"The Last Emperor" will return to action in his home country against a UFC veteran.
Fedor Emelianenko is scheduled to compete under the Fight Nights banner June 17 in St. Petersburg, Russia, in a heavyweight clash with Fabio Maldonado. MMA Fighting confirmed the news following a report by Combate.
Emelianenko (35-4, 1 NC) returned from retirement in December, defeating Jaideep Singh in three minutes at Rizin FF. Prior to the contest, the former Pride heavyweight champion defeated Pedro Rizzo, Satoshi Ishii and Jeff Monson.
Maldonado (22-9) became a fan favorite in the UFC for his fighting style, which earned him a 5-6 record inside the Octagon.