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Fedor Emelianenko Returns To The Ring

Fedor Emelianenko/Photo: Jared Ryder

How are you planning on spending your New Year’s Eve? Maybe you’ll have a few beers with friends, kick in the 2008 with a live show, or possibly just sit alone in a room, weeping gently while you contemplate suicide. Oddly enough they all sound like better options than Fedor Emelianenko’s night. The number one heavyweight MMA fighter in the world will take on seven-foot, two-inch, 360-pound Korean kickboxer Hong Man Choi, a.k.a. Techno Goliath (we shit you not), in Japan’s Saitama Super Arena. We caught up with Emelianenko before they announced his upcoming fight, thus we have no questions along the lines of, “We know you’re a badass but why the hell did you sign up to fight Asia’s version of Shaq?” But he did fill us in on his desire to have a shot at Randy Couture, even if it means fighting some place with no cameras and no contracts to get in the way.

Read our interview with Fedor after the jump.

Complex: Randy Couture has named you as the only fighter in MMA left that he wants to fight. Is he at the top of your list as well?
Fedor Emelianenko: I’m very pleased with such high praise and I treat him the same way.

Complex: What was the main differences between fighting in America and in Japan?
Fedor Emelianenko: Of course everything differed, different culture, and different fans. The atmosphere in both countries was over the top. I was really glad to know that [the fans] were happy to see me.

Complex: Is it important for you to fight in the US and build a name here, or are you content to fight primarily in Europe and Japan?
Fedor Emelianenko: It’s important. I would like for people to know me better and to show them what I can do.

Complex: Was the purchase of Pride good or bad for MMA?
Fedor Emelianenko: [Sighs] I think that the Pride organization disappeared and I think that’s bad. I think Pride was number one.

Complex: Will you seek to fight the champions of the major fight leagues?
Fedor Emelianenko: I would like to take part in all competition with all the fighters, the strongest ones. I want to fight the best. That’s why we created this kind of an organization so all the champions could participate and not be locked in one organization but interact with each other.

Complex: Do you have any words for Dana White or the UFC fans that wanted to see you fight Randy Couture in the Octagon?
Fedor Emelianenko: I don’t know what to say to Dana White, I’ve never met him. We’ve never seen each other. We’ve never spoken. To the fans who were expecting the fight I can tell you that it will happen…I hope. I really like [Couture] and I have a deep respect for him. I like the way he fights. And I really like him as a person.

Complex: If contracts got in the way would you seek out Randy to meet in a gym somewhere with no cameras, and settle the debate over who is the better fighter?
Fedor Emelianenko: Of course.

To learn more about the fight head to M-1Global.com. Catch the fight live on HDNet at 6 a.m. eastern on December 31st (or at least set your DVR unless you like a little bloodsport with your coffee).