Fabricio Werdum
Born	(1977-07-30) July 30, 1977 (age 34) Porto Alegre, Brazil
Other names	Vai Cavalo ("Go Horse") Loshadka
Nationality	Brazilian
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	246 lb (112 kg; 17 st 8 lb)
Division	Heavyweight (265 lb)
Reach	77 in (196 cm)
Fighting out of	Porto Alegre, Brazil
Team	Kings MMA
Rank	2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1] Black belt in Judo[2] Black belt in Muay Thai[3]
Years active	2002–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	21
Wins	15
By knockout	4
By submission	8
By decision	3
Losses	5
By knockout	1
By decision	4
Draws	1
Other information
Notable students	Mirko Filipović
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Medal record
Competitor for  Brazil
Men's submission grappling
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships
Silver	2011 Nottingham	+99 kg
Gold	2009 Barcelona	+99 kg
Gold	2007 New Jersey	+99 kg
Bronze	2005 Long Beach	+99 kg
Bronze	2003 São Paulo	Open
Silver	2003 São Paulo	+99 kg
IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships
Gold	2004 Rio de Janeiro	+100 kg (Black)
Bronze	2004 Rio de Janeiro	Open (Black)
Gold	2003 Rio de Janeiro	+100 kg (Black)
Bronze	2002 Rio de Janeiro	-100 kg (Brown)
Silver	2001 Rio de Janeiro	Open (Purple)
Gold	2000 Rio de Janeiro	Open (Blue)
Gold	2000 Rio de Janeiro	-100 kg (Blue)
Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Championships
Silver	2003	Open (Black)
Bronze	2003	+100 kg (Black)
Gold	2002	-100 kg (Brown)
Gold	2001	Open kg (Purple)
Gold	2001	-100 kg (Purple)
Gold	2000	-100 kg (Blue)

Fabricio Werdum (Portuguese pronunciation: [faˈbɾisju veʁˈdũ]; born July 30, 1977) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, a two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, a two-time ADCC world heavyweight champion and European Jiu-Jitsu champion. He holds black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,^[1] Judo,^[2] and Muay Thai.^[3] Werdum has competed in Pride Fighting Championships, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and made his Strikeforce debut on August 15, 2009.^[4] He is currently ranked the #4 heavyweight in the world by Sherdog^[5] and the #6 heavyweight fighter in the world by MMAWeekly.^[6] He was the first fighter to decisively defeat Fedor Emelianenko in mixed martial arts competition.^[7][8][9]

Early life[link]

Born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Werdum started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after a recommendation from his ex-girlfriend. He trained with Marcio Corleta at the Porto Alegre Academy, Winner Behring. After success in competitive BJJ and submission wrestling, he started his career in MMA.

He arrived in Spain to join his mother, who had moved to the city of Madrid some years before. At the age of 17, soon after his arrival in Spain, when he was just a purple belt, he started teaching the art of BJJ in Madrid and other cities of Spain. Despite only training with white and blue belts, he became BJJ World Champion, being promoted to the rank of black belt by Master Sylvio Behring 3 years later.^[10]

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Werdum's early fights were with the promotions Jungle Fight, Millennium Brawl, and World Absolute Fight. He boasted a 4–0–1 record, including a win against BJJ specialist Gabriel Gonzaga. He was Mirko Filipović’s sparring partner at that time and the Croat was the main reason for his debut in Pride.

Pride Fighting Championships[link]

In 2005, Werdum made his Pride debut against Tom Erikson, winning by submission. Later that year he faced Roman Zentsov in Pride Final Conflict 2005, he was able to defeat Zentsov by a Triangle choke in 6:01 of the first round. Werdum then had the first loss in his MMA career, when he lost to Sergei Kharitonov via split decision in Pride 30. Then in early 2006, Werdum defeated Jon Olav Einemo by unanimous decision in Pride 31.

He accumulated a record of 3–1 in Pride before entering the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix. His first match of the tournament was against Dutch fighter Alistair Overeem, and he won via kimura in the second round. He then faced former Pride FC heavyweight champion, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira in the quarter finals, losing via decision.

Fabricio then had a short stint in 2 Hot 2 Handle, facing Alexander Emelianenko in a Heavyweight bout, and beating the Russian by submission via arm triangle choke.

Ultimate Fighting Championship[link]

Fabricio Werdum debuted in the UFC on 21 April 2007 at UFC 70: Nations Collide. He faced former UFC Heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, losing a unanimous decision. He began to train in Brazil at Chute Boxe and he is now more aggressive, showing improvement in striking, particularly his Muay Thai. At UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, Werdum met Gabriel Gonzaga in a rematch. Werdum won the bout by TKO. He weathered an early striking onslaught only to secure the Muay Thai clinch and connect with several knee strikes before taking Gonzaga to the ground and finishing him with punches. Werdum's next fight was against Brandon Vera at UFC 85. He defeated Vera by TKO in the 1st round. Werdum achieved full mount with less than 30 seconds to go in the round and connected with a number of unanswered punches. The decision to stop the bout was booed due to the small amount of time remaining in the round, although the official time of stoppage was 4:40.

In his next fight at UFC 90, Werdum was heavily favored to win but was KO'ed in 1:20 of the first round via uppercut by Junior dos Santos. After the loss Werdum's contract was terminated by the UFC.^[11] Since Werdum was not contacted directly about the termination he had no idea he had been cut and initially denied the news of him no longer being in the UFC as just a rumor.^[12]

Strikeforce[link]

After leaving the UFC Werdum then signed with Strikeforce.^[4] He made his debut at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on August 15, 2009, against fellow UFC veteran Mike "MAK" Kyle. He won by submission in 1:24 of the first round. Werdum followed that up with a unanimous decision victory over Antonio Silva at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers.

Werdum faced former Pride FC heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko on June 26, 2010, at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum. In an enormous upset victory, Werdum forced Fedor to tap via triangle/armbar 1:09 into the first round.^[13][14] The victory ended Emelianenko's 28-fight unbeaten streak^[13][15] while propelling Werdum's status up the Heavyweight rankings. He was ranked as the third best Heavyweight in MMA by Sherdog.^[16] The victory over Fedor also gave him the distinction of being the only man to hold victories over both of the Emelianenko brothers.

A rematch with Alistair Overeem took place on June 18, 2011, at Strikeforce: Dallas as part of an eight-man heavyweight tournament. Werdum lost to Overeem by unanimous decision. He has received some criticism for "pleading" Overeem to fight him on the ground in order to get into a position favourable to him due to his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu background.^[17] The loss lowered his ranking only one spot to #4 in the world according to sherdog's official rankings

Ultimate Fighting Championship return[link]

On November 8, 2011, Werdum made his return to the UFC via contract-signing. It was speculated that his return fight might be against Brendan Schaub, a fight he expressed an interest in.^[18] The bout, however, did not materialize.

Instead, for his return match, Werdum faced Roy Nelson at UFC 143 on February 4, 2012.^[19] He won the fight via unanimous decision.The back and forth action earned fight of the night honours.

Werdum is next expected to face Mike Russow in June at UFC 147 in his home country of Brazil.^[20]

Schools and instruction[link]

Until November 2006, Werdum was the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach to Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic and is associated with Team Werdum BJJ Academy, located in Zagreb, Croatia [1]. Also until 2008 Fabricio Werdum was a BJJ head coach in Madrid, Spain for the Barcelo Boxing Gym. Werdum is currently training with the Chute Boxes MMA team.[2]

Werdum currently teaches in Venice, CA at his new school with his long-time training partners, Lucas Pires, at Werdum Combat Team.^[21]

Championships and Accomplishments[link]

[edit] Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (One time)

• Strikeforce
  • 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26
  • 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• World MMA Awards
  • 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• Sherdog
  • 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26
  • 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• Bleacher Report
  • 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26
  • 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• MMAFighting
  • 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• FIGHT! Magazine
  • 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• FightMatrix
  • 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

[edit] Submission grappling

• International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation
  • 2004 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Gold Medalist
  • 2003 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Absolute Bronze Medalist
  • 2003 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Gold Medalist
  • 2003 Pan American Championships Black Belt Absolute Silver Medalist
  • 2003 Pan American Championships Black Belt Bronze Medalist
  • 2002 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Brown Belt Bronze Medalist
  • 2002 Pan American Championships Brown Belt Gold Medalist
  • 2001 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Purple Belt Silver Medalist
  • 2001 Pan American Championships Purple Belt Absolute Gold Medalist
  • 2001 Pan American Championships Purple Belt Gold Medalist
  • 2000 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Blue Belt Absolute Gold Medalist
  • 2000 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Blue Belt Gold Medalist
  • 2000 Pan American Championships Blue Belt Gold Medalist

• Abu Dhabi Combat Club
  • 2011 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist
  • 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Gold Medalist
  • 2007 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Gold Medalist
  • 2005 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Bronze Medalist
  • 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Absolute Bronze Medalist
  • 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist

Personal life[link]

Fabricio has one daughter with his wife Karine.^[22]

Mixed martial arts record[link]

See also[link]

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fabricio Werdum

External links[link]

• Official website
• Fabricio Werdum BJJ Heroes
• Professional MMA record for Fabricio Werdum from Sherdog
• PRIDE profile

Mike Kyle
Mike Kyle in 2009, at the weigh-in before the Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg event.
Born	(1980-03-31) March 31, 1980 (age 32) Boise, Idaho, United States
Other names	MAK
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	205 lb (93.0 kg; 14.6 st)
Division	Light Heavyweight (205 lb) Heavyweight (265 lb)
Reach	76 in (193 cm)
Style	Kickboxing
Fighting out of	San Jose, California
Team	American Kickboxing Academy
Years active	2001 - present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	29
Wins	19
By knockout	12
By submission	3
By decision	4
Losses	8
By knockout	4
By submission	3
By disqualification	1
Draws	1
No contests	1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Mike Kyle (born March 31, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a light heavyweight and heavyweight. He fights primarily for Strikeforce and King of the Cage. He is the King of the Cage Light Heavyweight champion. He holds notable victories over former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Rafael Cavalcante, James Irvin and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Ultimate Fighting Championship[link]

Kyle made his UFC debut against Wes Sims winning via KO at 4:59 of round 1. Sims took the fight on less than a weeks notice after Kyle's original opponent got injured. Kyle dominated the entire first round and knocked Sims out at 4:59. Sims protested after the fight that Kyle had bitten him on the chest.^[1] During the post fight interview, a bite mark could clearly be seen on Sims' left pectoral muscle. This marks the first time a bite has ever happened in a UFC fight since its UFC 1 in 1993, when Gerard Gordeau bit Royce Gracie in the championship match. Kyle still denies any wrongdoing.

He lost his second fight in the promotion to Justin Eilers via KO in the first round. He then fought James Irvin at UFC 51: Super Saturday winning via KO in the first round.

Post-UFC[link]

After leaving the UFC, Kyle then fought in Pancrase where he defeated Japanese legend Tsuyoshi Kohsaka after executing a flying knee as Kohsaka went in for a takedown. Kyle won the fight via (Technical) Decision in round 3 after ringside doctors ruled Kohsaka unable to continue. He then fought for World Extreme Cagefighting before signing with Strikeforce. In his debut he fought Krzysztof Soszynski but the fight was declared a Technical Draw after Krzysztof received a thumb to the eye. After his fight with Soszynski he fought Brian Olsen for the WEC Heavyweight Championship and was disqualified after he hit Olsen with illegal strikes.^[2] Kyle then fought at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le and lost via Submission (Armbar) on the first round. After fighting in two small organizations he returned to Strikeforce and fought Rafael Cavalcante and won via TKO (Punches) at 4:05 of the second round. He next fought Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg and lost via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:24 of round 1. He then fought Jeremy Freitag at Xtreme MMA Australia 1 winning via TKO (Knees) in the third round.

Kyle next signed with King of the Cage and made his debut against Travis Wiuff, initially winning by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in the second round. However, it was changed to a No Contest decision after it was determined Kyle hit Wiuff after the bell. In his second fight with King of the Cage he fought Jon Murphy and won via TKO at 4:53 of round 2. He then fought Tony Lopez for the King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Title and won via Split Decision after a 5 round battle.

He fought against Abongo Humphrey at Strikeforce Challengers: del Rosario vs. Mahe. Kyle won via submission in the second round.^{[3] [4]} His last fight was against Steve Oliver at Xtreme MMA Australia 3 Kyle won via TKO (Punches) in the first round.

Kyle stepped in on late notice to fight Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva at Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu 2 on December 4 in St. Louis.^[5] Kyle knocked Silva down with a powerful right hand and delivered many shots on the ground but was unable to finish. Silva defeated Mike Kyle via second round TKO. Kyle later revealed that he broke his hand during the fight.^[6]

Kyle was set to face Gegard Mousasi at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley, but had to withdraw due to a broken hand. Keith Jardine stepped in on short notice as his replacement.

Kyle was again scheduled to fight Mousasi at Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov but Mousasi withdrew for unknown reasons and was replaced by Strikeforce newcomer Marcos Rogerio de Lima. Kyle won by unanimous decision.

Kyle was expected to face Gegard Mousasi at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, but withdrew due to injury. He is slated to rematch Rafael Cavalcante at Strikeforce 40.

Mixed martial arts record[link]

See also[link]

• List of current mixed martial arts champions

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Professional MMA record for Mike Kyle from Sherdog

Junior dos Santos
Born	(1984-09-12) September 12, 1984 (age 27) Caçador, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Other names	Cigano ("Gypsy") JDS
Residence	Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Nationality	Brazilian
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	108.4 kg (239 lb; 17 st 1 lb)
Division	Heavyweight (265 lb)
Reach	77 in (196 cm)
Style	Mixed Martial Arts
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Team	Team Nogueira
Rank	Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1]
Years active	2006–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	16
Wins	15
By knockout	11
By submission	2
By decision	2
Losses	1
By submission	1
Website	http://www.juniordossantos.com.br/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: November 23, 2011

Junior dos Santos Almeida (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʒũnjoʁ dus ˈsɐ̃tus]), also known as Junior Cigano ("Gipsy"; born September 12, 1984), is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is ranked as the number one heavyweight fighter in the world by numerous media outlets.^[2][3][4]

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Dos Santos started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Yuri Carlton for fitness reasons. After some time he was invited to join an MMA practice, where he met his boxing coach Luiz Carlos Dórea, and after roughly a year he made his debut fight.^[5][6]

Early career[link]

Dos Santos became professional in 2006 at the age of 21. He fought in small promotions in Brazil, such as Demo Fight, Extreme Fighting Championship, Minotauro Fights and Mo Team League. He won 6 out of his first 7 bouts, suffering his only loss to Joaquim Ferreira, a fighter he'd previously beaten.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (2008–present)[link]

Debut (2008–2010)[link]

Dos Santos debuted for the UFC on October 25, 2008 at UFC 90. Considered a major underdog,^[7] dos Santos knocked out top contender Fabricio Werdum at a minute and twenty-one seconds of the first round with a strong uppercut,^[8][9] earning himself a "Knockout of the Night" award.^[10]

Dos Santos returned on February 21, 2009 at UFC 95 and fought promotional newcomer Stefan Struve defeating him at fifty-four seconds of the first round by TKO.^[11]

On September 19, 2009, Dos Santos continued his winning streak and defeated Mirko Filipović at UFC 103.^[12] During the third round, dos Santos dominated Filipović in the clinch with knee strikes and punches. A knee from the clinch and a right uppercut left Cro Cop unable to see causing him to verbally submit.^[13]

Dos Santos was supposed to fight Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 108. However, Gonzaga pulled out of the bout on November 25, 2009, due to a staph infection.^[14] Instead on January 2, 2010, dos Santos fought Gilbert Yvel,^[15] winning the fight via TKO at two minutes and seven seconds of the first round.^[16]

Dos Santos defeated Gabriel Gonzaga on March 21, 2010, at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones by knockout in the first round.^[17] Earning Dos Santos his second "Knockout of the Night" award.^[18]

Heavyweight title contender (2010–2011)[link]

Dos Santos faced Roy Nelson on August 7, 2010, at UFC 117.^[19] The fight saw Dos Santos use a variety of strikes and, for the first time, a successful takedown.^[20] Despite dos Santos' striking ability, Nelson was able to stay in the fight,^[21] resulting in the fight going to decision.^[22] Dos Santos won via unanimous decision (30–26, 30–27, 30–27).^[23] Following the win Dos Santos was expected to challenge Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight title. However a torn rotator cuff suffered by Velasquez sidelined the champion for nearly a year.^[24]

Junior Dos Santos in action against Shane Carwin in the main event of UFC 131.

On January 11, 2011, it was revealed that Dos Santos would be one of the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Season 13, opposite to Brock Lesnar.^[25] They were scheduled to face each other on June 11, 2011, at UFC 131,^[26] but Lesnar pulled out of the bout due to a recurrence of diverticulitis and was replaced by Shane Carwin.^[27] Dos Santos dominated Carwin and defeated him via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26),^[28] relying predominantly on his boxing skills,^[29] but showed more variety in his game by landing a couple of kicks and completing two takedowns in the third round.^[30][31]

UFC Heavyweight Champion (2011–present)[link]

Junior Dos Santos with the UFC Heavyweight Title Belt.

Dos Santos faced Cain Velasquez at UFC on Fox 1 for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on November 12, 2011.^[32] Dos Santos defeated Velasquez in 1 minute and 4 seconds of the first round via KO to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship title.^[33] Dos Santos dropped Velasquez with an overhand right and finished him off with a series of punches.^[34] The performance also earned Dos Santos his third "Knockout of the Night" award.^[35] After the fight, it was revealed that he had a torn meniscus in his knee,^[36] he subsequently underwent a successful knee surgery.^[37]

Dos Santos was scheduled to face Alistair Overeem on May 26, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at UFC 146.^[38] On April 4, 2012, the Nevada State Athletic Commission announced Overeem had failed a pre-fight drug test.^[39] Overeem's "A" sample was found to have a elevated T/E ratio of 14:1, the NSAC's allowable ratio is 6:1, Overeem had the opportunity to request a test on his "B" sample.^[40][41] A NSAC hearing on the issue was held on April 24, 2012.^[42] At the hearing Overeem's request for a license was denied.^[43] On April 20, 2012, Dana White the UFC president announced Frank Mir would be replacing Overeem.^[44] Junior dos Santos dominated the fight showing his superior boxing skills, resulting in a TKO in the second round.

Personal life[link]

Dos Santos is married. Moreover, he states that Antônio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira is his hero.^[45] In addition to his native Portuguese, Dos Santos speaks English and has stated his intention to learn Spanish.^[46] He received his nickname "Cigano" by showing up to practice with long hair placed in a ponytail,^[47] Cigano meaning Gypsy in Portuguese.^[45] The name is an allusion to a character from an old Brazilian soap opera, addressing the culture of the gypsies in Brazil.^[47] He is a Roman Catholic.^[7] He has also stated that as a child he hated soccer.^[48]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Mixed Martial Arts[link]

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time; Current)
  • Knockout of the Night (Three times)^[10][18][35]

• FIGHT! Magazine
  • 2008 Upset of the Year vs. Fabricio Werdum on October 25

Mixed martial arts record[link]

See also[link]

• List of current mixed martial arts champions
• List of UFC champions
• List of current UFC fighters

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Junior dos Santos on Twitter
• Professional MMA record for Junior dos Santos from Sherdog
• Official UFC Profile

Fedor Emelianenko Фёдор Емельяненко
Born	Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko (1976-09-28) September 28, 1976 (age 35) Rubizhne, Luhansk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Other names	The Last Emperor[1]
Residence	Stary Oskol, Belgorod, Russia
Nationality	Russian[2]
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	106 kg (234 lb; 16 st 10 lb)
Division	Heavyweight (265 lb)
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Style	Sambo[3]
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Stary Oskol, Belgorod, Russia
Team	Red Devil Sport Club/Alexander Nevsky OEMK[4]
Trainer	Judo, Sambo: Vladimir Voronov Boxing: Alexander Michkov Muay Thai: Peter Tiejsse
Rank	Black belt and International Master of Sports in Judo 1st Razryad Grand Master in Sambo
Years active	2000–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	38
Wins	33
By knockout	9
By submission	16
By decision	8
Losses	4
By knockout	3
By submission	1
No contests	1
Other information
University	Belgorod State University
Spouse	Oksana (1999–2006) Marina (2009–present)[5]
Children	3
Notable relatives	Alexander Emelianenko (brother) Ivan Emelianenko (brother)
Notable students	Kirill Sidelnikov
Website	http://efedor.ru/index_eng.shtml
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Medal record
Competitor for  Russia
Men's Combat Sambo
World Championships
Bronze	2008 St. Petersburg	+100 kg
Gold	2007 Prague	+100 kg
Gold	2005 Prague	+100 kg
Gold	2002 Panama City	+100 kg
European Sambo Championships
Gold	1997 Tbilisi	+100 kg
Russian Sambo Championships
Gold	2012 Moscow	+100 kg
Gold	2009 Kstovo	+100 kg
Gold	2008 St. Petersburg	+100 kg
Gold	2007 Ulan-Ude	+100 kg
Gold	2006 Ulan-Ude	+100 kg
Gold	2005 Kstovo	+100 kg
Gold	2002 Moscow	+100 kg
Bronze	2000 Orenburg	+100 kg
Bronze	1998 Kaliningrad	+100 kg
Men's Judo
World Cups
Bronze	1999 Sofia Liberation A-Team	-100 kg
Bronze	1999 Moscow International Tournament	-100 kg
Russian Judo Championships
Bronze	1999 Kstovo	Open
Bronze	1998 Kstovo	-100 kg

Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko (Russian: Фёдор Влади́мирович Емелья́ненко, tr. Fyodor Vladimirovich Yemelyanenko, IPA: [ˈfʲɵdər vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪtɕ jɪmʲɪlʲˈjanʲɪnkə])^[6] (born September 28, 1976) is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist. He has won numerous tournaments and accolades in multiple sports, most notably the Pride 2004 Grand Prix and the World Combat Sambo championship on four occasions, as well as medaling in the Russian national Judo championship.^[7]

Emelianenko has received widespread acclaim from several major publications, including Sports Illustrated,^[8] USA Today,^[9] and Sherdog.com.^[10] Many analysts, as well as former and current fighters, consider Emelianenko to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.^{[11][12][13][14][15]} He remained undefeated for nearly a decade, during which time he was widely considered the best heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts.^[16]

Biography[link]

Emelianenko was born in 1976 in the city of Rubizhne, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine (then in the USSR).^[17] In 1978, when he was two, his family moved within the Soviet Union to Stary Oskol, Belgorod of the Russian SFSR.^[1] His mother, Olga Fedorovna, was a teacher and his father, Vladimir Alexandrovich Emelianenko, was a welder.^[1] Emelianenko is the second child in the family and has an older sister and two younger brothers, including professional mixed martial artist Alexander Emelianenko. Fedor trains with his youngest brother Ivan, who has competed in Combat Sambo, and plans to begin a career in MMA in 2010.^[18]

Emelianenko finished high school in 1991 and graduated with honors from a professional trade school in 1994. From 1995 until 1997, he served in the Russian Army as a military firefighter.^[18] In 1999, he married his wife Oksana, and their daughter Masha was born in the same year.^[17] They divorced in 2006.^[5] On December 29, 2007, his second daughter, Vasilisa, was born to his long time girlfriend Marina.^[19][20] Emelianenko and Marina married in October 2009.^[21] In his spare time, he likes to read, listen to music, and draw.^[22] He is a practicing Orthodox Christian and a parishioner at the church of St. Nicholas in Stary Oskol. His confessor is archpriest Andrei Zinoviev.^[23] His entrance theme song, oy, to ne vecher, was performed at his request by archdeacon Andrey Zheleznyakov, solist at the Episcopal Choir of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese.^[24]

Emelianenko had the honour of being one of 80 Russian sporting champions, cultural icons and national heroes to carry the Olympic torch in St. Petersburg in 2008.^[25]

Club affiliation[link]

Emelianenko began his mixed martial arts as a member of Russian Top Team (RTT),^[26][27] training with the first generation of Russian RINGS competitors, such as Volk Han and Andrey Kopylov. After winning his Pride Heavyweight title, a rift grew between Emelianenko and the manager of RTT, Vladimir Evgenevich Pogodin. According to Emelianenko, Pogodin, who held the position of vice-president in the World Sambo Federation, attempted to control Emelianenko's career through threats and abuse of his position to deny "Master of Sport" ranks to Fedor and his brother Alexander. Emelianenko alleged he was deceived by Pogodin in financial disputes between Pogodin and Emelianenko.^[28] After his bout with Gary Goodridge, the Emelianenko brothers left Russian Top Team and began to train in St. Petersburg with the Red Devil Sport Club, which is managed by Vadim Finkelstein.^[27] To date, Finkelstein is still his manager. Emelianenko is a member of the VOS gym in Holland, where he trains with Johan Vos and Lucien Carbin.^{[citation needed]} Emelianenko has trained with the likes of Ernesto Hoost, Tyrone Spong, and Denis Lebedev.^[29][30][31]

Mixed martial arts career[link]

RINGS[link]

Emelianenko made his MMA debut for the Japanese RINGS organization. RINGS had a different set of rules that did not allow head strikes on the ground (which later on would be recognized as one of Emelianenko's biggest strengths).

Here Emelianenko suffered his first loss in the sport, a very controversial one that came at the hands of Tsuyoshi Kohsaka at the King of Kings 2000 Block B event on December 22, 2000, via doctor stoppage due to a cut 17 seconds into the fight.^[32] Footage shows that the cut was caused by a missed looping punch where Kohsaka's elbow struck Emelianenko's head. Elbow strikes were illegal under RINGS rules unless the striker was wearing elbow pads, which Kohsaka was not. Emelianenko says that this elbow reopened a cut sustained in his previous fight against Ricardo Arona.^[33] Since the fight was in a tournament format, a winner and loser were required as draws or no-contests could not be awarded. Since Emelianenko could not advance due to his injury, Kohsaka moved on (the match would have been a no contest or disqualification victory for Emelianenko otherwise). Many MMA fans disregard that loss due to its illegal nature, and considered Emelianenko to be technically undefeated in MMA until he lost to Fabricio Werdum. The tournament was eventually won by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who would later be Emelianenko's fiercest rival in MMA. Emelianenko would later avenge the first loss of his career when he rematched Kohsaka at Pride Bushido 6.

After defeating veteran Renato Sobral in an elimination bout, Emelianenko went on fight for the World Heavyweight Class Championship against Bobby Hoffman the same night. However, Hoffman refused to fight Emelianenko, claiming he sustained a injury to his shoulder during his previous match, and forfeited the final. A win was awarded to Emelianenko by default, and he was given the RINGS Heavyweight Class Championship.^[34][35]

On February 15, 2002, Emelianenko defeated Chris Haseman and won the RINGS Absolute Class Tournament, the last tournament ever held by RINGS.

PRIDE Fighting Championships[link]

Entering the Pride Fighting Championships on the heels of winning the RINGS King of Kings 2002 tournament, Emelianenko debuted at Pride 21 on June 23, 2002 against the 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m), 256 lb (116 kg) Dutch fighter Semmy Schilt, whom he defeated by unanimous decision. His next opponent was heavyweight Heath Herring, in a contest to establish the number-one contender for the heavyweight title.^[36] Emelianenko, considered an underdog at the time, dominated Herring with ground and pound, winning by doctor stoppage after the first round. This victory against a perennial contender brought him into title contention.^[37]

Emelianenko was then signed to fight heavily favored Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira for Pride's Heavyweight Championship title at Pride 25 on March 16, 2003. Nogueira was coming off wins against Mark Coleman, Heath Herring and a shocking comeback victory against Bob Sapp, as well as his victory in the RINGS 2000 King of Kings Tournament, in which Emelianenko had participated. Nogueira was considered by many fans to be virtually unbeatable, due to his endurance and submission skills.^[27] Emelianenko rocked him early with punches, and Nogueira pulled guard. Emelianenko then survived Nogueira's guard, considered the most dangerous in MMA, and easily defended all of Nogueira's submission attempts, dominating him for 20 minutes with a brutal ground and pound. The judges rendered a unanimous decision, and Emelianenko became the second Pride Heavyweight Champion, a title he would never lose.^[38]

Three months later Emelianenko embarked on his title reign. His first match was against the former IWGP Heavyweight champion, amateur and professional wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita. A heavy favorite, Emelianenko was expected to make quick work of Fujita, but was caught by a right hook that stunned him. Badly hurt, he worked his way to a clinch, but was taken down. With Fujita unable to amount a significant offense Emelianenko was able to recover. Emelianenko worked his way up and knocked Fujita down with body kick and a punching combo. He then submitted Fujita at 4:17 in the first round with a rear naked choke.^[4][40] Emelianenko reminisced about it in February 2009, "Fujita is the only one who ever hit me right, and he hit hard!".^[41]

Next came a one-sided bout against heavy underdog Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge at Total Elimination 2003.^[42] Emelianenko took down Goodridge after wobbling him with standing combinations, then finished him with a ground and pound technique in the first round by referee stoppage after delivering unanswered punches and kicks to the head. Emelianenko broke his hand in this fight, resulting in surgery.^[38] He has since reinjured this hand, leading to the postponement of several bouts.^[43] In 2011, Goodridge recalled his fight with Emelianenko; "Fedor hits so hard, I don't remember anything (from the fight). No one has his speed and power combo. He fought for 10 years at the top. He doesn't owe anything else to the sport."^[44]

His next fight against New Japan professional wrestler Yuji Nagata at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 ended the same way, with Emelianenko first knocking Nagata to the ground twice with punches. Emelianenko fought at this event as opposed to Shockwave 2003 on the same day due to being offered a higher fight purse because of the great deal of competition between the Japanese television networks screening these events and K-1 Premium Dynamite!! on the same night. That move upset the managers of PRIDE, who set up an interim title match between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Crocop Filipović, which ended with Nogueira pulling yet another comeback victory, scoring a second round armbar.^[45]

PRIDE 2004 Heavyweight World Grand Prix[link]

Four months later, he returned to PRIDE, at Total Elimination 2004, where he met Pride 2000 Grand Prix winner and former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman for the first time in the ring. After getting taken down, he pulled guard and submitted Coleman with an armbar at 2:11 of the first round to advance in the 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix. That fight showed more of Emelianenko's versatility, as he not only had a good top game with his trademark ground and pound, but a dangerous bottom game from his guard, being able to submit legitimate opponents from his back.

A notable match with Coleman's protégé Kevin "The Monster" Randleman followed just two months later at the tournament's second round. Randleman, a two-time Division I NCAA Wrestling Champion for Ohio State University and a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, was coming off an upset win over Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović, which he ended by knockout. Randleman quickly scored a takedown. As Emelianenko gave his back, Randleman delivered a German suplex, slamming him to the canvas headfirst, a move that would become one of the most replayed highlights in PRIDE's and MMA's history for years to come.^[46] Emelianenko, seemingly unfazed, rolled over Randleman a few seconds later, getting top position and forcing him to submit with a kimura armlock 1:33 into the first round.^[47]

On August 15, 2004, Emelianenko faced six-time All-Japan Judo Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist Naoya Ogawa in the semifinals of the 2004 Grand Prix. After making quick work of Ogawa, winning by armbar, he advanced to face Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira for the second time in his career. Nogueira had won a decision against Emelianenko's former teammate Sergei Kharitonov earlier that night. This match was not only to decide the winner of the 2004 Grand Prix, but to unify the heavyweight championship as Nogueira was awarded the interim title due to Emelianenko's inability to defend his championship in a timely manner in the previous year.^[48] The rematch with Nogueira was very competitive, but the fight was stopped prematurely due to a cut to Emelianenko's head from an accidental clash of heads while on the ground.^[49] A third meeting was thus scheduled for Shockwave 2004, which Emelianenko won. On the line was PRIDE's Heavyweight Championship, and PRIDE's 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix title, as the final match of the tournament earlier that year was declared a no contest due to an accidental headbutt.^[27] Emelianenko this time chose not to engage Nogueira on the ground, in spite of having dominated him on the ground in their first match. He overpowered the Brazilian on the feet in the first round, beating him to the punch for the first nine minutes.^[49] Nogueira faced great difficulty, getting dropped with punches and tossed to the mat multiple times by Judo throws. He was not able to implement his game plan of putting Emelianenko on his back, save for the final 30 seconds of the first round. He was not able to pull guard for any considerable amount of time.^[50] During the second and third rounds, Emelianenko's takedown defense and counter-punching earned him a unanimous decision victory to retain the heavyweight championship.^[49]

Title defense against Mirko Filipović[link]

The following year, Emelianenko signed to fight PRIDE's top heavyweight contender, and former K-1 star Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović. This was a highly anticipated match. After Mirko had made a successful switch from K-1 to MMA, he quickly rose in the rankings with victories over Igor Vovchachyn, Kazuyuki Fujita, and a KO win over Emelianenko's younger brother, Alexander Emelianenko. He then made a public challenge to Emelianenko and the bout was supposed to take place in late 2003. After a contract dispute, Emelianenko temporarily left PRIDE to fight for Inoki's Boom Ba Ye promotion, on New Year's eve 2003. This prompted PRIDE to set up an Interim Heavyweight Title Match between Crocop and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. After completely dominating the first round, Crocop was caught in an armbar early in the second round, thus making Nogueira the Interim champion, and number-one challenger for Emelianenko's belt. Mirko got further de-railed from title contention, when in the first round of PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix 2004, he was upset by Kevin Randleman, getting knocked out early by ground strikes following a vicious left hook.

Later that year, Mirko began his recovery by defeating Ron Waterman, winning his rematch with Kevin Randleman by submission, and scoring a dominant TKO victory over Mark Coleman in the first round. Those wins put Mirko Filipović again in the spot of number-one heavyweight contender, following Fedor's successful title defense against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on PRIDE's New Year's Eve show in 2004.

The match between Emelianenko and Mirko Filipović finally took place at PRIDE Final Conflict 2005.^[51][52] In the first round, Emelianenko was stunned and had his nose broken by two stiff jabs from Filipović. He got hit by body kicks that discolored his midsection. Emelianenko was then able to get the fight to the ground and land several body shots, which took a lot of gas out of Filipović. As the fight progressed, Emelianenko became more and more dominant, winning most of the stand up exchanges and scoring several takedowns. After 20 minutes, Emelianenko was awarded a unanimous decision victory.^[53][54][55]

Later PRIDE Years[link]

Following his successful title defense against Mirko Filipović at PRIDE Final Conflict 2005, Emelianenko came back on New Year's eve, where he outclassed the 450-pound Brazilian Zuluzinho in a non-title bout. Emelianenko dropped Zulu with a right hook and finished with several ground strikes which forced him to tap out after only 26 seconds.

Although originally endangered due to Emelianenko's recurring hand injury, a plate inserted in his hand green-lighted a rematch with American Mark Coleman in Pride's American debut show, Pride 32.^[56][57] In a fight where Coleman was unable to mount any significant offense, Emelianenko blasted Coleman in the first round with punches, before securing an armbar at 1:15 in the second round.^[58]

Emelianenko vs Coleman in Pride 32.

Emelianenko's last defense of his Pride Heavyweight title was against 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix champion Mark Hunt at Shockwave 2006. Josh Barnett was originally slated to fight Emelianenko for the Heavyweight title, but turned down the fight, claiming not to be in peak physical condition. With Filipović's departure to the UFC organization in late 2006, Mark Hunt became the number-one contender for the belt. Sporting a broken toe during the contest, Emelianenko nevertheless secured an armbar in the second minute of the first round, but Hunt was able to escape and counter by stepping over Emelianenko, ending in side control.^[59] At five minutes into the first round, Hunt made two attempts at an americana on Emelianenko's left arm but failed to complete them.^[60] Emelianenko got back to his feet, and after struggling to take the fight to the ground, he submitted Hunt with a kimura at 8:16 in the first round.^[61]

BodogFight[link]

With a special clause in his Pride contract that allowed him to fight under the banner of any mixed martial arts organization as long as the event was held on Russian soil,^{[citation needed]} Emelianenko accepted a match in BodogFight against Matt Lindland. The fight was held on April 14, 2007 at the "Clash of the Nations" event in St. Petersburg, Russia. Lindland moved up two weight classes (from middleweight to heavyweight) for the match and came in weighing 212.5 lb (96.5 kg) to Emelianenko's 230 lb (104.5 kg).^[62]

Early in the fight, Lindland opened a cut above Emelianenko's left eye and clinched with him, pushing him into the corner and working for a takedown. At this point, the referee warned Emelianenko against grabbing the ropes and Emelianenko corrected himself. After a few seconds of working in the clinch, Lindland attempted a bodylock takedown. When Lindland lifted Emelianenko from his feet, Emelianenko reversed the takedown, landing in Lindland's half guard. The fight then remained on the ground where Emelianenko won by submission via armbar at 2:58 of the first round.^[63]

M-1 Global[link]

After the purchase of Pride Fighting Championships by Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III and the expiration of Emelianenko's contract with Pride, there was speculation about the possibility of him fighting in the UFC, especially since a public falling out between Bodog's Calvin Ayre and Emelianenko's manager, Vadim Finkelstein.^[64] In a June 2007 interview with the Baltimore Sun, Chuck Liddell suggested that Emelianenko was on his way to the UFC.^[65] Dana White has expressed interest in signing Emelianenko, but considers his management team to be the primary barrier left to the signing of a contract,^[66] whereas Finkelstein has cited difficult negotiations as the reason.^[67] A main point of contention between the two is Finkelstein's request for the UFC to work with his Russian M-1 promotion, extending contractual offers to other members of the Red Devil Sport Club, and permitting Emelianenko to compete in combat sambo tournaments.^[64] At UFC 76 however, UFC president Dana White stated that he expected Emelianenko to sign with the UFC in late 2007 or early 2008, after Emelianenko was to compete in a Sambo competition that White would not allow him to participate in if he were under a UFC contract. He revealed his intent to set up a unification bout with UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture as his first UFC fight.^[68] Nevertheless, these negotiations broke down,^[69] as Emelianenko committed to a non-exclusive, two-year and six-fight deal with M-1 Global in October 2007.^[70]

Emelianenko fought Jeff Monson at M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Monson on November 20, 2011 at the Olympic Arena in Moscow, Russia^[71] and won the fight via unanimous decision.

According to the M-1 Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan, Fedor will return on June 21, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Russia to face three-time UFC heavyweight title contender Pedro Rizzo.^[72][73]

Yarennoka[link]

Monte Cox, the president and CEO of M-1 Global, confirmed Emelianenko would face South Korean kickboxer Hong-Man Choi in a New Year's Eve event, Yarennoka!, taking place in Japan and organized by former Pride staff with support from M-1 Global, FEG, and DEEP. A special rule was used for this fight to not allow any knee strikes on the ground. The fight was broadcast live in the United States on the HDNet cable network.^[74] Emelianenko defeated Choi in the opening round by submission via an armbar.^[75]

DREAM[link]

On February 13, 2008, Emelianenko attended a press conference held by Dream, a newly formed Japanese mixed martial arts promotion. His manager, Vadim Finkelstein, confirmed that the organization had a tightly knit alliance with M-1 Global and that Emelianenko would be fighting on the new organization's fight cards.^[76] M-1 Global CEO Vadim Finkelstein recently revealed of their plans to organize a fight for Fedor in co-operation with Dream, possibly on New Year's Eve in Japan.^[77]

Emelianenko made his return to Japan, competed at Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoko 2011, where he faced Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii and won by KO in the first round.^[78]

Affliction[link]

On July 19, 2008, at Affliction: Banned, Emelianenko faced former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia. Sylvia was coming off a submission loss via guillotine choke at the hands of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 81 in a title fight for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. Sylvia was ranked as the #4 heavyweight fighter in MMA by Sherdog.com prior to his fight with Emelianenko.^[79]

Emelianenko defeated Sylvia in 36 seconds. He dropped Sylvia with a lightning quick punch combination, took his back and then finished the fight via submission due to a rear naked choke. Sylvia said in the post-fight press conference, "I know that I'm one of the best in the world, I was amazed at how good Fedor is. He hurt me right away and submitted me. The guy's a stud. I don't even think he's human. That guy hits hard. I've never been hit that hard before."^[80]

UFC President Dana White, who had been relentless in his criticism of Emelianenko, admitted to being impressed with Emelianenko's performance against the ex-UFC champion Sylvia. When asked if the submission win changed his opinion on Fedor, White said; "It does. Tim Sylvia was a real opponent."^[81]

After the fight, UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture entered the ring and Emelianenko expressed his desire to fight Couture next. However, Couture's contract with the UFC prevented the fight from occurring outside of the organization.

On January 24, 2009, at Affliction: Day of Reckoning, Emelianenko fought former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski, who, like Sylvia, was widely considered to be a top-5 heavyweight at the time of the fight. Arlovski was on a five fight win streak and was ranked as high as the #2 heavyweight fighter in MMA by Sherdog.com.^[82] Arlovski had some early success in the fight, landing punches and leg kicks.^[83] However, as Emelianenko was backed into the ropes, Arlovski attempted a flying knee and Emelianenko was able to counter with an overhand right which resulted in a brutal knockout of Arlovski at 3:14 of the first round.^[83] The knockout victory was awarded knockout of the year for 2009 by Sherdog.

Emelianenko met Shinya Aoki during a five-minute "special exhibition" at an April 29 M-1 Challenge (presented by Affliction) event in Tokyo. Emelianenko made Aoki tap out from a Achilles lock just before the bell sounded to end the exhibition.^[84] In another special exhibition match, Emelianenko met Gegard Mousasi, a friend and teammate, during M-1 Global: Breakthrough, held in Kansas City on August 28. The two friends fought a competitive and friendly spirited exhibition with several Judo throws from both Emelianenko and Mousasi. Emelianenko finished the fight via armbar.^[85]

Emelianenko was scheduled to fight former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett on August 1, 2009, at Affliction: Trilogy, but on July 22 Barnett was denied his license to compete by the California State Athletic Commission after testing positive for anabolic steroids.^[86][87] On July 23, 2009, Vitor Belfort – who was already on the card – was reported as a likely replacement,^[88] but the next day Affliction canceled the event citing limited time to find a suitable replacement and inadequate time to promote the fight.^[89]

Negotiations with the UFC[link]

After the collapse of Affliction, UFC President Dana White ferociously tried to sign Emelianenko to an exclusive contract with the UFC several times.^[90] White said of Emelianenko; "He has become my obsession. I want it (him in the UFC) worse than the fans want it."^[91] Widely considered to be the best heavyweight MMA fighter at the time, Emelianenko would receive an immediate title shot against then current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, a fight which White deemed would be "huge".^[92] After reportedly offering Emelianenko a large contract worth just under 2 million US dollars per fight, with incentive to make much more based on pay per view buys for fights he headlines,^[93] negotiations fell apart after Emelianenko's management team demanded a co-promotion between the UFC and M-1 Global, terms which White deemed unacceptable.^[92][93] However, other media outlets placed much of the blame on the UFC: "Trying to get out in front of the public relations skirmish that would follow the UFC’s failure to sign Emeliananeko, a UFC insider leaked bogus contract terms to Carmichael Dave, a California-based radio host. The tactic was effective. Fans and the online media turned against the Russian and his team. The tactic also may have backfired. Emelianenko was reportedly softening and considering signing with the UFC. The leak, which M-1 Global criticized as inaccurate and inappropriate, shut down negotiations for good."^[94]

Strikeforce[link]

Following the failed negotiations with the UFC, Emelianenko signed a three-fight contract with Strikeforce.^[95] Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed that Emelianenko's debut would take place on November 7, broadcast nationally on CBS.^[96][97]

Emelianenko's first fight in Strikeforce was against the then-undefeated Brett Rogers in the main event of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers on November 7, 2009. Rogers was coming off a knockout win over Andrei Arlovski and was ranked as the #6 heavyweight fighter in MMA by Sherdog.com at the time of the fight.^[98] In the fight, Emelianenko landed early in the first round, but he failed to secure a submission after two attempts. In the second round he knocked Rogers down with an overhand right, then punched him three more times on the mat to secure the victory via TKO at 1:48. This bout would mark the first time Emelianenko competed in a cage. With the win, Emelianenko defeated his third straight top-10 heavyweight opponent.

Emelianenko suffered his first loss in 10 years on June 26, 2010 against Fabricio Werdum. After knocking Werdum down only seconds into the first round, Emelianenko closed in, but Werdum secured a deep triangle and an armbar from his guard, and Fedor was forced to tap. The loss was considered a large upset;^[99] in the process, Werdum became the first MMA fighter to attain a non-controversial victory over Emelianenko.

Emelianenko stated through a translator on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani that he considered retirement before the Werdum fight due to accumulating injuries and ageing.^[100]

In January 2011, it was announced that Fedor had agreed to enter the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, and would face Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva on February 12 in the first quarterfinal match.^[101] After a close first round, Silva took control in round 2. After passing to mount, he unleashed a barrage of ground-and-pound that ultimately caused Emelianenko's right eye to swell shut. Ringside doctors called a stop to the fight, stating that Emelianenko could not see and they would not allow him to continue.^[102]

Emelianenko faced Dan Henderson on July 30, 2011 at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson. After both fighters landed significant punches in the first round, Fedor knocked Henderson down with a combination of strikes. Fedor followed Henderson to the mat and began to ground-and-pound him but Henderson was able to sweep and reverse position before delivering a punch underneath Fedor's armpit which landed on his chin, knocking Fedor face first into the mat. Henderson continued to punch Fedor until referee Herb Dean jumped in to stop the fight. Dean explained the stoppage saying, "The fight is over when he's unconscious. Because he comes back swiftly after I've already stepped in and stopped the fight, I can't restart the fight. Dan's still throwing punches, but once I've touched Dan, I've stopped the fight. If I was to do it again – if I see a fighter face down receiving shots, I'm going to step in and stop the fight. I can't predict how long he's going to be unconscious for."^[103]

Following his third loss in a row, Emelianenko was reportedly released from Strikeforce. UFC president Dana White stated he was being released, “Yeah, he’s being cut.” ^[104] However, Emelianenko disputed White's claims, saying, "That's Dana White's style to make comments. I didn't have a contract with Strikeforce. My current contract is with Showtime. So I think people shouldn't pay attention to these "loud" comments."^[105] According to M-1 Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan, Fedor was only under contract to Showtime and from there he fought under the Strikeforce banner, but was never under direct employ of Zuffa, and therefore was not "cut" by the organization. "Strikeforce is not the only MMA promotion on Showtime so there are a number of options for Fedor which will be looked at," Kogan told MMA Weekly.^[106]

Retirement[link]

Fedor is expected to retire following a fight against Pedro Rizzo on June 21, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Russia.^[107]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

[edit] Mixed martial arts

• PRIDE Fighting Championships
  • PRIDE World Heavyweight Championship (One time; Last)^[108]
  • PRIDE 2004 Heavyweight World Grand Prix Champion^[108]

• Fighting Network RINGS
  • RINGS Openweight Championship {One time; Last)^[109]
  • RINGS 2001 Absolute Class Tournament Winner^[110]
  • RINGS 2001 Openweight Title Tournament Winner^[111]

• World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts
  • WAMMA Heavyweight Championship (One time; First; Last)^[112]

• Sports Illustrated
  • 2000s Fighter of the Decade^[113]
  • 2000s Fight of the Decade vs. Mirko Filipović on August 28, 2005^[113]
  • 2009 Knockout of the Year vs. Andrei Arlovski on January 24^[114]

• MMAFighting
  • 2000s Fighter of the Decade^[115]
  • 2005 Fight of the Year vs. Mirko Filipović on August 28, 2005^[116]
  • 2005 Heavyweight of the Year^[116]
  • 2004 Heavyweight of the Year^[116]
  • 2003 Heavyweight of the Year^[116]

• FIGHT! Magazine
  • 2000s Fighter of the Decade^[117]

• Bleacher Report
  • 2000s Fighter of the Decade^[118]
  • 2000s Heavyweight of the Decade^[119]

• About.com
  • 2000s Fighter of the Decade ^[120]

• Yahoo! Sports
  • 2000s Fight of the Decade vs. Mirko Filipović on August 28, 2005^[121]

• Sherdog
  • 2009 Knockout of the Year vs. Andrei Arlovski on January 24^[122]

• Inside MMA
  • 2009 KO Punch of the Year Bazzie Award vs. Andrei Arlovski on January 24^[123]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • 2005 Most Outstanding Fighter

• Black Belt Magazine
  • 2004 NHB Fighter of the Year^[124][125]

• Fight Matrix
  • 2005 Most Noteworthy Match of the Year vs. Mirko Filipović on August 28^[126]
  • 2004 Most Noteworthy Match of the Year vs. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on December 31^[126]
  • 2003 Most Noteworthy Match of the Year vs. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on March 16^[126]
  • 2003 Fighter of the Year^[126]

[edit] Sambo

• Fédération Internationale Amateur de Sambo
  • 2008 FIAS World Combat Sambo Championships Bronze Medalist^[127]
  • 2008 Russian Federation President's Cup Combat Sambo Gold Medalist^[128]
  • 2007 FIAS World Combat Sambo Championships Gold Medalist^[129]
  • 2005 FIAS World Combat Sambo Championships Gold Medalist^[130]
  • 2002 FIAS World Combat Sambo Championships Gold Medalist^[131]
  • 1997 European Combat Sambo Championships Gold Medalist^[6]

• All-Russia Sambo Federation
  • Russian Combat Sambo National Championship (2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012)^{[1][132][133][134][135][136]}
  • Russian Combat Sambo National Championship 3rd Place (1998, 2000)^[17]
  • 1998 Russian Armed Forces Combat Sambo Championships Absolute Silver Medalist^[17]
  • 1998 Russian Armed Forces Combat Sambo Championships Gold Medalist^[17]

[edit] Judo

• International Judo Federation
  • 1999 Sofia Liberation A-Team Senior Bronze Medalist^[137]
  • 1999 Moscow International Tournament Senior Bronze Medalist^[137]

• Russian Judo Federation
  • Russian National Championship Senior Absolute 3rd Place (1999)^[137]
  • Russian National Championship Senior 3rd Place (1998)^[137]

Miscellaneous[link]

• Peace and Sport
  • 2011 Champions for Peace Inductee^[138]

• All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion
  • 2009 Russian Male Athlete of the Year^[139]

• International Olympic Committee
  • 2008 Summer Olympics Torchbearer^[140]

• National Sports Award "Glory"
  • 2008 "Glory" Award for Fair Play^[141]

• Russian Union of Martial Arts
  • 2006 "Golden Belt" Award for Most Outstanding Victory of the Year^[142]

• Imperial Society of Russia
  • First Class Golden Order of the Romanov Family of St. Nicholas II (2010)^[143]

• Russian Federation National State Decorations Committee
  • First Class Order of Peter the Great (2007)^[144]
  • Second Class Order For Merit to the Fatherland (2007)^[145]

Mixed martial arts record[link]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of male mixed martial artists
• List of Pride champions

References[link]