Exciting news broke Friday morning that MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko would be returning to MMA on June 17th in front of the Russian fans.

Emelianenko made an emphatic return to MMA on New Years Eve as he mauled Jaideep Singh in Japan. Since then there has been much speculation as to when his next fight would be, and where it would take place.

While Wanderlei Silva was repeatedly mentioned as a possible opponent, Emelianenko’s fight on June 17th will not be under the Rizin FF banner, but rather under the Fight Nights banner.

Emelianenko released a statement on the situation which was obtained by BloodyElbow:

“I am very pleased to fight in Russia, the native land for the Russian fans,” said Fedor. “I return to the ring together with the guys from my Team Fedor. I hope that we will please you with interesting fights.”

Stay tuned for more updates regarding Emelianenko’s opponent!