Kiev’s demands go against the “principles we stand for,” Thomas Bach says
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has criticized Ukraine’s calls to boycott the Paris 2024 Games if Russian athletes are allowed to take part. The role of the Olympics is to unify, not escalate and contribute to confrontation, he said.
“It’s not up to governments to decide who can take part in which sports competitions because this would be the end of international sport competitions… as we know it,” Bach told journalists on Sunday.
In late January, the IOC said it may allow athletes from Russia and Belarus who do not publicly support Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics under a neutral flag.
The announcement angered Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who called on countries to boycott the Games if this happens. Speaking on Friday, Zelensky said the presence of Russian athletes would be a “manifestation of violence” that “cannot be covered up with some pretended neutrality or a white flag.”
In comments cited by France 24, Bach stated that “history will show who is doing more for peace, the ones who try to keep lines open and communicate or the ones who want to isolate and divide.”
Our role is bringing people together.
Ukraine’s calls for a boycott of the Summer Olympics go against the “principles we stand for,” he said.
Bach added that these calls are premature, saying: “we are talking about the sporting competitions to take place this year. There is no talk about Paris yet, this will come much later.”
In deciding the fate of Russian and Belarusian athletes, the IOC must address the “serious concerns” of the UN Human Rights Council that banning them “only because of their passports is a violation of their rights,” he explained.
“We have seen a Belarusian player under neutral status winning the Australian Open. So why shouldn’t it be possible in a swimming pool for instance, or in gymnastics?” the IOC chief said. He was referring to the success of tennis star Aryna Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open in Melbourne last month.
Bach added, however, that Ukrainian athletes should “know how much we share their grief, their human suffering and all the effort we’re taking to help them” as a result of the conflict.
Islam Makhachev retained his world title in a hard-fought battle in Australia
Russian champion Islam Makhachev defended his UFC lightweight title early on Sunday in an intense, five-round battle against hometown favorite Alex Volkanovski in Perth, Australia in the UFC 284 headliner.
Makhachev, the fearsome Dagestani grappler, entered the cage as the reigning 155lb champion, but faced a stern challenge from the Australian, who was moving up from the featherweight (145lb) division he has dominated in a bid to become the UFC’s latest two-division titleholder.
But after a back-and-forth contest which saw both men tested on their feet and on the ground, it was Makhachev’s persistent aggression and suffocating grappling which proved enough to earn a unanimous decision victory on the judges’ scorecards.
“Thank you Alex. It was a very good fight,” said Makhachev after what will likely be considered by far the toughest bout of his recent career. “I need some tough fights. I have to improve. I [thought] he’s going to be easy on the ground but this guy improved a lot.”
The victory will almost certainly see Makhachev succeed Volkanovski at the summit of the UFC’s official pound-for-pound rankings to determine the world’s best fighter across all weight classes when the latest list is issued on Monday. It was the first time in the UFC’s 30-year history that the fight league’s top two ranked pound-for-pound fighters fought in the Octagon.
“I show why I’m number one,” Makhchev added in his post-fight interview. “They have to improve more. You like or you don’t like but I am the best fighter in the world right now.”
Volkanovski, who was fighting in front of a fiercely partisan crowd Down Under, added his congratulations to Makhachev afterwards.
“Obviously a lot of people are going to be happy with that because they never gave me a chance,” said the Aussie, who had Makhachev in trouble on several occasions in the five-round fight. “I knew I prepared properly, it was a fun fight. Congrats to Islam.”
Makhachev, who has now won 12 straight fights, stands alone at the top of the UFC lightweight division. His victory ensures continued Dagestani dominance in the organization’s lightweight fold – just like the man he succeeded at the top of the division, his close friend and training partner Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The curtain comes down on one of the most illustrious careers in mixed martial arts this weekend when Fedor Emelianenko competes at Bellator 290
On Saturday night in California, mixed martial arts will wave a final goodbye to Fedor Emelianenko, a man widely regarded as among the best fighters of all time. It is fitting that the last contest for ‘The Last Emperor’ will be for the heavyweight world title at Bellator 290, where he will be afforded the chance to avenge a previous defeat to US rival Ryan Bader.
But win or lose, Emelianenko’s legacy as one of MMA’s most revered fighters is already secure, following a career that has spanned more than 20 years.
Remaining undefeated for almost a decade at his peak, the 46-year-old Russian is a legend to fans and fellow fighters, producing some of the most memorable moments his sport has ever witnessed.
While Russia has seen the emergence of megastars and champions in UFC, Bellator, and other leagues, it was Emelianenko who made his mark as his country’s first true MMA icon.
EARLY YEARS
Born in 1976 in the city of Rubizhne in Lugansk, Emelianenko was brought up in a working-class family headed by a welder father and teacher mother in the Belgorod region of western Russia.
Starting to practice Sambo and judo around the age of 11, Emelianenko was not a standout pupil according to his former instructor Vladimir Voronov, but was a hard worker.
After a spell in the Russian Army from 1995-1997, Emelianenko received Master of Sports certification and competed for the Russian national team, before deciding to pursue a professional career in MMA.
Emelianenko pictured competing at a Sambo event in 2009 – he has a longstanding love of the sport.
Appearing under the banner of the ‘Rings’ promotion, Emelianenko impressively submitted Bulgarian rival Martin Lazarov via a guillotine choke in round one of his 2000 debut in Ekaterinburg.
The result set off an impressive 4-0 start to Emelianenko’s career, although in his second contest on foreign shores he suffered a controversial loss to Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in Osaka after just 17 seconds due a TKO doctor stoppage.
It was to be a decade before Emelianenko tasted defeat again as he embarked on an iconic unbeaten run between April 2001 and June 2010 which has become the stuff of MMA folklore.
Finishing a multitude of rivals in the first round by submissions and knockouts, Emelianenko’s 28-fight unbeaten streak included the scalps of four ex-UFC champions, a Pride FC champion, one former and two future K-1 champions, and two Olympic medalists.
Moving on to join the Japanese-based Pride Fighting Championships in 2002 after winning the Rings ‘King of Kings’ tournament, Emelianenko entered the title picture a year later when he met the heavily-favored Brazilian Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira as an underdog at Pride 25.
Nogueira had won the ‘King of Kings’ tournament himself in 2000, when Emelianenko had been controversially eliminated by Kohsaka. The Brazilian was also coming off big wins against Bob Sapp and Hearth Herring, and was feared due to his durability and jiu-jitsu submission skills.
That was no matter for Emelianenko, who neutralized the threat from Nogueira before brutally dominating with a ground and pound to earn a unanimous decision win. Emelianenko was crowned just the second heavyweight champion in Pride history.
According to Fedor himself, his contest with Nogueira, which ended the Brazilian’s 14-fight unbeaten streak, remains his favorite. “I had to activate my fighting IQ and find keys to victory. At that time, he was the best fighter in the world,” said the Russian.
Going on to win a Heavyweight Grand Prix and avenging his defeat to Kohsaka, Emelianenko then took part in what was to be widely dubbed as MMA’s ‘Fight of the Decade’ when he beat Croatian great Mirko Cro Crop by unanimous decision in August 2005, despite having his nose broken.
Emelianenko’s fight with Cro Cop would go down in history.
Emelianenko never lost his Pride heavyweight title and successfully defended it for the last time against Mark Hunt on New Year’s Eve 2006.
That was followed by a win against South Korean giant Hong-man Choi, in a fight where Emelianenko made light of the almost laughable size difference between the pair.
In 2007, Emelianenko used a special clause in his contract that allowed him to fight under other banners as long as the event was held on Russian soil.
Emelianenko beat Matt Lindland in St. Petersburg, and then won the inaugural World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) heavyweight championship with a Submission of the Year in July 2008 over Tim Sylvia after just 36 seconds at ‘Affliction: Banned’.
“I know that I’m one of the best in the world, I was amazed at how good Fedor is,” said a stunned Sylvia. “He hurt me right away and submitted me. The guy’s a stud. I don’t even think he’s human. That guy hits hard. I’ve never been hit that hard before.”
By that stage, Emelianenko was a bona fide superstar, enjoying audiences with the likes of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and attracting crowds at public events in his homeland.
Emelianenko pictured with Putin and former Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi in 2007.
One of the enduring questions from Emelianenko’s career will always be why he never signed with the UFC – the promotion which has come to be seen as the final destination for the MMA elite. While an agreement was never signed, sealed, and delivered, there was contact between the two sides at various points.
In 2010, UFC president Dana White said that signing the Russian had become an obsession for him. “I want it worse than the fans want it,” White said of bringing Emelianenko into the promotion.
Attempting to make a fight between Fedor and UFC superstar Brock Lesnar, White blamed members of the Russian’s entourage, who he claimed thought they were “too cool, too slick and too f**king funny” to strike a deal, accusing them of making “the biggest f**k-up in the history of all sports.”
The figures for the deal were purportedly as much as $2 million per fight, but White refused to accept a co-promotion with St. Petersburg’s M-1 Global banner headed by Vadim Finkelchtein.
White mocked Finkelchtein and branded his demands, which allegedly included constructing an M-1 arena in Russia, as egregious. Finkelchtein denied the claims and said White had refused to allow Emelianenko to perform combat Sambo, which was “very important to him.”
THE DEFEAT THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD
White said he warned Emelianenko that he was just “one punch away from being worth zero.” While this didn’t prove true, the words were something of a bad omen.
After he signed a three-year deal with Showtime to fight for Strikeforce, Emelianenko – who by that stage was 33 years old – suffered his first loss in a decade on his debut in June 2010, in one of the biggest upsets of all time against unfancied Brazilian Fabricio Werdum.
The Werdum loss was followed by two more defeats, and a reflective Emelianenko said of his change in fortunes: “Yes, I’ve lost my last fights, but every time there were definite reasons for that. Some changes in my family took place at that time and they affected my performance. Certainly, there were mistakes in my preparations.”
“In the three bouts I lost, I felt like I could’ve won. But the win somehow eluded me. I felt I could do it. I had chances, but God’s will was different,” added the deeply religious fighter.
Indeed, faith plays an important part in Emelianenko’s life; he is a man with a calm, softly-spoken demeanor which comes in stark contrast to the brutal punishment he dishes out in the cage. This lack of ego is something that has further endeared Emelianenko to fans, with the famous, somewhat garish sweater he often wore at press events even gaining its own mystique.
Although a family man, Emelianenko has drifted apart from his brother Aleksandr, a fellow fighter particularly renowned in Russia, whom Fedor claimed “said and did all sorts of crap, all sorts of nasty stuff.”
“The rift happened a long time ago,” Fedor explained in 2021. “The only person who could say the opposite point of view to Aleksandr in his eyes was me. It was a kind of conscience he had.”
“His conscience wouldn’t let him open his mouth in [my] direction. He sat and listened with a dejected look. Apparently, he got tired of it and broke off the relationship.”
IN AND OUT OF RETIREMENT
Amid retirement rumors and following his run of defeats, Emelianenko returned to action in November of 2011 and put three wins together in the space of seven months. But after the last of those fights in mid-2012, following victory over Pedro Rizzo in St. Petersburg on an M1-Global card, Emelianenko did step away from MMA.
As ever, White was waiting in the wings to try and lure him to the UFC, but failed once more. This time more respectful than when negotiations had broken down three years previously, White hailed Emelianenko as “one of the greatest heavyweights ever.”
Emelianenko took time away from competition between 2012 and 2015.
But by now managed by his wife Oksana and the Russian MMA Union, Emelianenko shocked the combat sports world in July 2015 when releasing a statement that read “I feel that it is time to return.”
Given that he had parted ways with M-1 Global, rumors spread that Fedor would finally put pen to paper with the UFC, and Finkelchtein claimed that he had instigated talks between the two parties.
With Emelianenko also confirming in a Q&A that negotiations were in progress and that his wish was to face the “strongest fighters in the world,” another surprise was in store when he subsequently announced he would fight for Rizin, run by ex-Pride FC boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara, on New Year’s Eve 2015 in Saitama.
After the dust had settled, Emelianenko blamed the UFC’s “draconian and oppressive” contract – which he thought was “one-sided” – for a third failure to come together. “I’m not ready to sign such an enslaving contract. First of all, they should show respect for the fighters – the kind of respect I receive in Japan.”
In fighting terms, Emelianenko extended his winning streak to five victories with a comeback win over Jaideep Singh and a decision victory over Gabriel Maldonado in the summer of 2016 in St. Petersburg, in what was a particularly bruising contest.
Emelianenko earned a decision win against Maldonado despite a brutal encounter.
In another change of organization for Emelianenko, it was confirmed in a WWE-style announcement during Bellator 165 in November 2016 that the Russian would be heading to the promotion to face heavyweight rival Matt Mitrione. Emelianenko emerged through smoke at the event and told a rapturous crowd “I’m happy to be fighting in Bellator.”
The Russian appears to have been happy with Bellator ever since. Though he dropped a first-round TKO loss to Mitrione in New York, he notched two impressive early finishes against Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen in the Heavyweight World Grand Prix quarterfinals and semifinals in 2018, ahead of losing the final to Bader in January 2019 – a defeat which Emelianenko has the chance to avenge this Saturday.
Demolishing Quinton Jackson by TKO in Japan in December 2019, Emelianenko hasn’t been seen in the cage since knocking out Timothy Johnson in Moscow in October 2021 at Bellator 269, in what was an emotional homecoming at the VTB Arena.
“It’s a huge event for us,” Emelianenko said at the time about fighting in his homeland. “It’s been a while since I last fought in Russia, so it is a very big deal and I’m happy that we managed to be successful.”
Emelianenko and Bellator bosses had harbored hopes of holding his farewell fight on Moscow’s Red Square, which would have provided the perfect swansong, although those plans were shelved due to the conflict in Ukraine.
As it turns out, the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, will provide the setting where Emelianenko gets one last chance at glory against Bader this weekend.
MMA BIDS FAREWELL TO A LEGEND
With Russian Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov under his tutelage, Emelianenko will have plenty to focus on even once he has retired. He also leads the Russian MMA Federation, symbolizing the enduring importance of Emelianenko for the sport in his homeland.
Such is his legacy, even if Emelianenko comes out second best against Bader on Saturday, he is already assured of a place in the Pantheon of MMA greats.
Antonio Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Hunt, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, and Heath Herring – during his career Emelianenko has defeated some legends of the sport and inspired new ones.
“When you talk about heavyweights, Fedor’s body of work has been amazing. Pound for pound, or in the legacy of what he’s done, I haven’t seen anybody out there who’s done more,” Bellator president Scott Coker said this week ahead of Emelianenko’s final fight.
Though the likes of former UFC two-weight champion Daniel Cormier, who was himself known as ‘Black Fedor’ at the beginning of his career, have questioned if Emelianenko could have competed with the elite of the late 2000s in the UFC, other respected figures have described the Russian as unquestionably the greatest MMA heavyweight – with Sports Illustrated and numerous other big outlets naming him the best fighter of the first decade of the 2000s.
“Fedor is the greatest, no doubt,”stated former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos. “For me, in a matter of admiration, he is the greatest of all time. He is a heavyweight who beat everybody. He certainly was ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet.’”
Plaudits have also come from the likes of Mike Tyson, who revealed back in 2012: “Fedor Emelianenko, my favorite of all time… He’s always been the underdog, he’s always the smallest guy and he always comes out victorious.”
Emelianenko has enjoyed a happy relationship with Bellator.
Given his previous retirement reversals, there have inevitably been questions as to whether Emelianenko really will call it quits this time – but he is adamant that the fight with Bader will be his last.
“No,” Emelianenko answered without hesitation to ESPN this week when asked whether he could fight again after Saturday. “Family is first. They’ve been waiting for me for a very long time.”
And as for the UFC, Emelianenko has no lingering regrets, saying: “Whatever God gave me, I was very happy with it. You don’t have to think about things that never happen. You have to live in the moment and be happy with what you have.”
MMA fans will certainly feel thankful that Fedor Emelianenko has graced their sport for more than 20 years, and that they can savor one last chance to witness ‘The Last Emperor’ this Saturday night.
The Serb now has 22 majors to his name, level with Rafael Nadal on the men’s all-time list
Novak Djokovic won a record-equaling 22nd Grand Slam title as he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the Australian Open final on Sunday. At the same time, Djokovic extended his record number of titles in Melbourne with a 10th triumph at the tournament.
After surging out of the blocks to take the first set at Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic was made to work by third seed Tsitsipas in the second and third sets. But the Serb applied his hallmark intensity to break the resistance from his Greek rival, winning 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) in a contest lasting two hours and 56 minutes.
With the title, Djokovic moves level with Spanish great Rafael Nadal on 22 Grand Slams at the pinnacle of the men’s all-time list. After Nadal’s latest injury woes in Australia and Djokovic’s own imperious march to yet another title, many will tip the Serb to move out on his own at the top of those standings – even with Nadal’s favored French Open next up on the Grand Slam calendar.
Djokovic, 35, arrived back in Australia this year after his notorious deportation 12 months ago. He insisted that he did not bear a grudge, but at the same time acknowledged that it was not the kind of experience that could be easily forgotten.
The ordeal has certainly not blunted Djokovic’s iron will – something which has been as evident as ever during the past fortnight in Melbourne. The Serb was forced to contend with a hamstring injury early on during the tournament – later reacting angrily to suggestions that he was making a meal of the ailment.
Then followed the row surrounding his father Srdjan and a photo with a group of pro-Russian fans, with Djokovic lamenting the media coverage of the incident as another unwanted distraction.
But on the court, Djokovic has not wavered from his task. He has been imperious in ensuring that he remains unbeaten in Melbourne since 2018, with Sunday’s final his 28th successive victory at the Australian Open. Remarkably, Djokovic has not lost any of the 10 finals he has contested at a tournament that he has firmly made his own.
Sunday’s title win means Djokovic returns to the summit of the ATP ratings as world number one. For Greek star Tsitsipas, 24, another chance at a maiden major title has gone begging after he was beaten by Djokovic in the final of the French Open in 2021, but he will hope to return again for a shot at Grand Slam glory and has time on his side.
After paying tribute to Tsitsipas, an emotional Djokovic described his latest title win as “one of the most challenging tournaments” of his career. “Only the team and family know what we’ve been through the last four or five weeks. This probably is the biggest victory in my life, considering the circumstances,” said the Serb.
Should he be fit, Nadal will inevitably offer a threat at the French Open in May, but after the 36-year-old struggled again with injury in Melbourne, that seems far from certain. Djokovic, meanwhile, will eye Paris as an opportunity to move out on his own at the top of the all-time men’s Grand Slam title standings – a feat that many would back him to ultimately achieve.
The boxer maintained his perfect record after a bruising contest against Anthony Yarde
Undefeated Russian fighter Artur Beterbiev retained his WBO, WBC and IBF world light-heavyweight titles with a stoppage win against home hero Anthony Yarde in a back-and-forth battle at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.
Beterbiev, 38, set up the finish in the eighth round with a massive right-hand shot which crumpled Yarde to his knees. The British fighter beat the count but Beterbiev immediately poured on the pressure again, prompting Yarde’s corner to call off the fight and spare their man further punishment.
Yarde, 31, had posed a bigger threat than many expected to the all-conquering Beterbiev. Fighting in front of a fiercely partisan crowd, the Londoner enjoyed particular success in a pulsating round five before Beterbiev drew upon all his ring nous to impose himself on the fight.
Beterbiev, who also holds Canadian citizenship and trains in Montreal, said he was satisfied with his night’s work against Yarde despite the contest being closer than many had anticipated.
FIGHT OF THE YEAR. Arthur Beterbiev KNOCKS OUT Anthony Yarde
“I can’t say I did a bad fight, but if I do again, I want to do better. But I feel good,” Beterbiev told BT Sport. “Anthony did [punch hard]. He’s young. He has time I think, and I hope he will do well in the future.
“If I’m being honest, every punch he did, for all those punches we prepared, that’s why I came back and back, because we knew, we expected those punches,” added the Dagestani-born fighter.
Beterbiev handed Yarde a third loss in 26 professional contests.
The eighth-round finish extended Beterbiev’s remarkable 100% stoppage rate against each of the 19 opponents he has faced in professional boxing. The win will also increase the clamor for an all-Russian undisputed light-heavyweight title fight against WBA champion Dmitry Bivol.
Bivol, 32, boasts an undefeated record of 21-0 and famously handed Mexican great Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez a rare loss in their title fight in Las Vegas in May of last year. Bivol followed that up with a dominant decision victory over Mexico’s Gilberto Ramirez in Abu Dhabi in November.
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina to win the Australian Open
Aryna Sabalenka won the first Grand Slam title of her career as the Belarusian fought back from one set down to defeat Elena Rybakina in a pulsating Australian Open final on Saturday.
Appearing in a maiden major final, fifth seed Sabalenka found herself behind after an imposing start from Rybakina saw the reigning Wimbledon champion claim the opening set 6-4. But Sabalenka gradually exerted her own big-hitting game and leveled the match by taking the second set 6-3.
Both players continued to produce some dazzling shot-making at Rod Laver Arena in a battle befitting the occasion. It was Sabalenka who made the crucial move by breaking Rybakina’s serve in game seven of the decisive set. Despite a wobble as she saw three match points slip away, Sabalenka held her never to serve out the final set 6-4 and take the title with it.
On sealing victory, the 24-year-old collapsed onto her back and covered her face in disbelief as she celebrated by far the biggest prize in her career. Sabalenka will also rise to number two in the world in the updated WTA ratings on Monday – matching her career-best position.
Sabalenka collapsed in joy on court after sealing the title.
“I am super nervous,” said Sabalenka after she was handed the Daphne Akhurst trophy by US tennis icon Billie Jean King. “Congratulations, Elena. Hopefully we will have many more battles, hopefully in the final of Grand Slams.
“Thank you everyone, and thanks guys for an amazing atmosphere. It was an enjoyable tournament to play in. Thanks to my team, they are the craziest team on the tour.
“You guys deserve this trophy more than me. I hope next year I come back even stronger and I will show you even better tennis,” added the Minsk-born Sabalenka, who was competing at the tournament under ‘neutral’ status due to the ongoing sanctions placed on many Russian and Belarusian athletes because of the conflict in Ukraine.
For Rybakina, 23, it was disappointment Down Under as she missed out on adding another Grand Slam to the title she won at Wimbledon last year. Nonetheless, the Moscow-born player – who has represented Kazakhstan since 2018 – proved that she is set to contend for more major prizes in the years to come.
“I would like to congratulate Aryna. I know how hard you have worked and hopefully we will have many more battles,” said the gracious Rybakina in her own post-match comments. Seeded 22nd in Melbourne, Rybakina will now make her debut in the world top ten as a result of her run to the final.
