Fedor Emelianenko
PRIDE's heavyweight champion who never lost the belt
- Born
- September 28, 1976, Rubizhne, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
- Nationality
Russia- Height
- 183 cm (6′0″)
- Reach
- 188 cm (6′2″)
- Stance
- Orthodox
- Style
- Sambo power striker
- Weight
- Heavyweight
- Active
- 2000–2012, 2015–2023
- Status
- Retired · age 50
The record
Professional MMA. From 2000 to 2010 he lost only once in 33 fights, a first-round cut stoppage. record
The story
edor Emelianenko was the heavyweight measuring stick of the 2000s, and Sports Illustrated was among the outlets that named him the top MMA fighter of that decade. A four-time combat sambo world champion who also won medals at the Russian judo championships, he beat Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2003 to become PRIDE heavyweight champion and never lost that title before PRIDE closed in 2007. From 2000 to 2010 he went more than ten years and 33 fights with a single loss, a cut stoppage against Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. He fought with fast looping hooks, judo and sambo hip throws and fierce ground strikes, finishing with submissions such as the kimura. A 2010 submission loss to Fabrício Werdum ended his unbeaten run, and he retired in 2023 at 40-7 with one no contest.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- PRIDE heavyweight champion (2003–2007, never lost the title)
- PRIDE 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix champion
- RINGS heavyweight and openweight champion
- Four-time combat sambo world champion
- Sherdog Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame
- FIAS (sambo) Hall of Fame
- Named top MMA fighter of the 2000s by Sports Illustrated and other outlets
Defining fights
- 2003WINvs Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (UD, won PRIDE heavyweight title)
- 2004WINvs Kevin Randleman (kimura R1)
- 2005WINvs Mirko Cro Cop (UD)
- 2009WINvs Andrei Arlovski (KO R1)
- 2010LOSSvs Fabrício Werdum (triangle-armbar R1, ended his unbeaten run)
Close the distance with looping punches, turn the clinch into a hip throw, and start striking the moment you land on top. Grappling and MMA students can drill punch-to-clinch entries into a hip toss that finishes in ground-and-pound or a kimura grip.
