On September 24, Alexander Emelianenko will meet in a duel according to the rules of boxing with his old enemy Vyacheslav Datsik. The overheated confrontation that martial arts fans have been waiting for for several years, it seems, nothing can interfere with.

But whether the correspondence dispute between Emelianenko Jr. and Sergei Kharitonov will result in something is a big question. Former friends regularly exchange barbs, and each of them is sure that the opponent has no chance in a possible revenge.

But once the fighters spoke very warmly about each other.

Respect for the opponent

Former friends and teammates of the Russian Top Team Alexander Emelianenko and Sergey Kharitonov were not irreconcilable enemies in September 2006, but they were already ready to fight to the delight of the public. At the PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute tournament, held in the Japanese city of Saitama, two Russian heavyweights came face to face.

25-year-old Emelianenko was then a promising fighter, and some experts suggested that over time he could surpass his eminent brother Fedor. 26-year-old Kharitonov, at that time, could already be considered a mixed martial arts star, although he had his main victories yet to come.

Despite Sergey’s some advantage in experience and greater versatility, it was not quite right to call him the clear favorite of the fight. Alexander could well have presented a surprise, knowing his opponent well enough from numerous sparring matches. But still, the organizers of the fight relied on Kharitonov, believing that the meeting with Emelianenko Jr. would be a good warm-up for the duel with the Last Emperor.

Photo: © RIA Novosti / Alexey Druzhinin

Alexander later said that his opponent wanted to fight the elder Emelianenko right away and even had a good chance of winning. But Fyodor’s brother decided to accept the challenge, intending to win for the Last Emperor several months of purposeful preparation for a dangerous opponent.

However, judging by the statements of Sergei at a press conference, then he was quite satisfied with Alexander as a rival. Kharitonov did not allow himself any slander – he only felt respect for his counterpart.

– My opponent Alexander is very worthy. I think we will have a nice fight. The ring will show everything, – Kharitonov told the press.

Alexander was also far from the expressions that he allowed himself to address Sergei in the future. Before the fight, he generally said that he didn’t want to fight with teammates, but since it happened, he’s ready to fight.

Uncompromising felling

Peaceful conversations before the fight did not prevent the fans from seeing the uncompromising felling from the first seconds of the match. No reconnaissance – the fighters already knew each other well. Two Russian heavyweights grappled in front of a happy Japanese audience instantly and without any hint of giveaway.

Before the fight, it was believed that Kharitonov was better in striking technique – he had more specific experience in certain disciplines. But Alexander also did not hesitate to acquaint the opponent with the capabilities of his fists. Never having received the expected advantage, Sergey tried to enter someone else’s territory, but the passage to the legs failed – it was difficult to surprise Emelianenko in the fight.

Photo: © RIA Novosti / Vadim Zhernov

However, the first serious moment turned out to be Kharitonov – with a blow towards him, he knocked down Emelianenko and immediately began to finish off the fallen enemy. It was not possible to develop success: Fyodor’s brother skillfully acted on the ground. He fettered the possibilities of his compatriot, not allowing himself to inflict more serious damage.

Deciding that no interesting continuation was planned, the judge raised the fighters to the rack, where Alexander already had the opportunity to stun his counterpart. Emelianenko hit Kharitonov in the head, but that only amused him. Sergei asked to hit him again, to which he immediately received consent. He could not withstand the second blow with a smile on his face.

In the stalls, the younger Emelianenko firmly decided to finish what he started. The blows to Sergey’s head were an inexhaustible stream, and any modern referee in MMA would have stopped the fight long ago. The insidious Japanese was in no hurry – Alexander had already begun to work with his knees in the face of an old friend, there was more and more blood, and finally the judge made itself felt. Kharitonov’s face was swollen from the beatings, but with all his appearance he showed disagreement with the decision, as if he could take the hardest blows for a few more minutes.

And yet, Sergei did not challenge the defeat then, thanking the opponent for the duel. After some time, Kharitonov suddenly announced that he was not ready for the fight, he entered the ring with a shoulder injury, he simply did not want to let the managers down.

They talked about revenge for a long time, but for a variety of reasons it was not possible to organize it. Whether this can be done in the foreseeable future is unclear. One calls the opponent “an animal with which one does not want to fight.” Another states that he does not want to “finish off the wino.” But after all, it was far from the first time to organize a fight with Datsik.