One of the more beloved stars in the sport has been hospitalized
due to the coronavirus, and he claims he is currently in
recovery.
On Thursday morning,
RT Sport first reported that Fedor
Emelianenko has come down with COVID-19, and as a result, he
has been sent to the hospital. Taken to Clinical Hospital No. 52 in
Moscow, his specific condition has not been specified but the
Russian took to Instagram to reassure the public that he is in good
spirits.
“Thanks to all who are genuinely concerned for my health,”
Emelianenko posted per a translation from
RT Sport. “I feel fine, I am going into recovery. I’m grateful
to the doctors and medical staff for their care and hard work.”
Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights to ever compete
in mixed martial arts, the 44-year-old has won five of seven since
emerging from retirement in 2015. The Russian said farewell to the
sport for the first time back in 2012, leaving the Strikeforce promotion to rattle off a trio of wins
over Jeff
Monson, Satoshi
Ishii and Pedro Rizzo.
His last performance came in December 2019, when he knocked out
fellow Pride Fighting Championships legend Quinton
Jackson.
With only a few fights left before the heavyweight truly hangs up
his gloves once and for all, Bellator MMA head Scott Coker wishes to place
Emelianenko in a goodbye
event in front of a massive crowd in Russia. Emelianenko
signed a contract with the organization in mid-2019 to keep him
among the roster until the end, and the COVID-19 pandemic delayed
those plans to a degree. His final bout is expected to take place
in Moscow, whenever it manifests after his recovery.