Fedor Emelianenko

By FCF Staff

Although Fedor Emelianenko is expected to return to Rizin Fighting Federation for his next bout, the former PRIDE heavyweight champ has explained why he only signed a one fight deal with the promotion.

After signing with Rizin FF last fall, Emelianenko returned to the ring on New Year’s Eve and stopped Jaideep Singh in the first round. Since the win the Russian star has said he intends to fight for Rizin again, however, officially he’s not under contract with the organization.

While speaking with Sportbox.ru recently, Emelianenko outlined why he did not sign a multi-fight deal with the Japanese organization (quote via Bloody Elbow.com):

“Executive Director Nobuyuki Sakakibaran wanted to sign a long term contract with me last year, but I have to be cautious in this regard,” Emelianenko said. “Because I need to understand the form I’m in, whether I’ll be able to recover for the next fight and gain the form that I had before. And that’s why I did not give an agreement for a long-term contract with Rizin. A contract was signed for one fight. And then we will see.”

Emelianenko also reported that he’ll be meeting with Rizin officials in February to discuss his future.