Fight Vault: Top 5 Fedor Emelianenko fights

With MMA’s current breakneck schedule, it can be easy to lose sight of individual fighters or forget the sport’s history altogether.

Fedor Emelianenko, for example, will compete for the 46th time as a professional this Saturday in Moscow, Russia at Bellator 269. Although there are still hardcore fans who remember the unique feelings that Emelianenko brought to the MMA space throughout the early and mid-00s, many fans of today are quick to forget the context of time and the historical importance of these characters.

For that reason, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of my favorite fights from Emelianenko’s catalog.

Like all lists via The Fight Vault or The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast, I do not proclaim this to be some sort of definitive list. These are simply just my personal favorite fights from Emelianenko, as I hope that these selections inspire you to either revisit old classics or remedy the blind spots that exist in your fandom.

So, without further ado…

No. 5: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Kazuyuki Fujita at PRIDE 26 "Bad to the Bone" (2003)

Although this was only the fourth fight Fedor Emelianenko had in Pride Fighting Championships, he was already a world champion that was expected to walk through Japanese stalwart, Kazuyuki Fujita.

However, despite closing as a -1100 favorite in the sportsbooks, Emelianenko’s aggression almost cost him his reputation as the Russian ran right into a hard right-handed counter from Fujita.

Emelianenko immediately looked to be on rollerskates, but Fujita unwisely closed distance and elected to take his hurt foe down to the floor. This, of course, allowed Emelianenko some time to recover and eventually scramble back to his feet.

From there, a recomposed Emelianenko was able to hurt the iron-headed Fujita with a flush hook-cross combo that sent the Japanese wrestler to the floor for a rear-naked-choke finish.

Fedor vs. Fujita:

Although you could argue that Emelianenko’s fight with Ricardo Arona back in the Rings organization was his first comeback of sorts, this fight with Fujita would certainly set the stage for what was to come down the pike.

No. 4: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Kevin Randleman at PRIDE FC "Critical Countdown" (2004)

In what was yet another classic comeback, I’d be remiss if I left out Fedor Emelianenko’s unforgettable fight with the late, great, Kevin Randleman.

Emelianenko may have already answered the call when it came to Japanese wrestlers like Kazuyuki Fujita or American wrestlers like Mark Coleman, but Randleman was the first accoladed wrestler that wouldn’t be outmatched by the Russian’s deceptive athleticism.

Said athletic aptitude was on display early, as Randleman quickly got in on Emelianenko’s hips to secure a takedown in the open mat space.

Emelianenko wasted little time in scrambling to his base and tripoding up to his feet, but Randleman used the opportunity to hit a belly-to-back suplex that looked like it belonged back in the WWF Attitude Era.

Kevin Randleman spikes Fedor Emelianenko:

But despite Randleman nearly spiking Emelianenko through the canvas head-first, the legendary Russian was able to bridge over the Big Ten wrestling champion before we even realized that he was still alive. Perhaps Randleman was even more shocked than we were, as Emelianenko secured a double wristlock for a kimura finish shortly after.

No. 3: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at PRIDE 25 "Body Blow" (2003)

Before Fedor Emelianenko’s comeback ability became known, he first had to beat the comeback king, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

In what was the first of three meetings, this encounter between Emelianenko and Nogueira ended up being an important crossroads for each fighter’s career. Nogueira was already a well-established and respected champion in Pride who won the Japanese fans over for his ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, while Emelianenko was still somewhat of a mysterious newcomer looking to make his name.

Even though both fighters had already started to gain respect with their striking at that point of their careers, we were mainly privy to a stylistic ground war that saw Nogueira’s vaunted guard game attempt to hold the proverbial door against Emelianenko’s striking and sambo sensibilities. Emelianenko clearly got the better of grappling by battering his Brazilian counterpart, but Nogueira, to his credit, was able to close the first two rounds with savvy sweeps sparked off by clever hand fighting and wrist pinning.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira:

As a big fan of Nogueira, it was a bit hard to see him visibly crushed and heartbroken in the ring afterward. But this series ultimately forced both men to step up their games in a big way, as they both ended up winning more world titles down the road.

No. 2: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia at AFFLICTION "Banned" (2008)

I know that a 38-second victory over Tim Sylvia may not look as impressive on paper in 2021, but this was a big deal for the time.

With organizations scrambling to fill the vacuum that was left in the wake of Pride Fighting Championships, Affliction Entertainment – in association with Donald Trump – seemingly started a promotion out of nowhere in order to compete with the UFC.

“Affliction: Banned” took place on July 19th, 2008, and featured a slew of former UFC talent that ranged from Vitor Belfort to Andrei Arlovski. Veteran referee “Big” John McCarthy was on broadcast duties for the first time, while the ring announcer of my childhood, Michael Buffer, introduced the fighters in the main event.

When you consider that this all took place before the UFC ever scored a big network deal with the likes of FOX or ESPN, this absolutely felt like we were watching something special. In fact, the UFC even went as far as to counterprogram Affliction with their own impromptu show, where they had their pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva step up to light heavyweight for a showcase fight with James Irvin.

My friends and I fervently switched back and forth between broadcasts throughout the night, but we were all firmly set on watching Emelianenko-Sylvia when it came on. And despite Sylvia still being a proven sample to test Emelianenko against, the former UFC champion didn’t last long before getting lit up and choked out in under a minute.

Sure, this might have felt like MMA’s equivalent to Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley after the fact – but it also brought me back to some of the big boxing events that I grew up on as a kid. And for that, it earns a high spot on this list.

No. 1: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic at PRIDE "Final Conflict" (2005)

In an all-time classic that deservedly makes it onto many of my lists, I couldn’t help but close the show with Fedor Emelianenko’s memorable title defense against Mirko Filipovic.

Better known as “Cro Cop,” Filipovic was a kickboxing talent who seemed to be really finding his groove in the MMA space. At the time, Filipovic was on a seven-fight winning streak that included Fedor’s brother, Aleksander Emelianenko.

It was a fight that many hardcore fans were waiting for, and it ended up delivering in a big way.

Although it may not have ended with a flashy finish or offered the back-and-forth that Hollywood often has us hoping for, it was an all-out war that provided a blueprint for a style match that we still see fighters struggling with in the modern era.

With Filipovic being a dangerous southpaw striker who could kick and counter hard, Emelianenko elected to commit to pressure as he pressed his Croatian counterpart’s weak side throughout the contest. Sure, Emelianenko may have done some subsequent following by selling out for so hard for outside-foot position, but the spirit of his approach is something that can still be applied today (e.g. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Edson Barboza).

It’s a fight that provides a lot of lessons and easter eggs of sorts, as it still firmly holds a spot as one of my all-time favorite fights in heavyweight MMA.

Honorable mentions

• Fedor Emelianenko vs. Ricardo Arona at Rings: King of Kings (2002)

• Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski at Affliction: Day of Reckoning (2009)

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