Fedor Emelianenko Comments on Francis Ngannou Fight Rumors

Legendary MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko commented on rumors that he could be fighting Francis Ngannou.

The 50-year-old Emelianenko has not fought since a first-round TKO loss to Ryan Bader at Bellator 290 in February 2023. However, that has not stopped the rumor mill from matching him up against Ngannou in a battle between two of the top heavyweight free agents in MMA.

So, could this dream fight actually happen?

Fedor Emelianenko Open to Boxing Francis Ngannou

Speaking to Ushatayka, Emelianenko said that while he's interested in fighting Ngannou, it would have to be in boxing, as he believes he has dealt with too many injuries for this to currently be a viable matchup in mixed martial arts.

"If we're talking about a real dream, I'd be interested in fighting Francis Ngannou under boxing rules. I couldn't manage MMA now because I have too many injuries, but I'd have a go at him in boxing. That's just me thinking out loud. I never said we were in negotiations," Emelianenko said.

One promotion that Emelianenko never fought for was the UFC, as he was never able to agree to terms with UFC president Dana White to fight inside the Octagon.

While Emelianenko was a free agent several times in his career, he signed with promotions like Bellator MMA and Strikeforce instead of the UFC.

But according to Emelianenko, while it appears from the outside that White was not interested in signing him, the legendary Russian says that White did want to bring him into the Octagon, but every time he reached out to him, Emelianenko was under contract with another organization, and thus he couldn't fight in the UFC whenever White tried to sign him.

"He (Dana) came over saying he wanted me to fight for him, but one fight earlier I'd been a free agent. I was free, and they didn't sign me. It happened every time. When I'm free, they aren't interested. When I'm under contract, the offers start coming. But if you're under contract, you can't sign another one. There would be legal proceedings," Emelianenko said.