Since the times of Bruce Lee, many martial arts champs have made it to the big screen, but one recent debut just can`t go unnoticed.

The Baddest Man on the Planet, the Last Emperor, mixed martial arts legend and possibly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world - Fedor Emelianenko - has appeared in a brand new action movie, called "The Fifth Execution" (or "The Salamander Key"), jointly produced by Russia, the US and the Netherlands.

Fedor plays a Russian spetsnaz (special forces) officer involved in a rescue mission somewhere in the Asian jungle. He mainly displays his martial arts skills in the movie, but I?m really proud to inform you that the man is also very natural in his dialogue scenes.

Well, one of the main reasons for Emelianenko looking so convincing is that he acts as himself - because the fighter encapsulates all the good features present in Russian people - strength, faith, talent and modesty.

These are the qualities, which made him the king of the ring, with 32 wins in 36 MMA bouts against the toughest opposition from all around the globe. The 34-year-old has never cared about how he looked, concentrating only on fighting and nothing else. The same qualities allow him to rule the screen in Aleksandr Yakimchuk`s movie.

ͺThe two-month-long shooting took place in Thailand, with Fedor citing the slow, deliberate process of filming as the main problem he encountered.

"Acting is interesting, but I feel that, for now, I shouldn`t be doing this anymore, because I`m an athlete and I need to keep competing," he said.

I have to confess I fully support this decision. We can easily wait for his new roles in order to see some more of his spectacular displays in the ring or in the cage.
sections: Culture, Celebrities