When former Pride FC champion Fedor Emelianenko announced last month that he'd be returning to MMA competition, he immediately become the biggest free agent on the market.
Given the Russian's relationship with promoter Scott Coker while competing under the Strikeforce banner years ago, many believed Bellator MMA would be the promotion to land the MMA legend. However, Coker recently told MMA Junkie that Bellator MMA is not interested in signing Emelianenko at the moment.
“We’ve had conversations, but not about fighting,” Coker said. “I just felt Fedor is a great legend. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of MMA. We had a great time doing the fights together with Fedor (in Strikeforce). I felt like we’ve done it already with Fedor.”
“Let’s let him come back and see how it works out for him, and then maybe we’ll have him fight a couple years down the line, or next year, or whatever. The door is open, but I felt like at this point, Bellator is kind of on a little bit of a roll here. Would he add a lot of value? Yes. But we’re just going to sit back and see what happens.”
With Bellator MMA out of the equation for Emelianenko's return, it is looking more likely that The Last Emperor will finally appear inside the Octagon.
Although he is still considered by some to be the best fighter in MMA history, Emelianenko never competed for the sport's most notable organization. Finishing his career with the UFC would allow him to fill a small gap in his otherwise outstanding legacy.
Should he join the UFC roster, Emelianenko would have a number of options for his return bout. Assuming he would still be competing in the heavyweight division, here are the best options for Emelianenko's first adversary in a potential UFC debut.
Frank Mir
Having spent almost his entire career competing under the UFC banner, Frank Mir has never had the chance to be matched up with Emelianenko despite being one of the best heavyweights ever.
Should Emelianenko sign with the UFC in the coming weeks or months, a bout between him and Mir could finally become a possibility. Although neither are in their prime, it would still be an intriguing matchup that could push the winner toward a title shot in an aging heavyweight class.
Mir has won two in a row and will have a chance to make it three in a row against Andrei Arlovski at UFC 191. While Emelianenko hasn't competed in over three years, picking up a fourth consecutive win against the Russian would probably give Mir the boost needed to get another crack at UFC gold.
Mirko Cro Cop
Like Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop recently retired before deciding to come back to MMA.
Early in 2015, the Croatian resigned with the UFC and made his return against Gabriel Gonzaga. Although many believed Cro Cop had seen his last UFC victory, he was able to avenge a loss to Gonzaga by knocking the Brazilian out in the third round.
Now scheduled to meet Anthony Hamilton in November, Cro Cop will have a good chance to build some more momentum to set up a big fight. That fight could be a rematch with Emelianenko if the UFC is able to lock up the blue-chip free agent.
In August 2005, Emelianenko met Cro Cop in what became one of the greatest fights in MMA history. Emelianenko ended up walking away with the decision nod a decade ago, but Cro Cop would probably love the opportunity to avenge another memorable loss.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
With three straight losses, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira could be heading into retirement soon.
Having not said anything to that effect, though, it seems like he is holding on for one more big fight. There aren't many bigger than a rematch with Emelianenko.
Emelianenko and Nogueira met twice under the Pride FC banner, with their first bout ending in a no contest and the second resulting in a decision win for the Russian. Given Nogueira's downward trajectory, this wouldn't be my first choice for Emelianenko's return matchup, but it could be the way to go if the UFC is looking to get The Last Emperor a win right out of the gates.
