MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko is getting ready to face former UFC heavyweight star Matt Mitrione in the main event at Bellator 172 on February 18th. Emelianenko has fought some of the most legendary names in the sport and has been the the pride of Russian mixed martial arts for a very long time, but some new faces have begun to emerge, most notably Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov is also quickly becoming one of the most popular fighters in the sport as he’s climbed to the top of the UFC lightweight division. However, Fedor isn’t so sure the UFC wants him to be their champion and doesn’t understand why he’s had to wait so long to get an opportunity to fight for the title.
Speaking on “The MMA Hour” to Ariel Helwani, the former Pride FC king talked about Khabib’s rise in the UFC.
“I think Khabib is a very good fighter and he has everything going for him to become champion with the UFC. Another thing to continue is whether the UFC wants that or not.”
Fedor isn’t sure why this is the case and thinks it could simply be the UFC’s politics.
“That’s just the politics in the UFC. For me, a lot of UFC actions are still a mystery.”
