Fedor Emelianenko wants to give boxing a go - and he has a big name in mind for his debut.
Emelianenko, one of the greatest MMA heavyweights of all time, retired in February. The 46-year-old said Wednesday he's "100%" done with MMA but hopes to compete in the ring as early as this year.
"I think it's going to be interesting," Emelianenko said via a translator on "The MMA Hour."
Emelianenko walked away from MMA after a knockout loss to Ryan Bader in a Bellator heavyweight title bout. He said he took a break after the fight but then got back in the gym.
"I started lifting weights a little bit," Emelianenko said. "Got some muscles back. My injuries are going away. My shoulder feels better a little bit, and I started boxing. I feel pretty good and pretty confident in boxing."
When asked if he has a dream opponent for his first boxing match, Emelianenko said boxing great Mike Tyson would make for an "interesting" fight.
"He is a big name, he is a legend," Emelianenko said. "You can see a lot of videos on YouTube and all over the place that he is in good shape. He still hits pads, he still has that power."
Emelianenko added he's open to facing Tyson on the undercard of the Tyson Fury versus Francis Ngannou superfight, which takes place Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia. Mike Tyson is training Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, for the bout.
"That would be awesome," Emelianenko said. "If it's possible, I definitely would do it. I will be ready. It's more than enough (time to get ready)."
The Russian confirmed he hasn't yet had discussions with promoters about arranging a boxing match, but he intends to compete in 2023 whether or not the Tyson bout comes to fruition.
Emelianenko competed under the Bellator banner for the final six years of his MMA career, going 4-3. During his heyday in the 2000s, the former Pride FC heavyweight champion went eight years and 28 straight fights without suffering a loss.
