Fedor details contract negotiations with Rizin

When it was announced that Fedor Emelianenko would be returning to MMA competition for a fight on New Year’s Eve many questions were raised.

Over time more details emerged regarding the return of ‘The Last Emperor’ and it was finally made official when it was announced that Emelianenko had signed a deal to fight for Rizin Fighting Federation under former Pride FC boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara.

Emelianenko spoke with RSport.ru to discuss how he and Sakakibara were able to reach a deal that will see arguably the greatest fighter ever in the ring for the first time since 2012.

“[The negotiations first started] in April of this year. When they first planted the seed of doubt [that I may want to fight again] I began to think . By the summer I began to weigh the pros and cons. I enlisted the support of my family and made my decision.

“Meetings took place from time to time and after some time we achieved a mutual understanding.”

Emelianenko revealed that there were talks of him signing a multi-fight contract, however at the present time he is only signed for one fight. Regardless of that, ‘The Last Emperor’ isn’t closing the door on more potential fights.

“Depending on the outcome, I will think of what to do next.”

– Translation via BloodyElbow