A legend bows out - is Fedor the heavyweight GOAT?

"Is there somebody else who has done more in this sport? I'm not sure."

Emelianenko, nicknamed 'The Last Emperor', will compete for the 48th and final time when he faces Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title at Bellator 290 in California on Saturday.

The Russian, 46, has won 40 of his 47 bouts during a distinguished career which started 23 years ago.

He established his legacy in former Japanese promotion Pride, where he became heavyweight champion and remained undefeated in 14 fights over a memorable four-year stretch, before growing his reputation with notable victories across a number of further organisations.

And Coker, who first promoted Emelianenko during his time in Strikeforce from 2009, regards him as the best heavyweight in history.

"Fedor's body of work has been amazing. Pound-for-pound or in the legacy of what he's done, I haven't seen anybody out there who's done more," said Coker.

"That's just how I feel. You're talking about a fighter that's still explosive, that's still fast, that's still dangerous. He's proven that in his last fights.

"To see his career over all those years - and I just recently went back and watched him fighting Mirko [Cro Cop], Kevin Randleman, [Antonio] Nogueira and Andrei Arlovski - the 10-year undefeated run where he was fighting the baddest people on the planet, it's very impressive."

• My job is to spoil Fedor's party - Bader

Emelianenko's aura is enhanced by his finishing rate, which includes 32 stoppages from 40 wins.

His ability to end fights comes from his aggressive fighting style, one which has won him many MMA fans around the world.

The argument for him being the best heavyweight of all time is contested by some, including Bader, but he is widely-believed to be the greatest fighter to never compete in the UFC.

Emelianenko says he has "no regrets" about not joining the UFC, regarded by most as the world's premier MMA promotion.

"I fought many UFC champions [throughout my career] and I was beating them all, so it doesn't really bother me that I didn't fight there," Emelianenko said on Ariel Helwani's MMA Hour.

"There was a moment when the UFC purchased Pride that it was a possibility, but [UFC president] Dana White didn't sign the contract. That's why [it didn't happen]."

'Remember me for my skills, not trash-talking'

Emelianenko went on a 28-fight unbeaten streak between 2000 and 2010

The longevity of Emelianenko's career strengthens the discussion around him being the best ever heavyweight.

Even in his mid-40s, Emelianenko still carries the fearsome power he displayed in his prime during his spell in Pride.

Since 2018 he has four wins from five Bellator fights, with each victory coming via a first-round knockout.

"I've surprised myself that I'm still able to fight at this level after all these years," said Emelianenko.

"I've preserved myself pretty well. And of course, thank you to my team because they support me all the time. I have a pretty good package of different skills, so I tried to preserve them until my later age.

"I never expected or imagined that I would have the career that I had."

The fight with Bader is a rematch of their fight four years ago, where Emelianenko suffered a disappointing first-round defeat.

American Bader, 39, has since defended his title twice, while Emelianenko has won two bouts in the same period.

Ultimately, Emelianenko hopes his performances inside the cage will define his legacy when he retires.

"I want to be remembered by MMA fans as an athlete who gained his popularity and his fan base based on his skills," he added.

"Based on his fighting skills, not based on his trash talking or any of that nasty stuff that's popular right now. That's how I want to be remembered."

'This sport is in my blood'

Complementing his fighting career, Emelianenko trains other athletes, including Bellator light-heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov, among others.

Russian Nemkov, 30, beat Bader for the light-heavyweight belt in 2020 and has defended it three times since, extending his unbeaten run in Bellator to nine fights.

Emelianenko says he's proud to have paved the way in the sport for fighters like Nemkov to flourish.

"It's awesome to see my younger team-mates having so much success," he said. "Now there's a new generation of fighters coming over and winning belts and having good careers. There's a legacy that I'm leaving behind.

"I will still be involved in MMA [when I retire] because I have my team. These guys are like my family and no matter what, I will always be next to them all the time.

"I've been in sports all my life, and this sport is part of my life. No matter what I do, I'm going to share my experiences and my knowledge in this sport. This sport is in my blood."

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