Fedor, Aoki to Compete in ‘Exhibition’ Match

It’s official:  Fedor Emelianenko will compete in a five-minute grappling exhibition against submission fighter Shinya Aoki during the April 29 M-1 Challenge.  Even though rules are still being negotiated, Emelianenko, a Sambo practioner with strong submission skills, will have a large strength and size advantage against Aoki.

And considering nearly 70 pounds and four weight classes separate the fighters, expect some safety precautions to be put in place. The bout could end up being more of a grappling session by the time the official rules are announced.

The Emelianenko vs. Aoki bout will join a 19-fight card that includes head-to-head M-1 Challenge matchups between host country Japan vs. England, Team USA West vs. South Korea, and Spain vs. France.

Emelianenko and Aoki, who both hold WAMMA world titles in their respective weight classes, are two of the most popular fighters in Japan, so the exhibition is likely to be a hit with fans.

Emelianenko (30-1), a World Combat Sambo champion who will compete in the Abu Dhabi Combat Club’s submission fighting championships later this year, last competed in January when he defeated former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski at Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning” show. The 32-year-old former PRIDE champ is undefeated in his past 27 fights.

Aoki (20-4), a standout grappler who’s ended 12 of his 20 career wins via submission, last competed in April, when he suffered a 27-second TKO loss to welterweight Hayato Sakurai at DREAM.8. Aoki is 15-2 (with one no-contest) in his past 18 fights.

Even though Aoki is well known for his submissions — and colorful pants — it’s unlikely he’ll be able to come up with anything close to a submission against a highly-skilled, much larger opponent in  Emelianenko.