Tag: Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Emelianenko Plays Down Potential Super Fight With JDS

Fedor EmelianenkoMMA pioneer, Fedor Emelianenko, has stated that he is no longer interested in a fight with Junior dos Santos. Following his release from the UFC, former heavyweight champion, dos Santos, was signed to Eagle FC, an MMA promotion founded and promoted by Khabib Nurmagomedov. Along with the announcement, a promotional debut was booked for dos […]

Fedor Emelianenko

MMA pioneer, Fedor Emelianenko, has stated that he is no longer interested in a fight with Junior dos Santos.

Following his release from the UFC, former heavyweight champion, dos Santos, was signed to Eagle FC, an MMA promotion founded and promoted by Khabib Nurmagomedov. Along with the announcement, a promotional debut was booked for dos Santos to face fellow UFC alum, Yorgan De Castro, a bout which took place on May 20.

The fight was going well ‘JDS’, controlling the contest throughout using his superior striking while De Castro. Then, in the third round, dos Santos, while throwing a right hand appeared to dislocate his shoulder, which forced the referee to stop the fight, awarding De Castro a stoppage victory.

Prior to the bout, Nurmagomedov had brought up the prospect of a potential fight between dos Santos and former Pride heavyweight champion, Fedor Emelianenko.

Even with the loss, Nurmagomedov was still hopeful that a bout between the two heavyweights could be made, especially due the circumstances surrounding dos Santos’s loss.

“I think it’s still viable because even if he lost, Junior looked amazing,” Nurmagomedov told MMA Underground. ”Everybody see tonight, he’s improved a lot and he was looking amazing. And I think it’s still interesting.”

Fedor Emelianenko Not Interested In JDS

Although many felt that dos Santos was hard done by in his last fight, Emelianenko seems unsympathetic and any hope for matchup is dwindling. Talking to Russian media outlet, Okko, ‘The Last Emperor’ shared his thought and it’s not looking for MMA fans.

“A meeting was planned with Scott Coker [Bellator President], 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 the latter [Dos Santos].

Emelianenko, aged 45, is currently signed with Bellator, most recently making an appearance for the promotion in October 2021, knocking out Tim Johnson in Moscow, Russia.

Khabib Nurmagomedov discussing Fedor Emelianenko Vs. Junior dos Santos

Would you have liked to see Fedor Emelianenko Vs? Junior dos Santos?

Fedor Shuts Down Cross-Promotion Fight With Junior Dos Santos

Fedor Emelianenko has shut down the idea of a possible cross-promotional fight between himself and Junior dos Santos. Eagle FC owner and former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov recently expressed interest in a fight between the two heavyweights leading up to dos Santos’s Eagle FC debut in May. That main event bout between Yorgan De…

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Fedor Emelianenko has shut down the idea of a possible cross-promotional fight between himself and Junior dos Santos.

Eagle FC owner and former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov recently expressed interest in a fight between the two heavyweights leading up to dos Santos’s Eagle FC debut in May. That main event bout between Yorgan De Castro and dos Santos ended when the former UFC heavyweight champion injured his shoulder early in the third round.

In an interview with Russia media outlet Okko, Emelianenko indicated that the result of that fight took some appeal away from a potential matchup between himself and the Brazilian.

“A meeting was planned with Scott Coker. 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 the latter.”

Junior dos Santos suffered a loss in his Eagle FC debut after sustaining a shoulder injury. (Eagle FC)

“Cigano” was ahead on the scorecards heading into the third round of the fight at Eagle FC 47 before dislocating his shoulder just over 30 seconds into the final round. De Castro subsequently left the cage as the winner, and the 38-year-old dos Santos suffered his first loss since leaving the UFC and fifth in a row overall.

Fedor Emelianenko has been competing for Bellator since 2017 and has gone 4-2 during his time in the promotion. The 45-year-old is currently on a two-fight win streak after first-round knockouts of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Tim Johnson.

“The Last Emperor” suffered his most recent loss when he challenged Ryan Bader for the Bellator heavyweight championship in 2019. Emelianenko currently has one-fight remaining on his Bellator contract, and he’s indicated a desire to challenge Bader again for the title in what could also end up being his retirement fight.

Considered by many to be one of the greatest fighters of all time, Junior dos Santos recently named Emelianenko as his GOAT of heavyweight MMA.

What do you think of Fedor Emelianenko’s comments that a fight with Junior dos Santos has lost its appeal?

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Khabib Nurmagomedov Still Confident In Booking Junior dos Santos vs. Fedor Emelianenko Despite JDS Shoulder Injury

KhabibDespite Junior dos Santos’ loss to Yorgan De Castro at Eagle FC 47: Redemption, Khabib Nurmagomedov has stated he is still interested in booking a cross-promotional fight between ‘Cigano’ and MMA legend, Fedor Emelianenko. JDS initially had great success against De Castro in their main event fight. However, in round three, dos Santos dislocated his […]

Khabib

Despite Junior dos Santos’ loss to Yorgan De Castro at Eagle FC 47: Redemption, Khabib Nurmagomedov has stated he is still interested in booking a cross-promotional fight between ‘Cigano’ and MMA legend, Fedor Emelianenko.

JDS initially had great success against De Castro in their main event fight. However, in round three, dos Santos dislocated his arm after throwing a punch, resulting in a doctor’s stoppage TKO victory for ‘The Mad Titan.’

Prior to the fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov had stated that if dos Santos won, he would be booked in a cross-promotional fight with Fedor Emelianenko, who is currently signed with Bellator MMA. If De Castro won, he would be granted a shot at the Eagle FC heavyweight title, currently held by Rizvan Kuniev.

However, it now seems that both men will receive the fight they were initially promised. In the aftermath of the fight, Khabib had the following to say on the topic of Junior dos Santos’ next fight for Eagle FC:

“I’m not a doctor, but I see a lot of injuries inside the gym like this with shoulders, with knees. I think after three or four months, he can come back to sparring, and at the end of the year we can make this fight. Next week I’m going to sit with Scott Coker and we’re going to discuss about this fight.”

He went on to state that:

“Junior was looking amazing. [For a] long time, I didn’t see [him look like] how he looked like tonight. He was looking very good. I think it was maybe his best shape in the last couple years, maybe five, six years. But it is what it is, you know? This is a very tough sport. You can’t even blink in this sport when you’re inside the cage, because I know how it is being inside the cage, standing with someone [who’s] a professional athlete in front of you. It’s very dangerous and you have to stay focused every single second.” (H/T MMA Fighting).

Khabib Nurmagomedov on the future of Yorgan De Castro at Eagle FC

Khabib Nurmagomedov also reiterated his comments in the buildup to the fight that if Yorgan De Castro would be victorious, he would be granted a shot at the title.

“He was looking good too,” Nurmagomedov said. “De Castro showed his heart. He’s mentally a very strong fighter today, and he won. It’s a question of how, but he won. And I think maybe it’s going to be a good matchup, De Castro vs. Rizvan Kuniev, fight for the title, and we work on this Junior vs. Fedor [for the] end of this year.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov Expresses Interest In Booking Junior dos Santos vs. Fedor Emelianenko Fight

Junior dos SantosFormer undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov has noted his interest in potentially working in a cross-promotion capacity with Bellator MMA – booking a heavyweight matchup between esteemed division icons, Junior dos Santos, and Fedor Emelianenko. Khabib, the current leader of Eagle Fight Club, retired from professional mixed martial arts back in October 2020 – […]

Junior dos Santos

Former undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov has noted his interest in potentially working in a cross-promotion capacity with Bellator MMA – booking a heavyweight matchup between esteemed division icons, Junior dos Santos, and Fedor Emelianenko.

Khabib, the current leader of Eagle Fight Club, retired from professional mixed martial arts back in October 2020 – boasting an undefeated, 29-0 professional record following a successful title unification win against Justin Gaethje.

In the time since, the American Kickboxing Academy mainstay has began training and cornering fighters as well as running the operations of the aforenoted promotion, Eagle Fight Club – who have established a base in Florida. 

Speaking ahead of Eagle Fight Club 47 on Friday, Khabib noted his interest in booking former UFC heavyweight champion, Junior dos Santos against Emelianenko in the future – should the former overcome Yorgan de Castro in his promotional bow.

“If Junior dos Santos wins, I really want to make dos Santos vs. Fedor (Emelianenko) fight,” Khabib Nurmagomedov told assembled media at a press event on Wednesday. “But he has to focus on Yorgan (de Castro) for next, because this fighter here is tough opponent. I want to talk with my friend, Scott Coker, because Fedor is under Bellator contract. I don’t know what they’re gonna do next with him, but definitely, we can talk, and we can do something. We can create some story. …”

“Why not?” Khabib Nurmagomedov asked. “These two guys was long tiem the face of MMA. Fedor was the greatest fighter of all time in my opinion, and dos Santos was heavyweight champion a couple years in UFC. These two guys, I think they deserve and fans deserve. For me, it’s a very interesting matchup, too.” 

Junior dos Santos also seems receptive to a pairing with Fedor Emelianenko

As far as Santa Catarina veteran, dos Santos is concerned, a potential matchup against Emelianenko certainly appears to pique his interest.

“I’m a big, big, BIG fan of Fedor, and I really believe – like Khabib said – that is the greatest,” Junior dos Santos said. “That was a magical time in the MMA world when he did those amazing fights with ‘Big Nog’. I wasn’t even fighting at that time, but I was such a fan of them. For me, because I trained with ‘Big Nog’, as well, it was always kind of a dream, the biggest thing I would like to achieve in my career would be to fight Fedor. So to hear that may be possible now, it’s just amazing.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)

In his final Octagon appearance before his UFC release, dos Santos suffered a second round knockout loss to former interim division champion, Ciryl Gane, while Emelianenko managed to scoop a stunning first round knockout win over Timothy Johnson in a Moscow homecoming at Bellator 269 last October.

Khabib Teases Cross-Promotion Bout Between Fedor and Junior dos Santos

Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to pair with Bellator President Scott Coker to book a fight between Fedor Emelianenko and Junior dos Santos. Nurmagomedov has brought a lot of new talent to his Eagle FC promotion, as he’ll showcase this weekend at Eagle FC 47. The main event will feature a matchup between newly signed former UFC…

Continue Reading Khabib Teases Cross-Promotion Bout Between Fedor and Junior dos Santos at MMA News.

Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to pair with Bellator President Scott Coker to book a fight between Fedor Emelianenko and Junior dos Santos.

Nurmagomedov has brought a lot of new talent to his Eagle FC promotion, as he’ll showcase this weekend at Eagle FC 47. The main event will feature a matchup between newly signed former UFC fighters Yorgan De Castro and Dos Santos.

Dos Santos signed with Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC following four straight losses in the UFC Octagon. Despite his recent struggles, he could be on his way to getting a potential super fight against Emelianenko.

During the Eagle FC 47 pre-fight press conference, Nurmagomedov shared his big plans for Dos Santos.

“If Dos Santos win, I really want to make Dos Santos vs. Fedor fight,” Nurmagomedov said. “But he has to focus on Yorgan for next, because this fighter here is tough opponent. I want to talk with my friend, Scott Coker, because Fedor is under Bellator contract. I don’t know what they’re gonna do next with him, but definitely we can talk, and we can do something. We can create some story.

“Why not? These two guys was long time the face of MMA. Fedor was the greatest fighter of all time in my opinion, and Dos Santos was heavyweight champion a couple years in UFC. These two guys, I think they deserve and fans deserve. For me, it’s a very interesting matchup, too.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

Emelianenko is planning his last fight for later this year, but Coker has revealed that it won’t take place in Moscow, RU amidst the invasion of Ukraine. Emelianenko most recently defeated Tim Johnson in his return at Bellator 269 last October.

After getting word of Nurmagomedov’s comments, Coker responded on Twitter.

“Thanks for the call [Khabib],” Coker replied to Nurmagomedov. Looking forward to sitting down next week, dinner’s on you.”

Depending on how things play out at Eagle FC 47 this weekend, we could be on the verge of seeing a cross-promotional battle between dos Santos and Emelianenko, two of the best heavyweights in MMA history.

What are your thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s plans to cross-promote with Bellator?

Continue Reading Khabib Teases Cross-Promotion Bout Between Fedor and Junior dos Santos at MMA News.

Corey Anderson Upset By Fedor’s Alleged Comments After Bellator 277

Bellator light heavyweight Corey Anderson had an alleged exchange with Fedor Emelianenko after a no-contest vs. Vadim Nemkov. The finals of the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Finals at Bellator 277 came to a halt in Round 3 after an accidental clash of heads between Anderson and Nemkov. To that point in the fight,…

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Bellator light heavyweight Corey Anderson had an alleged exchange with Fedor Emelianenko after a no-contest vs. Vadim Nemkov.

The finals of the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Finals at Bellator 277 came to a halt in Round 3 after an accidental clash of heads between Anderson and Nemkov. To that point in the fight, one could argue that Anderson was on his way to earning a win over the champion Nemkov.

Anderson made his mark in the fight with his wrestling by smothering Nemkov on the ground and controlling the pace of the bout. However, everything changed after Anderson and Nemkov hit heads during a scramble with seven seconds left in the third round.

If the infraction came in the fourth or fifth round, the fight would’ve been ruled a technical decision, with Anderson more than likely winning the bout.

During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Anderson revealed that Nemkov’s mentor, Emelianenko got into it with him following the fight’s abrupt conclusion.

“When I got worked up that’s cause of Fedor came in and said, ‘You don’t win. You headbutt. You don’t win.’ Like motherf***er, what?” Anderson said. “Excuse my language. Like, really Fedor? You gonna say that? So you’re trying to tell me I wasn’t beating your guy? I wasn’t winning this fight?”

Bellator President Scott Coker is already on record as saying that Anderson vs. Nemkov rematch will take place later this year. Anderson had won three straight fights in Bellator after a rocky end to his UFC tenure.

Emelianenko is a mentor to many Russian MMA stars, including Nemkov. He’s widely regarded as arguably the greatest heavyweight in the sport’s history.

Anderson will have the opportunity to put a stamp on his recent performance against Nemkov and earn the Grand Prix title. After one of the most unusual ends to a Bellator fight in recent memory, Anderson and Nemkov are both looking for finality in their rematch.

What is your prediction for the planned Corey Anderson vs. Vadim Nemkov rematch?

Continue Reading Corey Anderson Upset By Fedor’s Alleged Comments After Bellator 277 at MMA News.