Fedor Emelianenko has long been regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight stars in MMA history, and his approach to training was a major part of his success. During a conversation with Ushatayka, the Russian legend opened up about PEDs, testing during his PRIDE FC days, and why he never felt the need to use them.
When asked whether he had ever considered trying PEDs during his time in PRIDE, Emelianenko made it clear that the thought had never crossed his mind.
“No, there wasn’t. Somehow, the thought just didn’t even cross my mind,” he said.
Emelianenko also reflected on how basic his supplementation was during his combat career. Looking back, he was surprised by how much he managed to endure without many of the supplements available to athletes today.
“I’m simply amazed at how I, well, how the Lord protected me,” he said, explaining that he did not have access to the supplements he uses today.
“Now there’s protein, there’s all this BCAA, everything as it should be, vitamins and all that. But back then, no.”
The former PRIDE heavyweight champion was equally surprised by how he managed to survive the demanding training sessions of that era, adding, “I’m amazed at how we, well, how I survived at all.”
Emelianenko also described the differences between the PED-testing procedures he experienced in PRIDE and those he encountered while competing in the United States.
According to the Russian, the process in PRIDE was relatively informal. Athletes were taken to a toilet and handed a paper cup to provide a urine sample.
“They would take us to the toilet, give us a paper cup, like, go,” he recalled.
After he provided the sample, an employee would collect the cup and walk away, leaving Emelianenko unsure of what happened next.
But in the United States, he experienced a more transparent procedure, with the testing process carried out in front of him.
“They unsealed all of this in front of us, they opened all of this in front of us,” he explained.
Emelianenko recalled being given a test tube and having to provide the sample under observation before watching it being handled and sealed.
“They gave me a test tube, I had to take the test in front of him, give it to him, he pours it all out, seals it in front of me,” he said.
He added that he underwent testing regularly while competing in America, saying, “And then I took tests all the time in America.”
Beyond his personal experience, Emelianenko offered a straightforward explanation for why he does not believe PEDs can give an athlete everything needed to succeed.
While he acknowledged that PEDs could potentially improve certain physical attributes, he argued that they cannot replace the technical skills developed through years of practice.
“Chemistry, well, what, what can you add? Well, a little physical training, a little endurance, but you won’t be able to add technique,” he said.
For Emelianenko, technique is something that must be built through consistent work rather than obtained through a substance.
“Technique is developed, I work on it, it takes hours and hours of practice,” he explained.
