Fedor Emelianenko Could Potentially Fight Wanderlei Silva For $2 Million
Legendary heavyweight Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko last competed at EFN 50 on June 17, 2016 against ex-UFC light heavyweight Fabio Maldonado. Heading into the bout, many had expected the 39-year-old Emelianenko to maul Maldonado before potentially finally signing with the UFC after years and years of rumors and negotiations. Then the fight happened, however, and “The Last Emperor” looked like a shell of the man that had run rampant through PRIDE’s heavyweight division for nearly 10 years.
Despite walking away with a majority decision, Emelianenko was highly criticized for the victory as many felt as if he hadn’t deserved it. After the fight, talks between “The Last Emperor” and the UFC seemed to die down, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be retiring. In fact, he could potentially fight one more time in 2016.
As of now, the promotion in which Emelianenko will fight for is still unclear, but Bloody Elbow recently reported that the Russian could once again link up with RIZIN Fighting Federation. A report from Russia’s izvestia.ru confirmed this rumor, reporting that Emelianenko could potentially receive $2 million to fight on December 31, 2016. An opponent has yet to be named, but the reports indicated that PRIDE and UFC veteran Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva could be an option.
Silva is most known for his run in PRIDE, but he was most recently seen competing in the UFC back in 2013. In the years since, he has gone through brutal battles with both the promotion as well as the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), but he has been freed from his contract in recent memory.
Would you like to see these two legends square off in the coming months?