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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Fedor Emelianenko's next opponent is set, as "The Last Emperor" will take on former UFC title challenger Pedro Rizzo on June 21 in Moscow, Russia.
M-1 officials announced the fight on Friday.
The bout is Emelianenko's third since his release from Strikeforce last year following a three-fight losing streak, and he'll look to win his third straight after wins over Jeff Monson and Satoshi Ishii.
Rizzo is returning to action for the first time in nearly two years. He was attached to a fight with Tim Sylvia last November in ProElite, but was forced out of the fight with an injury. He's won three straight, but his last bout was a win over Ken Shamrock in July of 2010.
Penick's Analysis: Well, there aren't many options for Emelianenko outside of Zuffa, so this type of fight certainly isn't a surprise. Still, I can't imagine too many are pining to see this fight, and Emelianenko continues to fight in obscurity against lesser competition. It's been kind of a sad regression after his Strikeforce run, and though there are not many other options for him, this certainly doesn't bring about much excitement.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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