Fedor: I’m very happy to come back and fight in Japan

Last Saturday, Fedor Emelianenko announced that he would headline the inaugural event for an upstart MMA promotion in Japan headed by former Pride FC boss Nabuyuki Sakakibara. The event is scheduled to take place on December 31^st - a traditional New Year's Eve slot for the Last Emperor.

Although many expected Fedor to sign with the UFC, he will instead be part of a co-promotion between Sakakibara's new organization and Bellator. The event will be broadcasted on Spike TV.

Without offering any new information on his potential opponent, Fedor shared his thoughts on his return, as well as what he expects from Sakakibara's promotion.

"I am very happy that I could come back again and to fight in Japan," Fedor said in a statement released on UnionMMA.ru. "In this country, MMA has a rich history, and many fighters began their career there. My fight will take place in the framework of the new Japanese promotion, which will be headed by the former owner of PRIDE Nabuyuki Sakakibara. In the near future we will announce the name of my opponent. The tournament also will be attended by Russian athletes."

It remains unclear whether Fedor's deal with Sakakibara is for one or two fights but Fedor himself revealed that he is interested in fighting in Russia at some point in 2016. He made no mention of his latest negotiations with the UFC.