Fedor Emelianenko news features "The Last Emperor" disapproving women competing in professional mixed martial arts.The former PRIDE FC and Strikeforce legend spoke in a Russian interview regarding women's role in combat sports and his stance on women being involved in mixed martial arts.
"I respect the girls who defend the country's honor at the Olympics, in wrestling, boxing," Emelianenko said. "But I do not support female MMA."
Opposition against women's MMA is not a new thing in the sport. In January 2011, UFC President Dana White himself was vocal about his disapproval of the idea.
"Never!" was his exact statement when TMZ caught up with him outside the Trousdale Resturant in West Hollywood.
His view evidently changed more than a year after, when he openly admitted that he has embraced Women's MMA because of current UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who was then competing at the now defunct Strikeforce organization.
Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre also aired out his views regarding the matter. For "GSP", however, it was more about not being comfortable seeing two women engage in an all-out war against each other, although he did not in any way question their ability to fight.
"I have a hard time watching girls fighting; it's hard for me," St. Pierre said in an interview with MMA Mania in November 2012. "I never really watched a woman fight, but I know they are pretty good."
Fedor Emelianenko's legendary status transcends through the entire sport of mixed martial arts, making him a revered figure of the sport. He does, however, possess an old-fashioned approach about women's roles in the world including competing in combat sports.
"A woman must take care of the house, raise her children and be feminine," he added. "There a lot of different sports which help her in that, but MMA is not one of them.
