Fedor Emelianenko
Fedor Emelianenko (IPA: [fjo.doɹ ɛmi'liɑn.ɛnk] Russian: Фёдор Емельяненко. September 28,1976-) is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter, current Heavyweight Champion in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, a major MMA organization based in Japan. He has a professional MMA record of 23-1-0. He was the 1997 Russian Judo champion; the 2002 World Sambo heavyweight division champion, the 2005 World Combat Sambo champion; Rings: King of Kings 2001 heavyweight tournament champion; Rings: King of Kings 2002 absolute weight class tournament champion and PRIDE FC 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament champion. He has been the reigning heavyweight champion in PRIDE since March 16, 2003.
Biography
Fedor Emelianenko was born in 1976 in the Rubezhnoe town in Luhansk region[1], presently a part of Ukraine (part of the Soviet Union at the time). Fedor's family moved to Stary Oskol, Russia in 1978. His mother, Olga Feodorovna, is a teacher. His father, Vladimir Alexandrovich, is a gas-electric welder. Fedor is the second child in the family and has one older sister, Marina, and two younger brothers, Aleksander (born 1981) and Ivan (born 1988). Aleksander is also an MMA fighter in PRIDE, and Ivan is currently in training.
Fedor finished high school in 1991 and graduated with honors from a professional trade school in 1994. In 1999 he married his current wife, Oksana. Fedor's daughter, Masha, was also born in 1999.
Fedor is part of the Red Devil Sport Club camp.
Martial Arts Background & Training Regimen
Emelianenko's enthusiasm for fighting began with Sambo and Judo. He initially trained under Vasiliy Ivanovich Gavrilov, and later under his current coach, Vladimir Mihailovich Voronov. Voronov remembers[2] that ten-year-old Fedor was relatively weak physically and did not have an innate grappling talent; instead, Fedor's biggest strength was his perseverance and strong will.
From 1995 until 1997, Emelianenko served in the Russian Army. His official biography erroneously states that he trained in Sambo during his army years. However, Fedor has specified in his 2005 Amsterdam interview[3] that this is incorrect, and his training in the army was limited to running and strength training in a makeshift gym he put together himself. Fedor became Russian Judo Champion in 1997. He started competing in combat sambo and mixed martial arts in 2000, because he "didn't have any money"[4].
Fedor used to weight train extensively, but in 1999 he almost completely substituted his weight exercises with sport-specific training in grappling, boxing and kick-boxing. His strength training consists of daily pull-ups, push ups on parallel bars, and crunches[5]. Emelianenko also runs 12-15 kilometers (7.5 - 9.3 miles) every day[6].
Fedor's team consists of coach Voronov (grappling), coach Aleksander Vasilievich Michkov (boxing), and his training partners: his brother, Alexander Emelianenko, and Roman Zentsov, another PRIDE fighter.
In 2005 Emelianenko started paying special attention to improving his kicking technique. He trained Muay Thai with kickboxer Ernesto Hoost in Netherlands in 2005[7]. During his 5 day visit to South Korea to promote Sambo, Fedor mentioned that now he also now trains in Taekwondo to improve his kicks[8].
Mixed Martial Arts
Fedor Emelianenko currently holds a professional Mixed Martial Arts record of 23-1-0. Including amateur bouts, he is 30-1-0[citation needed]. He started his MMA career in the Rings organization and eventually moved on to fight for PRIDE where he is currently the Heavyweight Champion.
Emelianenko's only loss in MMA came at the hands of Tsuyoshi Kohsaka at the King of Kings 2000 Block B event on December 22, 2000, via a TKO (doctor stoppage due to a cut) 17 seconds into the fight. The cut was caused by an elbowstrike, illegal under RINGS rules unless the striker was wearing elbow pads; however the tournament format required a winner and loser be acclaimed. He avenged the loss at the PRIDE Bushido 6 event on April 3, 2005, defeating Kohsaka by TKO due to doctor stoppage after the first round.
On August 28, 2005, Emelianenko successfully defended his heavyweight title by defeating Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic by way of unanimous decision in the Pride FC Final Conflict event held in Saitama, Japan. It was his third title defense. He said Mirko to be his toughest opponent he has ever fought.
At Pride's "Shockwave 2005" event on December 31, 2005, Emelianenko entered a non-title match against Zuluzinho, a 400-lb. Brazilian. Emelianenko won in 26 seconds by submission due to strikes.
Record
- Judo
- Moscow International Tournament 100kg weight 3rd place (24 January,1999)
- A-Tournament Sofia 100kg weight 3rd place (7 February,1999)
- Russian Championships Kstovo (absolute division) 3rd place (5 December,1999)
- Dutch Grand Prix Rotterdam 100kg weight - 7th place (1 Apr,2000)
- Sambo
- European Sambo Champion (1997)
- World Sambo Champion (2002)
- World Combat Sambo Champion (2005)
- Professional Mixed Martial Arts: 25 Fights (23 Wins, 1 Loss, 0 Draw, 1 No Contest)
- RINGS King of Kings Heavyweight Tournament Champion (2001)
- RINGS World Absolute Class Tournament Champion (2001)
- Pride FC Heavyweight Champion (3/16/2003-present)
- Pride FC Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion (2004)
MMA Record
23 wins (6 TKO's, 10 submissions, 7 decisions), 1 loss (4 TKO (Cut)).
See also
Notes
- ^ Official website - biography
- ^ Interview with a Swedish magazine "Fighter"
- ^ Article from a Japanese magazine "Number"
- ^ Official website - Interview, 07.28.2003, in Russian
- ^ Official website - Interview, 03.17.2004
- ^ graciemag.com - Brazilians united to stop Fedor. November 29, 2005. ["Fedor is now in Holland all the time training muay thai with Ernesto Hoost." by Pedro Rizzo.]
- ^ "Russian Prize Fighter Is Learning Tae Kwon Do", Chosun Ilbo