Fedor Emelianenko blasts ban on Russian fighters due to political sanctions

This week saw legendary MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko speak out about sanctions being imposed on Russian fighters. Although professional Russian fighters can still fight in promotions such as UFC and Bellator, amateur fighters may find it harder to perform. Specifically, the IMMAF has banned amateur Russians from competing which did not go down well with Fedor.

Speaking on the matter, he said “Somehow we succeed, always the slogan is “sports are out of politics”, but sports are primarily hit by politics. We hope that sanctioning countries, which are trying to put a spoke in our wheels, will still come to their senses. They will understand that without Russia they can’t get anywhere”

It’s fair to say that based on this, Fedor thinks very highly of Russian MMA. Judging by the number of Russian fighters on the likes of UFC, Eagle, and Bellator it looks like he has a point in terms of talent. It should also be understood that he’s also been a Russian politician with a friendly relationship with Putin, so he would obviously back Russia.

However, with sanctions – the point is not about talent and is instead about making a political point that goes beyond sports. Whether you agree with this or not, it looks as though amateur Russian MMA fighters will struggle to get fights for the foreseeable country, at least outside of their home country. On a separate note, Emelianenko also spoke about his desire to continue fighting in the coming months.