Fedor Emelianenko Returning to MMA, Ends 3-Year Retirement

Fedor Emelianenko's emotionless face was often the last thing his opponents saw before everything went black. The man is known by many names—The Last Emperor, legend, icon, destroyer. But for those who knew him best, Emelianenko was simply the greatest heavyweight in MMA history.

After spending three years in retirement, the former Pride heavyweight champion is coming back for another MMA run. BloodyElbow.com confirmed the news Tuesday after speaking with multiple sources close to the situation.

Russian website Union MMA was the first to break the story.

The now 38-year-old Emelianenko claims he has maintained physical form during his time on the sidelines. But after working to help develop Russian MMA behind the scenes, he feels the time has come for him to step back into the ring.

He said in a statement, "During my time at the Ministry, I was able to work on the development of the sport, work closely with the presidents of sports federations, recognize the problems from within the sport and, as far as possible, try to solve them. But now I feel that it is time to return to the ring."

There is no word yet as to what promotion Emelianenko could be leaning toward in his return. Many would expect Bellator to be one of the top suitors given the MMA legend’s close working relationship with Bellator President Scott Coker from his days in Strikeforce.

After losing three consecutive fights in Strikeforce, Emelianenko finished his career competing in Russia and Japan. He officially retired from fighting in June 2012 after knocking out Pedro Rizzo in the first round of an M-1 Global event.

There is certainly more information to come. Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as more news becomes available in this developing story.

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.