Weighing the New Options of Fedor Emelianenko (Again)

When news broke that Fedor Emelianenko's long-rumored comeback would take him to Rizin Fighting Federation, a new promotion helmed by former Pride Boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the MMA world unleashed a collective sigh of despair. This, after all, meant that the Russian great would not be testing his mettle in the UFC, where most of the sport's top fighters reside. Yet after a day or two to lament this fact, most fight fans were able to accept it. We'd still get to see "The Last Emperor" in action again—that was worth celebrating.

When Fedor's opponent was announced, however, the details were much harder to swallow. According to Rizin, the legendary heavyweight was penciled in for a New Years Eve date with Jaideep Singh, a reasonably accomplished kickboxer with a squat MMA record of 2-0. Today, Fedor may be a shadow of the destructive force he once was, but we'd still like his welcome-back committee to be at least somewhat credible. And while we certainly respect the kickboxing accolades of Mr. Singh, in the pro MMA arena, he just doesn't fit the bill. At all.

But alas, news has broken that Rizin is having second thoughts. After watching Singh underperform in his last bout, they appear eager to find Fedor another, more credible prom date. And while it's possible that they leave us scratching our heads again with a pick like Carlos Toyota (a 6-7-1 regular of the Asian MMA circuit), or or the 45-year-old Siala-Mou "Mighty Mo" Siliga, the good news is that, maligned as the heavyweight division is for its lack of real talent, there are still plenty of eligible fighters out there.

So who might we see Fedor in the ring with, if not Singh? Let's take a look at some of the possibilities.

For one, there are fighters of Fedor's vintage who, despite long and turbulent careers, are still out there competing in the far-flung reaches of the global MMA circuit—men like Ricco Rodriguez and Paul Buentello. Yet while these names might mean something to MMA's older fans, at this stage, they have faded into irrelevance and would only make marginally better choices than Singh. And while younger, more relevant free agents like Konstantin Erokhin and Marcin Tybura would make better opponents from a competitive standpoint, they, in turn, don't move the needle in the way that a prospective Fedor foil should.

And so the search continues.

Back in Pride's heyday, Fedor faced a number of fighters who either towered over him, or outweighed him by the approximate weight of a midsized sedan. If Mr. Sakakibara's predilection with this type of matchmaking still exists, it would not be shocking to see the Russian legend paired with former strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski, who fights at a KSW in his native Poland this Saturday. And of course, if we stick with the theme of nostalgia-sodden, Pride-style matchmaking, there's also a prospective clash between Fedor and fellow MMA legend, Sergei Kharitonov who, though prone to long stretches of inactivity, is still in the game. The two Russian greats could be paired in a matchup that would make old school fans drool—and one that stands out as perhaps the coolest choice out there for Fedor.

And yet the choices don't end there. There is also the ever-growing pool of UFC outcasts to pick from. Soa Palelei, for example, has apparently been considered by Rizin FF as a possible Fedor dance partner. And while the massive Australian announced his retirement just weeks ago, Fedor is the kind of legendary opponent that could yank pretty much any fighter out of retirement.

Recent UFC cast-off Shawn Jordan also apparently has his name in the hat, and is an especially compelling option as he's actually come out and campaigned for the fight himself. And though this bout would probably not be a far cry from Todd Duffee's playing the sacrificial lamb against Alistair Overeem at K-1 - Dynamite!! Power of Courage back in 2010, Jordan's athleticism and big-show experience could certainly make his prospective pairing with Fedor a fun one.

The pool of potential opponents for the Russian gets even deeper if Rizin can gain access to Bellator's roster. It was during Bellator's September Dynamite broadcast, after all, that Rizin's inception, and its partnership with Fedor were first announced. Furthermore, both organizations are closely tied to Spike TV. As a result, future roster swapping might not be out of the question. And outside of Kharitonov and Jordan, this avenue would probably produce the strongest choices for Fedor's new opponent

In such an event, the pick could be made from a roster that includes one-time UFC talent Cheick Kongo, former pro wrestler Bobby Lashley, MMA journeyman James Thompson, and of course, YouTube sensation turned MMA staple, Kimbo Slice. And depending on the outcome of the Viacom-Zuffa legal tug-of-war that's currently keeping him on the bench, that list might also soon include Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Sure, Rampage has spent his career as a light heavyweight, but he's always hated the cut to 205. Furthermore, he remains a hit in Japan and is a Pride legend in his own right. Of course it's unlikely, but for Rizin, there is probably no fight more lucrative than a pairing of Fedor and Rampage.

Whatever happens, however, the fact is that Rizin has dozens of choices from every walk of the fight game—and just about every one of them would make a better pick than the 2-0 kickboxing export Jaideep Singh.

Here's hoping the promising new promotion gets it right this time.