Fedor Emelianenko at age 49 is currently running 15 kilometers in one hour and 10 minutes, maintaining an average pace of 4:46 per kilometer. According to Vadim Nemkov in an interview, Fedor recently acquired a smartwatch that awards badges for achieving running records, and he has become dedicated to collecting these achievements. Nemkov noted that while all Fedor Team fighters have smartwatches, only Fedor takes the badge system seriously and pursues these goals with his characteristic championship mentality. The retired MMA legend shares his achievements with teammates, who are often surprised by his running performance.
Fedor Emelianenko, the retired MMA legend known as The Last Emperor, is keeping himself in remarkable shape at 49, running 15 kilometers at an average pace of four minutes and 46 seconds per kilometer — completing the distance in one hour and ten minutes.
The motivation, it turns out, is a smartwatch. According to Bellator light heavyweight standout Vadim Nemkov, Fedor recently acquired a smartwatch that awards digital badges for hitting running milestones. The 36-5-0 former heavyweight champion, who spent the better part of two decades as the most feared fighter on the planet, has channeled his competitive instincts into collecting those achievements with the same seriousness he once brought to title fights. Nemkov noted that while the entire FedorTeam roster uses smartwatches, only Fedor pursues the badge system with genuine dedication, regularly sharing his running accomplishments with teammates who are often caught off guard by the numbers.
Nemkov himself, a 32-year-old Russian with a 19-2-0 record and one of the premier light heavyweights in the sport, offered the story during a recent interview, painting a vivid picture of the six-foot, 183-centimeter Emelianenko still operating with a championship mentality long after hanging up his gloves.
Why it matters
- Fedor's post-retirement conditioning underscores a discipline that defined a career spanning more than two decades at the elite level.
- The anecdote offers a rare personal glimpse into life inside FedorTeam, one of Russia's most storied MMA camps.
- Nemkov's comments highlight the lasting influence Emelianenko holds over teammates even in retirement.
