Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Tengiz Tedoradze or is it Russia vs. Georgia?

We linked to this news yesterday but there is whole other aspect to the potential fight between Aleksander Emelianenko and Tengiz Tedoradze that deserves its own post:

Tengiz's nationality lends an interesting aspect to the fight. He hails from Georgia, a breakaway republic that was once part of Russia's Soviet Union. Georgia and Russia recently had a brief war in 2008 when the region of South Ossetia - which Georgia claims sovereignty over - tried to devolve and claim independence.

Georgia sent troops into South Ossetia to reclaim the territory and Russia immediately sent its own troops to fight them off. Aleksander also travelled to the region to show what he termed his "solidarity with Ossetian comrades".

Despite having relocated to the UK, Tedoradze is a former bodyguard to the Georgian president and fiercely proud of his roots. The fight could be a battle of national pride with memories of 2008's war still strong in the minds of both men.

If it wasn't weird enough that two MMA fighters could rehash a war that happened in 2008 (for the record, this has to be more awkward than running into your ex-girlfriend at the bar while she is making out with your sister) both fighters have attachments to the political elites of their countries. As was mentioned above, Tedoradze is a former bodyguard for the Georgian President while the Emelianenkos (both Aleksander and his more famous brother, Fedor) are buds with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Could we really see the modern equivalent of ancient hero duelss to settle conflicts between nations?

Okay, that is a bit grandiose. But this story got WKR thinking; would this be the first time that two athletes fought in a combat sport after their countries went to war? There is the famous Max Schmeling-Joe Louis fight but that happened before the U.S. and Nazi Germany were at war. Then there is Rocky IV but we are pretty sure that doesn't count, even if it did end the Cold War.

If you the answer to this bit of trivia please leave a comment.