Fedor Emelianenko is a Russian mixed martial artist (MMA), four-time Pride FC Heavyweight World Champion, and multiple-time Combat Sambo World Champion. He was born on September 28, 1976, in the town of Rubizhne (Luhansk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR). Since early childhood, he has resided in Stary Oskol (Belgorod Oblast, Russia). He is one of the key figures whom Russian state propaganda exploits as a “symbol of Russian strength.”
Fedor Emelianenko's Stance on the War in Ukraine
Political Ties and Support for Putin
In 2010, he was elected as a deputy to the Belgorod Oblast Duma representing the pro-Kremlin ruling party United Russia. In 2012, by decree of Vladimir Putin, the athlete was appointed to the Presidential Council for Physical Culture and Sports. Emelianenko has repeatedly participated in official public events alongside Putin, publicly professing his admiration for him and describing the Russian dictator as being “made of steel.”
Although Fedor was born on the territory of Ukraine, he has always unequivocally identified himself as Russian. In his interviews, he recounted a telling episode from 2002, when organizers at a Pride league tournament in Japan introduced him under the Ukrainian flag. The fighter was deeply outraged and declared:
I told them: 'Are you out of your minds?' They replied: 'Well, you were born in Ukraine.' So what? I was born in Ukraine, but I am Russian, I hold a Russian passport, and I have been Russian all my life. And I told them: 'If you display it again, I will never come back to you.' They got the message.
Stance on Crimea and the War in the Donbas
In 2014, Emelianenko publicly supported the annexation of Crimea, declaring that “Crimea made the right choice by joining Russia.” In August 2014, the fighter visited occupied Crimea to take part in the “Tavrida 2014” youth forum. In 2017, he was added to the database of the “Myrotvorets” website for deliberately violating the state border of Ukraine and participating in propaganda activities in Russian-occupied Crimea.
During the outbreak of military hostilities in the Donbas, Emelianenko openly broadcast Russian propaganda narratives, accusing the Ukrainian government of “fascism” and “killing Russians simply for being Russian.”
Statements Following the Full-Scale Invasion
Following the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Fedor Emelianenko openly supported the actions of the Russian leadership and the so-called “special military operation.”
In May 2024, in an interview with the YouTube channel “Vremya Pokazhet,” he expressed his perspective on the ongoing war:
We are not fighting brotherly nations, but fascists, Nazis, and nationalists. We are not fighting a brotherly people; we are supporting a brotherly people. For any Orthodox believer, what is currently happening in Ukraine, what is taking place between our nations, is a great tragedy. Every Sunday we offer prayers that this veil falls from the eyes of the Ukrainian people, so that the schism in our Orthodox faith comes to an end.
Support for Mobilization in Russia
In September 2022, Fedor Emelianenko backed the mobilization drive in Russia. In an interview with Okko MMA, the fighter expressed indignation that many Russian citizens were attempting to evade the military draft, claiming that he himself felt zero apprehension about it, cloaking his rationale in religious fatalism:
Personally, I feel no anxiety whatsoever: everything is in God's hands, so one must have faith. We have become too attached to worldly things, which is why everyone is so anxious. Without the will of God, not a hair falls from our heads. It was a great eye-opener and a mild shock for me to read the news about what is happening at military enlistment offices and that people are fleeing, running from the draft.
According to Emelianenko, fighters on his combat team were prepared for mobilization:
There have been no draft notices yet, but everyone is waiting. The guys currently have contracts, and we'll see how things develop further...
Fedor Emelianenko unambiguously belongs to the category of public figures who advocate FOR the war. He publicly endorsed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, actively disseminates Kremlin propaganda tropes about “fascists” and “Nazis,” and has consistently supported the actions of the Russian regime and military mobilization.
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