Fedor Emelianenko's next fight possible for June in Monaco

Former Strikeforce heavyweight attraction and longtime PRIDE FC champion Fedor Emelianenko is ready to get back into action this summer, kicking off a 2012 fight campaign that could see him serve as the encore to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco.

That's according to Evgeni Kogan, director of operations for M-1 Global, who told MMA Fighting that Emelianenko is in "fine health" and ready to compete in June.

"We're working towards securing a Fedor fight in Monaco for the summer, sometime around the time when Formula One happens. Specifically, a little while afterwards ... closer to the second week of June. The search for the opponent is currently in process with a number of worthy candidates being considered."

One of those candidates, according to the latest fan outburst on Twitter rumors, is UFC washout Todd Duffee, who is coming off back-to-back knockout losses to Mike Russow and Alistair Overeem.

Emelianenko snapped a three-fight losing skid with a unanimous decision win over Jeff Monson last November, before making it two in a row with a first round knockout finish of judo expert Satoshi Ishii in the DREAM: "Genki Desu Ka Omisoka" year-end MMA extravaganza in Japan.

While his stateside appeal has dropped significantly, it's not unreasonable to think he can continue putting butts in the seats overseas -- as long as he keeps winning.

Anyone heavyweights out there not on the ZUFFA roster that might be a good match-up for the Sambo specialist in Monaco?