NEW YORK – Heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko will not retire from MMA after falling short of Bellator gold earlier this year.
Emelianenko (38-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), the former longtime PRIDE champion who’s regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights the sport has seen, has signed a new exclusive, multi-fight contract with Bellator.
The promotion announced the news Friday night after Bellator 222 at Madison Square Garden, where the Russian was on hand.
Emelianenko, 42, contemplated retirement after suffering a 35-second TKO loss to Ryan Bader in January in the finals of the Bellator heavyweight grand prix in what was the final fight of his contract. Prior to that he scored consecutive first-round finishes against Chael Sonnen and Frank Mir in the tournament.
Emelianenko retired from MMA in 2012 only to come back more than three years later. He’s 4-2 in his comeback, which will continue on.
No date or opponent was revealed for Emelianenko’s next fight, but he is expected to compete before the end of the year.
For more on the upcoming Bellator schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
