Fedor Emelianenko to return on June 21st in Russia
News broke today that legendary Heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko will fight his next bout on June 21, 2012, at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. According to M-1 Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan, no opponent has been named as of yet:
Breaking!!! Fedor Emelianenko fighting on June 21st, Ice Palace, St Petersburg, Russia. News on the opponent to come!
— evgeni kogan (@evgenikogan) April 6, 2012
While Emelianenko’s next fight may not be taking place in the UFC Octagon as many fans had hoped, it does raise the debate on who “The Last Emperor’s” next opponent should be. Emelianenko had been on a downward slide recently, but has rebounded with a decision over Jeff Monson and an emphatic knockout over Satoshi Ishii to end 2011.
Many fans think that Fedor Emelianenko is still among the top Heavyweights in MMA, and may deserve a shot at current UFC Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos. Some fans believe that while Emelianenko was a great champion in the past, the sport may have passed him by.
What are your thoughts? Does Emelianenko deserve at the top of MMA’s Heavyweight division? There is no doubt that “The Last Emperor” will go down in history as one of the best MMA fighters ever. The question is, what does the present hold for Emelianenko?
Further Reading: Vadim Finkelstein: We are ready to have Fedor fighting in the UFC
