Fedor Duric on Being Named After Emelianenko: 'Carry On the Name'

Fedor Duric is one of Europe's rising lightweights, and his first name has weighed on him since birth. Before his OKTAGON 94 fight against former UFC contender Marc Diakiese, Duric explained that he was named after Fedor Emelianenko, the former PRIDE heavyweight champion known as "The Last Emperor."

The choice was his father's. A judo practitioner and a fight fan, he admired the Russian. "He's a legend," Duric said. "I grew up watching his fights. My mother always told me that I got the same name because my father was a fan. My father also trained judo, so he was into fighting. He loved fights."

A name with a record behind it

Emelianenko held the PRIDE title from 2003 until the promotion closed in 2007 and won the 2004 PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix. He was also a four-time combat sambo world champion and went almost a decade without a loss. His MMA career ended with 40 victories and title runs in PRIDE and RINGS.

For Duric the link goes deeper than a childhood hero. His father died when he was three, and his mother was left to explain why the name had been chosen and what it stood for.

"For me to have this name, it's like I have to carry on the name and make it even bigger," Duric said. "That's what it means to me."

He treats the name as fuel, not as an impossible comparison. An uncle told him years later what his father had said soon after he was born. "A few years ago, my uncle told me that when I was born, my father said, 'He didn't get this name for no reason. He'll also be a big name in fighting,'" Duric recalled. "I swear to you, when he told me that, it gave me extra motivation. I have to carry on the name."

The Frankfurt fight

Duric trains at MMA Spirit in Frankfurt. His latest outing ended in a second-round TKO of Tomas Mudroch at OKTAGON 84. He survived several submission threats and finished the fight with punches from back mount at 3:15.

Next comes Diakiese on September 26 at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. OKTAGON lists Duric at 10-1, while several independent databases show 9-1 because of a disputed early bout. Diakiese arrives with 15 UFC appearances behind him and far more experience against international opposition.

Source: LowKick MMA