In association with our Brazilian friends over at Planet Tateme and Rômulo Rougemont in particular, we bring you the second part of our exclusive interview with Fedor Emelianenko.

Planet Tatami: Do you believe that one of the most anticipated bouts of all time, namely the fight between you and Randy Couture, will finally take place in 2008?

Fedor: Randy is one of the best fighters and he proved it numerous times. I still hope this fight will take place in 2008. As far as I know Randy's got some troubles with the UFC. We couldn't come to an agreement with them regarding this fight and the contract. We were offered unacceptable conditions.

Planet Tatami: There are some rumors on the internet about a fight between you and Josh Barnett. Is there some negotiation going on right now regarding this fight? What do you think about Josh?

Fedor: We are good friends with Josh. We always walk when not too far from each other. If we don't catch up then we exchange e-mails. This fight is planned but I don't know much more at the moment.

Planet Tatami: Did the fight against Hong Man Choi happen in the way
that you expected?

Fedor: I never expect fights to be easier or tougher. I always tune
up for the hardest and prolonged bouts. But then it goes the way it
goes. As for this fight I'm satisfied with the way it went and how I
performed.

Planet Tatami: What is the reason that you think that could explain
the poor results in the UFC for former PRIDE stars like Mirko Cro Cop
and Mauricio Shogun?

Fedor: Well, Mirko... something broke in him, he lost the motivation. He was the crowd's favorite while in Pride, everyone was there to help him if needed. As for Mauricio, he's not a consistant fighter, he show's incredible fights with a good technique and high
speed. But sometimes his fights are just too long and not very impressive. He's a very good well rounded fighter and I don't understand why he's so unstable.

Planet Tatami: What was your tougher fight: Cro Cop or Minotauro?

Fedor: These two bouts were rather tough. In both of these fights I
tried to apply all my skills and experience. I can't really say which
one was tougher though. They are two completely different fighters that's why it was just different and hard to compare.