Emelianenko to return at Bellator's 1st Russia event in October

Fedor Emelianenko is back.

The legendary heavyweight will headline Bellator's first event in Russia on Oct. 23 against an opponent that's yet to be determined, company president Scott Coker announced Friday.

The card will take place at VTB Arena in Moscow.

Emelianenko hasn't stepped into the cage since a win over Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at Bellator 237 in late 2019. The 44-year-old Russian has won three of his past four outings, which includes stoppages of Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix before a loss to Ryan Bader in the final.

Emelianenko is regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time despite never competing under the UFC banner. He debuted in Bellator in 2017 and has gone 3-2 overall.

Bellator has yet to announce any other bouts for the Oct. 23 event.