The key facts

  • Emelianenko plans to compete at the Russian sambo championship; family circumstances kept him out of the previous tournament
  • His last professional bout took place on February 4, 2023, when he lost by knockout to Ryan Bader
  • Earlier, the athlete said he was ready to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov

Emelianenko on his preparation for the sambo tournament

Former mixed martial arts world champion Fedor Emelianenko told journalists that he is preparing for the Russian sambo championship and, in his words, «I am not badly out of shape at all». This was reported by Gazeta.Ru. The athlete explained that his daily routine will not change because of the preparation: he already does what is necessary, and after returning from the world championship he plans targeted work — boxing and wrestling training, sambo sessions, takedown drills, sparring and cross-training runs, «to build up his breathing».

The missed tournament and his plans

Emelianenko noted that he had intended to compete at the previous Russian championship as well, but was unable to attend due to «a trouble in the family». «I hope everything will be fine next year», the outlet quotes him as saying. Thus, his participation in the upcoming tournament will be the fulfillment of a plan that did not come true a year earlier.

Career context

Fedor Emelianenko is 50 years old. He fought his last professional bout on February 4, 2023, losing by knockout to Ryan Bader. Over his career, the Russian competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Strikeforce and Bellator organizations. Earlier, as Gazeta.Ru recalls, Emelianenko stated that he was ready to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov; the publication does not report whether this statement was ever realized.