Fedor Emelianenko reunited with former Pride FC president, will comeback in Japan on New Year's Eve on Spike TV

It's official!

Former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, who shocked the combat sports world by announcing his return to mixed martial arts (MMA) back in July, has agreed to fight in the main event of a Japanese New Year's Eve event live on Spike TV in the U.S.

The announcement was made by former Pride FC President, Nobuyuki Sakakibara, at tonight's (Sat., Sept. 19, 2015) "Dynamite 1" event in San Jose. Bellator will partner with Sakakibara on the MMA extravaganza and will have fighters from its roster participating.

Emelianenko (34-4, 1 NC) called it quits in 2012 after stringing together three straight wins, a refreshing turnaround after a disastrous three-fight skid that saw him finished in all three defeats. The longtime Sambo champ was a former employee of Bellator president Scott Coker back when he was running Strikeforce.

Now, "The Last Emperor" is back on the scene but it should be noted that Emelianenko is 38 years old and hasn't faced any real competition in several years. It will be interesting to see who will get the nod against the heavyweight fighter in the main event.

Time will tell.