Fedor Emelianenko is finally fighting on U.S. soil again this Saturday night (Feb. 18).
“The Last Emperor” finds himself taking center stage once again when he meets former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Matt Mitrione. The bout will serve as the main event of Bellator 172. The card will be held inside the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
After a recent open workout session, Emelianenko talked to the media during a scrum (via MMAFighting). Emelianenko explained why he decided to sign with Bellator and why he has respect for the promotion’s President Scott Coker:
“Well first of all, I’ve watched all the competitions and events of Bellator. Also we have (a) crazy long relationship with Scott Coker. This is the person who keeps his word. This is the person who respects fighters. This is the person who works hard to develop his organization to make it better.”
Despite being regarded by many as one of the greatest fighters of all time, Emelianenko isn’t interested in talking about his popularity. When it comes to his motivation to fight, “The Last Emperor” sees a greater meaning.
“I participate, I fight to glorify the glory of God and in order of God. But my personal popularity is pretty tiring for me. I’m the representative of my country. A lot of young boys follow me and they also want to glorify their motherland and want to achieve their best results. And I hope that you can see them soon.”
You can watch the full scrum below:
