Video | Fedor Emelianenko’s younger brother Ivan wins MMA debut at age 35

By Fernando Quiles - May 28, 2023

Ivan Emelianenko, the younger brother of Fedor, has made his MMA debut.

Ivan Emelianenko

Emelianenko was featured on the REN TV Fight Club card in Moscow, Russia. The Dynamo Volleyball Arena played host to the event. Emelianenko’s opponent was Alexei Ledenev. The 35-year-old Emelianenko won the fight via unanimous decision.

RELATED: FEDOR EMELIANENKO REVEALS THE FAVORITE FIGHT OF HIS LEGENDARY MMA CAREER

Ivan Emelianenko’s Debut

Here are video highlights of the fight:

Ivan’s brother, Fedor, recently retired from pro MMA competition. “The Last Emperor” told reporters how it felt to go out on a loss to Ryan Bader at Bellator 290 (h/t MMAJunkie).

“On one side, I’m sad, of course, that I didn’t deliver in the fight like I wanted to,” Emelianenko said. “But on the other, I’m so happy that all these people are here cheering for me, and all these veteran fighters that walked the path with me for almost the last 20 years are here to greet me. I’m very happy. I’m so happy to see all the fighters that are here to support me. Thank you so much.”

“The Last Emperor” later appeared on MMAFighting’s “The MMA Hour” and revealed his favorite fight of his legendary career.

“The first fight with Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira,” Emelianenko said.

Fedor’s pro MMA career ended with a record of 40-7, 1 NC. He held gold under Pride Fighting Championships and RINGS.

It’s quite interesting that Ivan would now follow in the footsteps of his brothers, Fedor and Aleksander, given his age. Time will tell if this was just a one-off for Ivan, or if he’ll stick with it after beating a former Russian judo champion.

Aleksander fought on the same card that Ivan did and the result was rather questionable. Aleksander fought Russian vlogger Evgeny Ershov, and initially, the Internet star scored a TKO victory. The bout was restarted upon request from Ershov, and Aleksander picked up the submission.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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Fedor Emelianenko