Fedor Emelianenko is a Russian mixed martial artist who currently competes for Bellator MMA and Rizin Fighting Federation. He is considered one of the greatest heavyweight champions in mixed martial arts (MMA) history.
Fedor Emelianenko is a five-time MMA Pride Fighting Championship titleholder. He is also a sambist with a 1st Razryad Grandmaster ranking and three FIAS World Combat Sambo Championship wins.
Additionally, Emelianenko is a black belt and International Master of Sport in Judo. He earned the bronze medal in the 1998 and 1999 Russian Judo Federation National Championship.
He was named the 2000s Fighter of the decade by American sports magazine Sports Illustrated. Similarly, FightMatrix ranked him as the number one heavyweight champion from April 2003 to April 2010.
Despite his overwhelming success, Fedor Emelianenko has remained humble his entire career. He had a rough childhood because of poverty, so it taught him to be grateful for everything in life.
To learn more about Emelianenko, popularly known as The Last Emperor, make sure to read this article until the very end!
Quick Facts: Fedor Emelianenko
| Full Name | Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko |
| Native Name | Фёдор Владимирович Емельяненко |
| Date Of Birth | September 28, 1976 |
| Birth Place | Rubizhne, Ukraine |
| Residence | Stary Oskol, Russia |
| Age | 45 |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Height | 6 feet (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 106 kg (233 lb) |
| High School | Not Available |
| University Name | Belgorod State University |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Ethnicity | Russian-Ukrainian |
| Father’s Name | Vladimir Alexandrovich |
| Mother’s Name | Olga Fedorovna |
| Siblings | Marina, Aleksander, and Ivan |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Eye Colour | Light Blue |
| Skin Colour | Fair |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Partner | Oksana Emelianenko |
| Kids | Elizabeth, Vasilisa, and Masha |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Artist |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Style | Sambo and Judo |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Net Worth | $18 million |
| Salary | $300k-$2 million |
| Social Media | |
| Merch | Autobiography Book, MMA RVCA T-Shirt |
| Last Update | July, 2022 |
Early life, family, and education of Fedor Emelianenko
On September 28, 1976, Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko was born in Rubizhne, a Ukrainian city in the Luhansk Oblast.
When his parents Vladimir Alexandrovich and Olga Fedorovna made the decision to relocate to Russia, he was only two years old. His mother was a teacher and they lived in Stary Oskol, Belgorod Oblast. His father was a welder.
Because of their financial difficulties, Fedor’s family only had a proper meal once per week. The younger brothers also had to dress in their older siblings’ hand-me-downs.
Emelianenko began training Sambo and Judo at the age of 11 under the guidance of Vasily Ivanovich Gavrilov. Likewise, at age 12, he started attending formal sports lessons with instructor Vladimir Voronov.
In 1991, he graduated from high school and enrolled in a technical college. He earned his electrician diploma from the trade school in 1994 with honors.
Emelianenko later enlisted in the Russian Army as a military firefighter.
He was also stationed in the tank division close to Nizhny Novgorod. In conclusion, Emelianenko served from 1995 to 1997 in the Russian Ground Forces.
In Judo and Sambo, Emelianenko was awarded the “Master of Sports” title in 1997. He then joined the Russian national team but was forced to leave in 2000 due to financial issues.
He graduated in 2008 from Belgorod State University in Russia. In addition to sports, Fedor enjoys reading, creating art, and listening to music.
Career of Fedor Emelianenko
After leaving the Russian national team, Fedor Emelianenko joined the Russian Top Team (RTT). It was connected to the Fighting Network Rings combat sports competition in Japan.
He consequently had the chance to receive instruction from Volk Han and Andrei Kopylov. Soon after, he quit RTT and joined the Red Devil Sport Club MMA school in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Emelianenko began his MMA fighting career on May 21st, 2000 for Rings. He won four games in a row that year, but a defeat in December broke his winning streak.
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka was Emelianenko’s opponent when his opponent’s elbow struck Emelianenko in the head. The elbow strike, which was against the rules for the fight, widened Emelianenko’s cut from an earlier encounter.
Emelianenko, however, won the following 28 fights of his career before suffering his first defeat in June 2010.
Fighting Championships Pride
Emelianenko faced Dutch kickboxer Semmy Schilt in his Pride Fighting Championships debut on June 23, 2002. Following his unanimous victory over Schilt, he went on to defeat MMA competitor Heath Herring.
At Pride 25, which took place on March 16, 2003, Emelianenko faced off against former interim UFC heavyweight champion Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. He used ground and pound to control the fight for twenty minutes while avoiding Nogueria’s guard.
The judges unanimously decided that Fedor Emelianenko should win the Pride Heavyweight Championship.
He competed in the 2004 Pride Heavyweight World Grand Prix competition.
First, he defeated Japanese judoka Naoya Ogawa in the semifinals. He next competed in the championship match against Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. Due to an unintentional injury to Emelianenko’s head, their fight was ruled a no-contest.
To put it another way, Emelianenko completely outclassed Nogueira in their rematch using punches and Judo throws. He received unanimous support to win the heavyweight title once more.
He participated in a title defense match at Pride Final Conflict 2005 against Croatian kickboxer Mirko Cro Cop. After a twenty-minute battle, he prevailed.
At Pride Shockwave 2006, he defeated Mark Hunt to successfully defend his heavyweight title for the final time. From 2003 to 2007, Emelianenko held the title of Pride Heavyweight Champion.
One M Global
Emelianenko participated in several MMA contests after his contract with Pride expired thanks to a two-year agreement with the mixed martial arts organization M-1 Global.
He competed at Yarennoka in 2007 against South Korean kickboxer Hong-man Choi! On New Year’s Eve, an MMA match took place in Japan, and Emelianenko prevailed by submission after the opening frame.
He competed for Dream, a Japanese MMA organization, a year later after learning of its close relationship with M-1 Global.
Then, on July 19, 2008, he competed against Tim Sylvia, the former heavyweight champion, at Affliction: Banned.
Within 36 seconds of the fight, Emelianenko submitted using a rear-naked choke to claim victory. Second, he defeated Andrei Arlovski via knockout on January 24, 2009, at Affliction: Day of Recking.
Dana White, the president of the UFC, made several attempts to get Fedor Emelianenko to sign an exclusive UFC contract.
He allegedly offered Emelianenko a deal worth just under $2 million per fight, according to rumors. But no agreement could be reached between UFC and M-1 Global.
M-1 As a co-promotion, Global wanted to work with UFC. White, however, resisted agreeing to their conditions. Emelianenko decided to compete for Strikeforce instead.
Retirement
He triumphed over Brett Rogers on November 7, 2009, in the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers main event. But on June 26, 2010, Emelianenko was submitted in his first match of his career against Fabrcio Werdum.
Prior to the fight, Emelianenko was already thinking about retiring due to worsening physical injuries.
He fell short in his next two matches at Strikeforce, though, and eventually quit the MMA league.
And He traveled back to Japan on December 31, 2011, to take part in Fight for Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka. He knocked out Satoshi Ishii to win the match.
On June 21, 2012, he defeated Pedro Rizzo in an M-1 Global match, winning by knockout. Emelianenko then declared his decision to stop competing.
But up until October 2018, he served as the Russian MMA Union’s president.
Since 2012, Emelianenko has served on the Russian Presidential Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Likewise, he entered politics in 2010 when he was elected to serve a five-year term as the deputy of the Belgorod Regional Duma.
Resuming MMA
He made a triumphant return to the MMA scene on July 14, 2015, competing under the Rizin Fighting Federation banner. Also, He defeated Indian heavyweight kickboxer Jaideep Singh in his first match after making a comeback by submission.
He competed against Fábio Maldonado on June 17, 2016, in a promotional event held in St. Petersburg, Russia. Emelianenko was declared the winner after receiving the majority of the votes, but after media backlash, it was changed to a draw.
He formally committed to a number of fights with Bellator MMA. Emelianenko then knocked out Matt Mitrione at the Bellator NYC event on June 24, 2017.
In 2018, Fedor Emelianenko competed in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix to win the title of champion.
At Bellator 198 on April 28, 2018, he squared off against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir, winning by knockout.
On October 13, 2018, he knocked out Chael Sonnen in the event’s semifinals. He was defeated by Ryan Bader in the final contest, and on January 26, 2019, Bader won the Bellator Heavyweight Championship.
Emelianenko defeated Quinton Jackson by knockout on December 29, 2019, at Bellator 237. In addition, on October 23, 2021, at Bellator 269, he knocked out Timothy Johnson.
Fedor Emelianenko: Children and Marriage
Emelianenko wed Oksana, his high school sweetheart, in 1999, and the two welcomed Masha the following year. However, the couple formally parted ways in 2006.
Emelianenko and his girlfriend Marina welcomed their second child, Vasilisa, on December 29, 2007. While Emelianenko was still married to Oksana, there were rumors that the two were having a relationship.
In July 2011, their younger daughter Elizaveta was born. They exchanged wedding vows in 2009.
2013 saw the divorce of Fedor and Marina after seven years of marriage. A year later, he remarried his first wife, Oksana.
Value of Fedor Emelianenko
One of the top ten wealthiest MMA competitors in the world is Fedor Emelianenko. He receives a salary for an event that ranges from close to $300,000 to $2 million, depending on the MMA promotion.
He is thought to be worth $18 million.
In his professional career, Emelianenko has earned more than $8 million. Additionally, he currently shares ownership of St. Petersburg, Russia-based M-1 Global.
Fedor Emelianenko: Social Media
You can find Fedor Emelianenko on Instagram. He prefers to keep his private life away from social media, so he mostly shares content related to MMA and his fighting team.
However, Emelianenko does not have an official Twitter or Facebook page.
Instagram: 1.1 million followers
FAQs
Who is Aleksander Emelianenko?
Aleksander Emelianenko is a mixed martial artist and three-time Russian National Combat Sambo Champion.
Additionally, he is known for being the younger brother of former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko.
Who has defeated Fedor Emelianenko?
As of 2021, Fedor has suffered six losses out of the 47 MMA events of his career. He lost five fights by knockout and one by submission.
Moreover, some of the MMA fighters who have defeated him include Dan Henderson, Antonio Silva, and Fabricio Werdum.
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