now 38, was the UFC 265-pound champion roughly a decade go but recently migrated to Eagle FC after parting ways with Dana White and Co., a decision that did not sit well with the Brazilian bomber.
Unfortunately for fight fans, it doesn’t sound like “The Last Emperor” has much interest in battling Dos Santos now that “Cigano” has dropped five straight — all by way of knockout or technical knockout. That includes last month’s injury defeat against Yorgan de Castro as part of Eagle FC 47 in “The Sunshine State.”
“A meeting was planned with [Bellator president] Scott Coker,” Emelianenko told Championat.com (via RT Sport). “But, as I understand it, Scott and I are not interested in this fight with Junior dos Santos. First of all, because of the defeat of [Dos Santos].”
Emelianenko has won four of his last five and is gunning for a Ryan Bader rematch later this year. That said, it’s a little surprising to hear the former WAMMA heavyweight ring bearer talk so dismissively of Dos Santos when you consider “The Last Emperor” was proud to be fighting heavyweight journeyman Tim Johnson at Bellator 269.