Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko was recently scratched off the next Affliction fight card, which is scheduled to take place on October 11 and already headlines Josh Barnett vs. Andrei Arlovski as the main event.
Unfortunately, Fedor hurt his hand during his 36-second rear-naked choke submission win over former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia at the first Afflicion fight card. In an interview conducted not too long, Fedor tells us the status of his injury. He states that his hand continues to bother him, but all he’ll need is some extra time for it to heal. Most importantly, surgery is not a factor and expects to return in the third Affliction event whenever that may be.
The Sambo fighter also talked about participating in the traditional New Year’s fight card. Fedor has made it a habit to end the year with a gift for his Japanese fans. He adores the Japanese fans who always supported him throughout the years. He says that they are the ones who made him the superstar he is today. Fedor was a huge part of Japan’s PrideFC from June of 2002 until the day the organization was sold to the Fertitta brothers in May of 2007. Fedor will always be cheered for the great memories he provided over at PrideFC and patiently wait for his presence on New Year’s eve. Here’s what he had to say:
“If I had my choice, it would be a great desire of mine to fight on New Year’s Eve…It’s become a tradition. It’s become something the Japanese have been waiting for, and it’s something I’d like to fulfill to my Japanese fans. That’s part of the reason why we’re here, if it could be possible.”
