Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) will fight Hong Man Choi (Pictures) on New Year's Eve in Japan, a source close to the negotiations told Sherdog.com.

Emelianenko (26-1-0), whose most recent bout was a win over Matt Lindland (Pictures) in April, will be fighting for the first time since inking a non-exclusive promotional deal with M-1 Global.

The fight marks Choi's return to MMA for the first time since defeating Bobby Ologun (Pictures) in just 16 seconds at K-1 Dynamite 2006. The 27-year-old Korean, 1-0-0, was denied a license to fight in California in June due to irregularities in his pre-fight medical tests.

At 7-foot-2-inches tall and more than 350 pounds, Choi will have substantial height and weight advantages over the Russian.

Emelianenko, 31, stands 6-foot and weighs in around 230 pounds.

The promoter of the Emelianenko-Choi fight has not been confirmed.