Japanese Fight Rumored for Fedor

In a full-bore MMA career lasting nearly seven years -- his training mat of Rings, you may recall, did not allow strikes to the head of a grounded opponent, among other variables -- Fedor Emelianenko has never fought a Judoka accomplished in prizefighting. Maybe that deficit is beginning to bother him.

MiddleEasy.com reports that Japanese newspaper Nikkan considers Emelianenko to be a probable opponent against the retiring Hidehiko Yoshida on April 25 for the debuting ASTRA promotion. Yoshida, 40, came dangerously close to a .500 record since his ring career began in 2002. He’s best known for two dogfights with Wanderlei Silva, a decision loss to fellow Olympian Rulon Gardner, and being absolutely the last man Emelianenko should be fighting. For any number of reasons.

Emelianenko was being pegged for a spring slot on a Strikeforce card against the far more relevant Fabricio Werdum, but contract renegotiations killed the fight. He’s now thought to be a summer presence for the organization, but any injury incurred while smashing Yoshida’s head could push it back further. More importantly, as the consensus No. 1 heavyweight, he should be entertaining fights that add something to his portfolio. Fans will want Emelianenko’s head for this, but it’s part of the Autonomy of Fedor: the freedom to hop on a plane and take meaningless fights whenever you get the urge.

Feel particularly bad for Yoshida. Only in Japan could your retirement party involve a sadistic Russian punching you in the face.