FBI met with Fedor Emelianenko during Bellator 198 fight week

Fedor Emelianenko met with the FBI earlier this week while in the Chicago area for his main event fight at Bellator 198, multiple sources confirmed with MMA Fighting on Saturday.

Emelianenko, one of the best MMA fighters of all time, arrived in Illinois from his home country of Russia on Tuesday. FBI agents came looking for him at the hotel that day and asked to speak with him, sources said. The information was first reported Saturday by The Telegraph.

Emelianenko’s U.S. manager Jerry Millen confirmed the information with the Associated Press, but declined to comment on what the discussion was about. Millen said the agents were also at Bellator 198 on Saturday night at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

“The FBI came to the hotel looking to talk to Fedor and they were very nice, came in to speak with Fedor for a few minutes, spoke to me, very cool guys, and that’s all I can really say about it,” Millen said. “Again, the FBI did come to the hotel, they found us, knocked on the door.”

Millen added: “Hundred percent, kind of surprised. They were very nice, very professional.”

Sources said there are no indications that Emelianenko is under any kind of investigation.

When reached Saturday, the FBI declined comment on the matter.

“Per policy, we do not comment on investigations we may or may not be conducting without a public record basis upon which to speak,” Special Agent Janine L. Wheeler from the FBI’s Chicago field office told MMA Fighting in an email.

Emelianenko, arguably the greatest MMA heavyweight ever, is the president of the Russian MMA Union who has ties to both Russian president Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, the President of the United States. A decade ago, Trump was involved with promoting Emelianenko’s fights under the Affliction MMA banner.

Longtime Trump Organization official and Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was once the COO of Affliction MMA. His office and hotel room were raided by the FBI on April 9 as part of the special counsel investigation into Trump and Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.

Emelianenko, 41, won his fight at Bellator 198 against Frank Mir by TKO in just 48 seconds. “The Last Emperor” will now move on in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix semifinals, where he’ll face Chael Sonnen later this year. Emelianenko and Sonnen faced off in the cage at the conclusion of Saturday night’s show.