Overview
- Emelianenko said he plans to enter the Russian Combat Sambo Championship after he turns 50 in 2027, telling Russian outlets he wants to compete again.
- He said he has started training and holds a letter of intent, and he plans to meet organizers in Serbia, though he warned the bout could still be cancelled.
- The planned return is in combat sambo, a Russian martial art that mixes throws, submissions, and strikes, rather than a bout inside an MMA cage.
- He last fought in MMA in 2023, when Ryan Bader knocked him out at Bellator 290, and he has since focused on coaching fighters such as Vadim Nemkov.
- The move echoes his roots, as he won multiple national and world titles in combat sambo and built a PRIDE-era legacy that included a 28-fight unbeaten run from 2001 to 2009.