Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko, born on 28 September 1976, is a Russian former professional heavyweight fighter who competed in mixed martial arts and also trained and competed in sambo and judo. He grew up in Stary Oskol in the Belgorod region, took up sambo and judo as a boy and earned the Master of Sport certification in both in 1997. After leaving the Russian national team in 2000 for lack of money he began fighting professionally, and from 2003 until the promotion closed in 2007 he held the PRIDE Heavyweight Championship, a title he never lost in the ring. Alongside this he won combat sambo world championships four times and national championships seven times. He also fought for RINGS, Strikeforce, M-1 Global, Rizin and Bellator, never for the UFC, and retired for the final time on 4 February 2023 with 40 wins, 7 losses and 1 no contest. After his fighting career took off he entered politics as a regional deputy and later led the Russian MMA Union. His long unbeaten run and his part in popularising the sport in Russia and Japan make him one of the most frequently cited heavyweights in the history of mixed martial arts.