How big a deal is Fedor Emelianenko? Well, he's getting a pat on the back from Russian President Vladimir Putin, so he must be a pretty big deal in his homeland. And according to UFCJunkie.com, he's about to become a pretty big deal in the United States, too.
The UFC considers the signing of famed PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko (26-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to be "inevitable" and is confident a deal could be reached soon....Emelianenko is considered by many experts the best mixed-martial arts fighter in the world, and he's by far the most popular fighter who isn't already under contract to UFC. Adding him to the stable would set up some great fights in the UFC's heavyweight division.UFC president Dana White stated in a recent newspaper interview that he was close to signing Emelianenko to a UFC deal.
Our source says that the general consensus inside the UFC is that it's a done deal.