Over 20 years of fighting and nearly 50 matches, Emelianenko officially retired from the match after the defeat of the knockout before the reigning champion of Heavyweight Bellator Ryan Bader in February 2023. Although 'The Last Emperor' has closed his career in the octagon cage, he is very excited with the opportunity to step on the boxing ring. At the age of 47, Emelianenko still kept a great passion for Boxing and he wanted to try a peak match.
The opponent that Emelianenko wanted to confront in the Boxing match had only one name in his head, the former UFC champion of Heavyweight Francis nunnou. Despite the difference in age and bodybuilding, the legend of Russia still yearns to be compared to the 'monster' nunnou.
Francis nunnou is the most ideal opponent I want to confront,” the legendary Fedor Emelianenko said in an interview with Red Corner MMA. “Although MMA is no longer suitable for my age, I am still confident in my ability on the boxing box. I want to have a match with a formidable opponent like the nunnou. It will be a great honor if it is comparable to one of the greatest boxers in the world. No matter how the end result is, I still look forward to fighting against rivals like Nunnou.”
After leaving UFC in early 2023, Ngunnou had an impressive debut in the boxing arena. The battle with the reigning WBC Tyson Fury championship ended with the defeat, but it proved the bravery and ability of the former UFC championship.
After the battle with Tyson Fury, the nunnou 'monster' will face Anthony Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia. This is the talent that both expect the most.