After retiring from his career, Fedor Emelianenko periodically hints at the possibility of returning, although not to the octagon, but to the ring. However, talk about hypothetical fights with Mike Tyson or Roy Jones has so far led nowhere. However, some fans of the Last Emperor believe that he doesn’t need this: star boxers, even at veteran age, can count the ribs of anyone. Is it worth the risk?

By the way, Fedor’s ribs have already been broken in a fight. But that still didn’t stop the legendary fighter.

Cards before the fight

By the mid-2000s, Emelianenko in Japan already had, if not legendary, then certainly star status. The RINGS winner and 2004 PRIDE title holder was on his way to another high-profile victory at the PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix.

The Last Emperor got off to a flying start, finishing in just over two minutes against inaugural UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman. In the quarterfinals, he had to fight another American, Kevin Randleman, known by the nickname Monster.

The 32-year-old Ohio native surprised many by defeating the dangerous Croatian Mirko Filipovic in his opening Grand Prix match. Having knocked out one of the tournament favorites, and also pleased the audience with the knockout of the year, Randleman earned the right to meet Emelianenko in the octagon. However, the American’s chances for another success were assessed modestly, because the fighter had 15 victories and 7 defeats, while his opponent was in excellent shape.

Japanese television crews decided to look into the athletes’ locker rooms before the fight, and from the footage one could easily conclude that the upcoming minutes in the octagon did not bother Fedor at all. Emelianenko, laughing loudly, played cards with the team. No tension was felt, and yet the Russian would soon have to endure one of the hardest fights of his career.

Lost Fedor

Randleman decided to take the initiative from the first seconds, and at the same time take Fedor into his own hands. He lifted the Russian, although he fought back, but the American did not seem to feel the champion’s blows, taking the Last Emperor to the ground. Emelianenko got out of a difficult situation, although he had to take a risk and turn his back on his opponent for a moment. And yet the Russian rose to his feet, only to immediately find himself on the canvas again.

Kevin Randleman / Photo: © Zuffa LLC / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

The loud impact of Emelianenko’s body on the floor horrified the audience and commentators: it later turned out that our fighter broke two ribs in this episode. The American claimed, referring to the words of the team from the corner, that his opponent even lost consciousness in this episode. In fact, after such an element, you could not only switch off, but also break your neck, the throw was so monstrous. Could it really have ended so absurdly for the renowned champion?

No, Fedor, albeit with broken ribs, but in his consciousness gathered his strength, soon found himself in a position on top and even beat the Monster a little. The matter was not limited to blows, the Last Emperor took the American’s hand and ended the confrontation with a painful hold. The Russian needed one and a half minutes to win and advance to the next stage of the tournament.