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

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.