Born on September 28, 1976, Fedor Emelianenko seemed to be destined to be one of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters who ever lived. Proving that he is anything but all hype, the Orange County Register, ESPN, The Houston Chronicle, The Wrestling Observer, The Fight Network and Inside MMA have all considered Fedor Emelianenko to be the best heavyweight fighter in the world at one point or another over the last five years. Known in fighting circles as The Last Emperor, Fedor Emelianenko has won just about every bout he has ever been in.

Fedor Emelianenko got off to an interesting start in life. He was born in Luhansk, part of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. The son of a steel worker father and an elementary school teacher, Fedor Emelianenko is not the only person in his family to know what it feels like to fight. In fact, all three of the boys in Fedor Emelianenkos family are involved in mixed martial arts. Ivan, Aleksander and Fedor Emelianenko are all professional fighters.

Of course, Fedor Emelianenko did not start out fighting right away. Instead, he finished high school in 1991 and went on to a professional trade school, where he graduated with honors. For two years, from 1995 to 1997, Fedor Emelianenko served in the Russian Army, where he worked as a military firefighter. Two years after he got out, Fedor Emelianenko married his long time sweetheart, Oksana. A few months after they were married, their first child, a daughter named Masha, was born.

When Fedor Emelianenko started getting involved in the world of fighting, he started out training in Sambo and judo. By the age of 10 years old, Fedor Emelianenko was well on his way to mastering both styles. Contrary to what many fans believe, Fedor Emelianenko was actually a very small child. In fact, he was not inherently talented at all and it was through sheer force of will alone that he learned to fight so well.

By 1997, Fedor Emelianenko had received the official certification of a Master of Sports in judo and Sambo. More importantly, however, he was invited to become a part of the Russian national team. The following year, Fedor Emelianenko earned the bronze medal n the Russian Judo Championship. In the year 2000, reportedly because he didnt have any money, Fedor Emelianenko started competing on a professional level in mixed martial arts and combat sambo.