Fedor Emelianenko: ‘The Last Emperor’ Plans To Return To MMA This Coming April After TKO Victory At ‘Rizen FC’

Late last year, the MMA community was shocked to learn legendary fighter, Fedor Emelianenko, would be coming out of retirement to compete yet again in MMA. After the announcement, many combat sports news outlets researched what they could on the return of “The Last Emperor,” finding out he would be competing at Rizen Fighting World Grand Prix against Jaideep Singh, a relative newbie in the world of MMA per se. When all was said and done, Emelianenko showed the world that he at least still had his basics down by defeating Singh in the first round by technical knockout (TKO).

Rising from the aftermath of his victory at Rizen Fighting World Grand Prix, many wondered what Fedor Emelianenko’s next move in MMA would be. Now the MMA community knows as Emelianenko and his camp have made it known he wants to return to the fight this coming April.

Fedor Emelianenko wants to return to MMA combat at the next planned show by the Rizen Fighting Federation on Thursday, April 17, 2016 in Nagoya City, Japan at the Nippon Gaishi Hall. Emelianenko official made such an intention through an interview with Russian news outlet RSport, translated through Bloody Elbow.

“The next fight is scheduled for April. In my opinion, it will be here in Japan, in cooperation with the company Rizin. Just know that the company is planning a tournament next August and is in talks with Bellator and other organizations. There is another chance of a joint project. For me it would be convenient to enter the ring in April — four months to relax a bit and with new team before preparing for the next battle.”

Fedor Emelianenko’s statement is contrary to previous MMA reports that his contract with Rizin Fighting Federation was only for one night. Apparently, Emelianenko and the MMA promotion benefited much from each other that a tentative agreement for a second fight is being proposed than negotiated in the following weeks.

As mentioned earlier, Fedor Emelianenko was victorious in his return to combat MMA, scoring a TKO victory against Jaideep Singh in the first round, as reported by ESPN. Once the bell rang for the round to begin, it was clear that Emelianenko wanted to take on Singh with wrestling. This was surely a veteran move by the legendary MMA fighter given the fact that Singh’s background is kickboxing. Even though Singh was a title-holder in professional kickboxing with a phenomenal record of 40 wins (13 by either KO or TKO), 10 losses, and one no contest, he is still very green in MMA. Prior to fighting Emelianenko, Singh only had two fights on his record. True, he won both within the second round, but his wrestling is not up to par. Not only that, one of those fights happened back in 2013, meaning his experience during an MMA fight is not consistent.

Ultimately, Fedor Emelianenko was at more than an advantage on the ground. Jaideep Singh’s inexperience on the ground (such as his awkward stand-up) were apparent and Emelianenko made sure to take full advantage of it. Moments later, Emelianenko got on full mount and continued to land a flurry of right fisticuffs into Singh’s face. Referee John McCarthy seen enough and stepped in to declare “The Last Emperor” victorious.

Given the fact the fight was way too one-sided, Fedor Emelianenko may not be satisfied. Maybe that’s why he is looking forward to another fight in Rizin Fighting Federation. If he indeed does make a return as he has stated, let’s hope his next opponent would be more of a challenge. Maybe Muhammed Lawal (a.k.a. “King Mo”) would prove a worthy challenge for “The Last Emperor.”

[Image via Rizen Fighting World Grand Prix Weigh-Ins]