Advertisement

Making some noise

Share
Times Staff Writer

Wearing a forest-green T-shirt and camouflage shorts, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko wandered through a hotel lobby earlier this week, looking like a weary tourist in need of directions.

As the man many consider the world’s best heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts, Emelianenko rarely passes through a restaurant in St. Petersburg, Russia, or a cafe in Tokyo, without drawing attention. During this lunch hour in north Orange County, however, he was happy to blend with his surroundings.

“I try to stay away from all the fanfare,” he said through an interpreter. “I’d much rather prefer a quiet life, so I try to keep people away from me as much as I can.”

Advertisement

His quiet life will be interrupted Saturday night, when the 31-year-old Russian is scheduled to headline a pay-per-view card at the Honda Center in Anaheim. He’ll fight 6-foot-8 Tim Sylvia in the debut for Affliction, a Signal Hill-based apparel company that’s in high fashion at MMA shows.

“It’s a very important fight,” said Emelianenko, who stands 6 feet and weighs 235 pounds. “Hopefully, one that will lead to bigger and better things.”

Emelianenko has lost only once in 29 professional fights, and that was eight years ago, the result of a gash above his right eye caused by a head butt. What sets Emelianenko apart from others in his weight class is his versatility. On his feet, he’s dangerous. On the ground, his submission skills make him nearly unbeatable. Combined with the ease in which he adapts to his opponent’s strategy, Emelianenko is considered the full package.

“He comes in with his emotions completely under control and an ability to change a game plan midway into the fight,” said heavyweight Ben Rothwell, who also will fight on the Affliction card. “Because of that, it makes him extremely dangerous. . . . I don’t believe anybody’s going to be able to beat him, unless they use those same skills.”

Sylvia, 32, has the reach to keep Emelianenko at a distance and a long leg sprawl that prevents most lower-body takedowns. Sylvia (24-4) said his biggest advantage Saturday night might be the quality of his recent fights.

“I’ve fought top-level opponents, top-10 guys, the last two or three years,” said Sylvia, a former champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championships, the most well-known MMA organization in the world. “Back before that time, he was fighting top-10 guys, but times have changed, he hasn’t been in a big organization.”

Advertisement

Like a number of his childhood peers, Emelianenko developed an interest in self defense while a boy. The son of a teacher and steel worker, he began training in Sambo, a Russian form of judo, as a way to defend himself against older youths in his neighborhood.

After graduating from high school in 1991, he attended a professional trade school and then served as a firefighter in the Russian army from 1995 to ’97. Shortly after leaving the military, he was certified as a “Master of Sports” in Sambo and judo. In the ensuing years, he studied other forms of self defense, such as kickboxing and Muay Thai. With financial responsibilities mounting from the addition of a wife and baby daughter, Emelianenko decided in 2000 to pursue a career in MMA.

He joined Japan-based PRIDE Fighting Championships two years later, a move that greatly enhanced his career. In 2003, he defeated Antonio Nogueira by decision to win the organization’s heavyweight belt. He went on to defend his title 13 times over the next 3 1/2 years.

He elevated himself to superstar status in Japan and Russia, and earned a large following in the U.S., where PRIDE was often televised on tape delay. PRIDE began experiencing financial difficulties in 2006, however, and Emelianenko’s contract expired at the end of that year. Three months later, the organization’s assets were purchased by Las Vegas-based UFC. It was originally announced that PRIDE and UFC would maintain separate management teams and eventually match their fighters in bouts. But the plan fell through and PRIDE’s staff was terminated. The UFC also attempted to sign Emelianenko, but negotiations also deteriorated last winter.

Among the strange requests, according to UFC President Dana White, was members of Emelianenko’s management team wanted the UFC to be financial partners in the construction of a sports arena in Russia.

“In all the dealings I had with his managers, it was never about Fedor,” White said. “I’ve never even met Fedor.”

Advertisement

That put a hold on one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights in the history of the sport, a matchup between Emelianenko and former UFC champion Randy Couture, who is currently embroiled in a breach of contract lawsuit with the UFC. If the lawsuit is settled in the near future, there’s speculation that the 45-year-old Couture will make his return against Emelianenko.

“It would certainly be a great desire of mine to have a fight with Randy, particularly while he’s still at his peak,” Emelianenko said. “Based on what I’ve seen of him, he’s still there.”

In the meantime, there’s still another crowd to please.

--

dan.arritt@latimes.com

--

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Profile

Fedor Emelianenko fights Tim Sylvia on the Affliction card Saturday night at the Honda Center:

*--* Nickname The Last Emperor Record 27-1 (1 no-contest) Wins 6 knockouts 14 submissions 7 decisions Losses 1 technical knockout Height 6 feet Weight 233 pounds Style Sambo / Judo Date of birth Sept. 28, 1976 Country Russia *--*

--

Source: www.fighters.com

Advertisement