MIXED MARTIAL ARTS PRESIDENCY – RUSSIA’S VLADIMIR PUTIN GRANDSTANDS ON FEDOR EMELIANENKO’S SPORTING WIN

Russia is doing the exact opposite to America in Australia in its Presidential approach to being more Chinese-friendly.

Like the grandstanding, limelight-stealing hog President that he is for a photo opportunity, Vladimir Putin made sure he was in Mixed Martial Arts fighter, Fedor Emelianenko‘s winning fight picture recently.

The AP reports, “MOSCOW (AP) — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was greeted by catcalls when he stepped into the ring after a mixed martial arts fight at a Moscow arena on Sunday night.

The whistles and shouts, heard clearly on the live television broadcast, were an unprecedented rebuke as Putin prepares to return to the presidency next year.

A judo enthusiast, Putin has long been an admirer of Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist Fedor Emelianenko and came to see him take on American Jeff Monson.

After Emelianenko won, Putin stepped into the ring to congratulate him, but was met with catcalls from many of the 22,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium.

Russian Professional Boxing Federation spokesman Andrei Bazdrev said on Ekho Moskvy radio that Putin seemed taken aback by the unexpected negative reaction, but quickly regained his composure. Speaking over the din, Putin praised Emelianenko as a “real Russian bogatyr,” a term for a medieval warrior.”

I wonder what Venezuela and Brazil are up to? Or Kiwi kickboxer Benjamin Tan, in Brisbane Australia?

Words by Lynn Berry for the AP. Photo by Alexei Druzhinin via Boston.Com.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 21.11.11~