MMA
Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Fedor on retirement, state of MMA

Fedor Emelianenko has had nearly three years to reflect on the impact his career left on mixed martial arts.

The once-unbeatable Russian heavyweight is part of a very short list of candidates recognized as potentially the greatest of all time. What does (or did) that feel like being the greatest fighter on the planet?

"No reaction," Emelianenko answered through an interpreter. "I don't pay attention to it. I had my losses and there are other top fighters out there. I don't think about it."

Emelianenko's response is not an annoyed one. In fact, he has been downright talkative during his time in New York this week. He's in the U.S. until Saturday in a show of support to his "close friend," Bellator MMA president Scott Coker.

Coker has been known to pull a rabbit out of his hat when it comes to luring iconic fighters into his cage. Might there be something more to Emelianenko's stateside presence than a mere meet-and-greet with fans at the local Bellator-sponsor Dave & Buster's?

"It's a secret," Emelianenko responds before breaking into a soft laugh. "When it comes out, you'll be the first to know."

In reality, Emelianenko, 38, sounds comfortable in retirement.

He looks comfortable as well. When asked if he remains in fighting shape despite being retired, his translator takes the liberty of answering for him: "He's in great shape."

Emelianenko says a meeting between him and Coker in Japan late last year was the first time the two had shared a room in years. The times Coker has tried to gauge his interest in an athletic return, Emelianenko says he has been firm in his response.

"I'm retired," Emelianenko said. "That's always my answer.

"I keep myself very busy. Even though I have retired, I'm very involved with the sport. I had a long, very eventful career. I have that to be thankful for. Now, I have my family and I still train in the sport. That is enough for me at the moment."

Emelianenko lives and trains out of Moscow, but says he advocates for MMA around the globe. One of his primary objectives is to introduce MMA to a new audience -- not to produce more professional fighters, but to educate the more general public on it.

He is fundamentally pleased with the direction the sport is headed worldwide, although his longest responses during a 25-minute interview were reserved for the use of performance-enhancing drugs in combat sports.

Emelianenko went undefeated in MMA for nearly a full decade -- 28 fights -- and says he took no shortcuts along the way. The recent news of another name on the short list for greatest of all time, former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, failing two drug tests saddened him.

"It's extremely sad to see an athlete of that level, with so much experience behind him and so much technique, use steroids," Emelianenko said. "When it comes to the use of steroids, it should be enforced harder and more strictly penalized. Fighters really need to be educated on what it does. Awareness of the problem should be raised."

A fight against performance-enhancing drug use is one Emelianenko is still willing to take.

He watches Bellator and UFC events on a regular basis and is looking forward to Bellator's "British Invasion" card on Friday in Uncasville, Connecticut, but says he doesn't ever compare himself now to the top of the heavyweight division.

And regarding that "secret" reason Emelianenko is stateside: "All jokes aside, my career is a full stop. I am still involved very much, but from a different angle."

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