Before there was Jon Jones, there was Fedor Emelianenko. ‘The Emperor’, who unfortunately never fought in the UFC, in fact, was the GOAT contender’s favorite fighter. “I love you Fedor! You were one of my favorites, always, forever, brother,” a giddy Jon Jones would tell the PRIDE FC legend a couple of years ago. And it is easy to see why. The almost pudgy and harmless-looking (you wish!) Russian heavyweight was an unstoppable force of nature in his prime, who set the MMA world on fire in the 2000s, becoming the sport’s undisputed face during that time.
So much so that even UFC CEO Dana White admitted he was “obsessed” with ‘The Last Emperor’ but alas never managed to sign him- and never will. Two years ago, at the age of 46, the former PRIDE, Strikeforce, and Bellator heavyweight legend retired. But now, Conor McGregor, minority owner of the BKFC has his eyes set on doing what White couldn’t.
“Fedor Emelianenko? Stay tuned; we might have an announcement with Fedor Emelianenko. Hey Fedor, we’re waiting! Some news might be coming with Fedor Emelianenko. BKFC is signing and acquiring the best fighters of all time, past, present, and future,” McGregor told reporters recently during the BKFC Italy presser.
But legendary MMA referee, ‘Big’ John McCarthy, who spent time with ‘The Emperor’ at Bellator, feels that BKFC is “Absolutely not the place for him to be.” Why? Well, McCarthy feels that the remarkably pale Russian may not be cut out for the brutal sport of bare-knuckle boxing because of what he hilariously called Emelianenko’s ‘old skin’.
“If there’s one thing about Fedor, he’s got old skin man, he marks up really badly. And in bare-knuckle boxing, it would be brutal. He would mark up, swell up, cut up. He just does not take punishment well as far as he wears it, not a good thing,” McCarthy told co-host Josh Thomson on their ‘Weighing-In’ podcast.
Thomson pointed out that if the BKFC did want ‘The Last Emperor’, they would have to shell out between “$3 million to $5 million” to do so. Many, of course, are wondering why the 48-year-old Emelianenko would even want to join the BKFC. After all, ‘The Last Emperor’ has achieved almost everything (except a UFC title) that could be achieved in the sport and has made a lot of money while he was at it. Why would the Russian juggernaut even want to go to the BKFC? According to ‘Big John’, because of the thrill of the fight.
“I think he considers anything you know he’s he’s always that guy you know. I spent a lot of time with Fedor. He’s a unique individual…The one thing I figured out he loves competition, he just thrives on it. That’s what, you know, makes him happy is being able to compete,” the referee added.
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – JANUARY 26, 2019: Russian heavyweight MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix final bout against his American rival Ryan Bader at the Forum in Inglewood, California. TASS PUBLICATIONxINxGERxAUTxONLY TS09F218
There is no doubt a nearly 50-year-old would find fighting difficult. For the uninitiated, the Russian legend holds triumphs over prominent faces such as Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Antonio Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop, Frank Mir, and Chael Sonnen. You name it, and the Russian legend did it! That too in an era where the UFC was not the MMA juggernaut it is now in 2025.
However, as the veteran referee said, those days on top are long gone! But there is one thing about ‘The Last Emperor’ that could see him actually succeed at BKFC. A bold claim, but stay with us!
Fedor Emelianenko’s explosive power could serve him well in Conor McGregor’s BKFC
If the BKFC indeed managed to sign Fedor Emelianenko, even at 48, it would be a huge get for them. A lot of people would be willing to pay money to see one of the greatest of all time, your favorite mixed martial artist’s favorite mixed martial artist take on a new challenge. Especially since the new challenge would be right up ‘The Last Emperor’s alley.
“He hit me so hard it was like a missile. When I was falling to the mat, I thought, ‘This would be a good time to call it a night, but I’m not going out as the fastest knockout in Bellator history,’” former UFC title contender Chael Sonnen would recall of his Bellator 208 clash against Emelianenko in 2018.
The Russian’s explosive power and killer instinct would translate well to bare-knuckle. A chance to see Emelianenko batter someone with his legendary power does sound pretty exciting. And with all due respect, the BKFC doesn’t exactly have top-tier talent at the moment, which means ‘The Last Emperor’ would be competitive there.
The only issue, of course, is his age. But as McCarthy pointed out, the man just loves to compete. And since combat sports are as much mental as physical, age is something the Russian’s brilliance and age cannot overcome. What do you think about ‘Big’ John McCarthy’s take on Fedor Emelianenko possibly joining BKFC?
The post “Doesn’t Take Punishment Well” – Conor McGregor Warned of Massive Red Flag in Signing Fedor Emelianenko in $5M Deal appeared first on EssentiallySports.