MMA Heavyweight Legend Fedor Emelianenko Has Some Pretty Controversial Views About Women’s MMA…
Fedor Emelianenko is an MMA legend. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. Most people agree that the ‘Last Emperor’ is one of the two best fighters never to fight in the UFC, alongside Ben Askren. However, he might have just talked himself out of a few fans.
The Russian is best known for his glory days as a champion in Japan for PRIDE. Most recently, he’s been fighting for Bellator and took out Frank Mir with a devastating KO. It sent a reminder to fans of just how lethal he was in his prime.
However, Emelianenko has just gone on record – again – to remind fans how much he hates women’s MMA. As the president of the Russian Mixed Martial Arts Union, he reiterated his views. Oh Fedor, you shouldn’t have. No. You really shouldn’t have.
Man’s Sport
Back in 2015, Emelianenko made the headlines for comments he made to WHOATV about women’s MMA, following Ronda Rousey’s win over Cat Zingano. He made it clear that women should stick to more feminine supports. He said:
“Women shouldn’t compete in UFC/MMA because this sport is for men. There are a lot of sports where women look like women – like gymnastics, water sports, maybe some athletics.”
Let’s not forget that in her prime, Rousey was the face of the UFC, alongside Conor McGregor. His response drew a massive backlash, but, at the end of the day, he didn’t really care. His estranged brother Alexander is much worse though: he infamously served prison time for rape. Fedor is practically a suffragette by comparison.
Conservative
Just in case you’ve forgotten what he thinks, Fedor decided to double-down on his views. He was attending a press conference at the Russian MMA championships. No women were allowed to take part in the competition. When asked why Emelianenko said:
“Personally, I am not a supporter of women’s fights” (translated).
That’s a pretty archaic view to have in 2018. One of the best fights of this year was Rose Namajunas vs Joanna Jedrzejcyk. Namajunas is also one of the most interesting champions in the UFC today.
Old Fashioned
Of course, the basis of Emelianenko’s opinion may be cultural. Russia is a lot more conservative when it comes to these things than the west. You can imagine that Amanda Nunes is probably Fedor’s worst nightmare: a female, homosexual champion. Still, he’s entitled to his opinion.
To be fair, it’s not that long since UFC President Dana White said that WMMA would never be a part of the UFC. Ronda Rousey almost single-handedly caused him to change his mind. Now even today, some of the most recognizable fighters on the roster are women.
There’s little argument that Cris Cyborg and Paige VanZant are two of the most popular MMA fighters in the world today. Rose Namajunas and Michelle Waterson also have big followings. Angela Lee is the biggest star in ONE FC, while Ilina-Lei McFarlane is now a headline act for Bellator. Move with the times!
