Report | Fedor Emelianenko is Training for a Fight

Good news for fans of Fedor Emelianenko! According to a report from Russian journalist Alexey Safonov, the heavyweight legend has returned to training in preparation for an upcoming bout – though the date, location and opponent for that bout do not appear to be clear. Contracts have also not yet been signed.

Fedor has started training for the fight. Contract is not signed but there is negotiations. Soon it will be announced. #mma #Emelianenko

— Alexey Safonov (@1safonoff) October 26, 2016

“Fedor has started training for the fight,” Safonov said in his post. “Contract is not signed but there is negotiations. Soon it will be announced.”

Emelianenko’s last fight occured under the Eurasia Fight Nights banner in June of this year, and it was a wild one. The bout paired Emelianenko with former UFC light heavyweight Fabio Maldonado in a back-and-forth slobber-knocker that saw both men teetering on the edge of consciousness on more than one occasion. At the end of this hectic battle, Emelianenko would be awarded a majority decision win. Though this result was later ruled a draw by the World MMA Association, that change was not accepted by the Russian MMA Union.

Prior to this controversial battle with Maldonado, Emelianenko made a successful return to action after more than three years on the shelf, mauling an outmatched Jaideep Singh to a first-round TKO victory. This bout occured in the ring of burgeoning Japanese promotion Rizin Fighting Federation.

At this stage, its difficult to say where the Russian legend’s return to action will occur. A fight under the Rizin FF banner, however, seems like a likely choice.

Not long ago, it was reported that the promotion had offered Emelianenko $2 million to take on fellow legend Wanderlei Silva on New Years Eve. We were also recently given reason to believe that Emelianenko was being considered as an opponent for former UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin, who is poised for a return from retirement.

It’s also possible, of course, that Emelianenko will return to the EFN cage, or that he opts to test his mettle in yet another promotion, such as Bellator. For the moment, it appears we’ll just have to wait and see.

Do you want to see Fedor Emelianenko fight again? If so, who do you think he should take on next? Sound off, PENN Nation!