THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE IN BANJA LUKA FOR FEDOR EMELIANENKO

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 18 /SRNA/ – Legendary Russian MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko attended the Hektor Fight Night 7 combat sports spectacular at the Centar Sports Hall in Banja Luka this evening, where he was greeted with thunderous applause from the audience.

Emelianenko entered the ring to the Serb song “Hristos Bože”, which was regularly played before his fights. He greeted the audience by saying, “Good evening, my brotherly people,” and said he supported President Milorad Dodik and his associates in everything they do for the benefit of the Serb people. The event organisers presented Fedor with a commemorative plaque in recognition of his contribution to the history of combat sports. Hektor Fight Night founder Predrag Stanković expressed satisfaction that the Centar Sports Hall was filled to capacity. “We were thinking about what to give Fedor. We gave him Dušan’s Code because Dušan the Mighty was the last Serb emperor, while Emelianenko is the last Russian emperor,” Stanković said. Director of the University Clinical Centre of Republika Srpska Nikola Šobot, at whose invitation Emelianenko came to Republika Srpska, expressed his satisfaction that Republika Srpska, with the support of the Serbian Orthodox Church, had hosted such a champion. “As an Orthodox Christian, he can be an example to all of us of how we should live and what we can achieve,” Šobot said. Emelianenko is a former Russian mixed martial arts fighter whom many consider one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in MMA history. Born in 1976, he compiled an impressive professional record of 40 wins and seven losses during his career. He made his biggest mark in the iconic Japanese organisation Pride Fighting Championships, where he remained undefeated from 2001 to 2010 and held the heavyweight championship. He officially ended his professional MMA career in 2023. Admission to this evening’s event was free, and the audience was able to enjoy around ten bouts in the discipline in which Emelianenko made his name before moving into MMA.