sports
March 31, 2026
Retired MMA icon Emelianenko wants to fight at Russia's 2027 Sambo Championship
Fedor Emelianenko retired in February 2023 after a rematch against America's Ryan Bader
TL;DR
- Fedor Emelianenko, 49, is considering returning to competition in 2027 for the Russian Combat Sambo Championship.
- He is also in negotiations for a boxing bout against 51-year-old Mirko Filipovic.
- Emelianenko retired from MMA in February 2023 after a loss to Ryan Bader.
- Sambo wrestling originated in Russia in the 1920s and means 'self-defense without weapons'.
- Emelianenko had an extensive MMA career, earning numerous titles and accolades, including being named 'the top MMA fighter of the decade' by Sports Illustrated in 2009.
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