The Return of Emelianenko

In November, Russia will host the third ever UFC-sponsored tournament. Since September 2018, the Absolute Fighting Championship managed to organize a show in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and after a month and a half will return to the capital again. Meanwhile, his main rival is only going to hold an event for the first time in the country, which is represented by one of his main stars - heavy fighter Fedor Emelianenko.

This became known from Bellator President Scott Cocker. He posted a repost message on his Twitter page asking him about the intention of the promotion to host his first tournament in Russia. The functionary replied that negotiations on this issue were already underway, and also added that Emelianenko himself could take part in the show.

“We have several offers at once. I think that Fedor will fight in Russia and this will be timed to coincide with the launch of Bellator (in the state. - RT ), ”wrote Cocker.

Emelianenko spent his last fight in January 2019. In the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix finals, “The Last Emperor” suffered a heavy defeat from Ryan Bader, knocking out already at the 35th second. Subsequently, there were many rumors about the possible completion of a Russian career, but he signed a new contract with the promotion.

It is noted that under the new agreement, Fedor will hold several fights under the auspices of the Bellator and one of them may take place in Russia. True, in the context of the next fight Emelianenko, Japan is more often mentioned. So, it was noted that he could fight Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at the New Year's tournament in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Challenge Nurmagomedov and warning Saint-Pierre

Meanwhile, the list of possible opponents of the current UFC lightweight champion continues to grow. At the moment, the first challenger is Tony Ferguson, who recently demanded that Dana White schedule a fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at the UFC 245 tournament in Las Vegas, scheduled for December 14. As the head of the promotion himself reported, three title fights will be held at once on the show, while at the moment only two of them are announced. So, the holder of the flyweight title Amanda Nunez will fight with Germaine de Randamy, and featherweight Max Holloway will face off against Alex Volkanovsky.

At the same time, Ferguson is ready to take Leonardo Santos. The 39-year-old Brazilian has a series of 11 consecutive victories, seven of which were won in the UFC. Basically, he fought with middle-aged athletes, but also dealt with several famous athletes. So, in 2016, he prevailed over the strong Adriano Martins, and a year earlier he knocked out Kevin Lee.

“Those who are called contenders for the fight with Nurmagomedov have already conceded to me before. For example, Kevin Lee. I have a set of skills that can cause difficulties to Khabib Nurmagomedov. Dana White, give me this fight, ”Santos wrote on his Twitter page.

Over the past few weeks, a possible duel between Nurmagomedov and Georges Saint-Pierre has been actively discussed again. For the first time, rumors about his organization appeared in the fall of 2018, but were refuted by White. So, the president personally said that he was not interested in holding this battle.

Subsequently, the hype surrounding this battle was fueled by both sides, but in September Saint-Pierre admitted that he had lost interest in him. He said that he feels great “retired” and is not ready to resume his career for the sake of a fight with Nurmagomedov. White himself provoked new speculations on this subject, declaring that he was seriously considering the possibility of arranging a meeting between Khabib and Georges, and intended to discuss this issue with the Canadian.

However, the team of Saint-Pierre believe that he should not return to the octagon. This was stated by Arnold Allen, who has a series of six consecutive victories in the UFC.

“I would like him to stay retired. Because he is the only fighter who has not spoiled his image, which I can remember. As for me, he is the best of the best. In this regard, I have no doubt. But if he returns and continues to fight, this is simply an unnecessary risk, ”Allen quotes the Daily Star.

At the same time, he admitted that he would not be surprised if Saint-Pierre again enters the octagon.

“He still goes to the gym often. But he is a martial artist. He wants to continue to train and improve his technique and skill. I think that now his soul does not lie in fights. At least I hope so, ”Allen concluded.

Opponents for McGregor and Minakov

Already in late October, Vitaly Minakov may return to the octagon. On August 24, ex-Bellator champion won his first victory after returning to the American promotion, knocking out UFC veteran Timothy Johnson in 105 seconds. At the same time, Xavi Ayala was supposed to be his rival, but at the very last moment he refused the fight.

Apparently, in the promotion they are very interested in holding this battle and intend to push their opponents together at any cost. So, the meeting between Minakov and Ayala was re-scheduled, but this time for the Bellator 232 tournament. The event will be held on October 26 in the US city of Ankasville, and the main welterweight champion Rory MacDonald and Douglas Lima will fight in the main fight.

It is worth noting that at the moment in the asset of Minakov there are 22 victories with only one defeat. In February, the Russian lost in a unanimous decision to Cheika Congo and could not immediately join the fight for the Bellator heavyweight title. At the same time, such famous athletes as Antonio Bigfoot Silva, Alexander Volkov and Tony Johnson are among his “victims”.

As for Ayala, in his career he has gained the upper hand in 11 fights, losing in seven, but has several reasons for pride. So, in November 2016, in just 16 seconds, he knocked out Russian Sergey Kharitonov, and two years later sent Frank Mira, the former UFC champion, to the flooring.

If the date of Minakov’s return to the cage has already been officially announced, then the time and place of the next battle of Conor McGregor remains unknown. Over the course of six months, various rumors have been circulating in the media regarding the Irish's future rival, but they have not yet received official confirmation.

At the same time, coach of the former UFC champion in two weight categories, John Cavana, admitted that he would like to see a duel between McGregor and Frankie Edgar.

“I think this was what happened when Conor moved to featherweight. He is an ex-champion (in lightweight. - RT ), an excellent fighter. Yes, personally, I would really like this year, if possible, to see his duel with Frankie Edgar. And the second - in 2020, "- quotes the words of a specialist at MMA Fighting.

Cavana’s plans may be hindered by the fact that in recent years Edgar has been a featherweight champion, and in the near future he will completely drop a category below. Thus, one of the stumbling blocks during the organization of the fight can be the determination of the weight category, because McGregor is unlikely to again decide to lose up to 66 kg.

“Frankie has a style that is difficult to oppose. But at the same time, he is relatively familiar to us ... He is not large, quick, briskly works with his hands, fights well. But Edgar managed to fight everyone. He defeated such legendary fighters as BJ Penn and so on, ”concluded Cavana.

Visit of the President of Croatia

While Daniel Cormier is preparing for a rematch, Stipe Miocic continues to celebrate the return of the league title. At UFC 241, an American of Croatian descent knocked out his counterpart and for the second time in his career established himself in the status of the strongest heavyweight of the Absolute Fighting Championship.

The speech of Miocic impressed the inhabitants of his historical homeland so much that the president of Croatia herself met with the fighter. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovich personally flew to Cleveland and not only talked with the current UFC champion, but also held a training session.

“Croatian President Kolinda came to Cleveland and stopped to visit me. What an honor. She has a cool hook on the left! Thank you, Croatia, for always supporting me. I love everyone, ”Miochich wrote on Instagram.

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Posted by Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) Sep 23, 2019 at 2:15 am PDT