Fedor Emelianenko will step inside the cage at The Forum in Inglewood, California tomorrow night as he makes an attempt to capture yet another title to add to his illustrious collection. This time, The Last Emperor will compete in the final of the Bellator heavyweight grand prix against current Bellator light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader. The winner will be crowned Bellator heavyweight champion.
At the ripe age of 42, this very well may be Emelinenko’s last opportunity to add another belt to his showcase that is already overflowing with gold.
Who is Fedor Emelianenko?
To a casual fight fan, the name Fedor is one that is known but only to a certain degree, given that the man has never stepped foot inside a UFC octagon. This is a shame, as many hardcore fight fans would crown Fedor as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. From being PRIDE heavyweight champ to RINGS openweight champion to WAMMA champ, countless Sambo gold medals and numerous grand prix victories, the Last Emperor has just about done it all. He was also named the 2000s “Fighter of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated, FIGHT! Magazine and MMAFighting.com among others.
What makes Fedor so special?
The mystique of Fedor has always been so intriguing. From his original 10-year undefeated streak that was eventually broken by former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum to his involvement in Russian government and his friendship with Vladimir Putin. Funnily enough, Fedor almost worked with another world leader in the past, current U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump was the main equity shareholder in the short-lived Affliction Entertainment. The plan was to create a reality TV show titled Fighting Fedor, where 16 fighters would compete for a shot to eventually face Fedor in the end. Unfortunately, the promotion only made it two full events before shutting down the promotion.
Fedor vs. Bader
Currently, Fedor is +270 for the big fight tomorrow night. Ryan Bader is younger, quicker, the better wrestler, his grind out style of fighting is one that is not too favorable for Fedor once the fight settles in. Bader has been prone to eating some big shots in the first few minutes of fights, so Fedor’s best chance will be to come at Bader with as much volume as possible early on.
If the fight goes past the first round, there’s a good chance that it won’t turn out well for Fedor. Ryan Bader sucks the energy out of his opponents. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t let the crowd boo’s get in the way of him executing his game plan.
Bader, a former UFC light heavyweight contender, has found a multitude of success since coming over to Bellator. Bader is a perfect 4-0 since leaving the UFC, and has captured the Bellator light heavyweight title, and tomorrow night he has the opportunity to become a double champ.
Never count out Fedor Emelianenko. When things look bleak, only The Last Emperor finds a way to survive.
Retirement?
No one is sure if this is going to be The Last Emperor’s final bout. He hinted at retirement earlier this week while talking to the media. “To tell the truth, at the age I’m at right now, more and more I am thinking about retiring,” Emelianenko said. “It’s not because I don’t want to fight. Definitely it is because of the age and injuries that I have.”
Fedor previously retired in 2012, citing injuries as the main reason. Three years later he has retuned and done so with a vengeance. In his five fights since coming out of retirement, The Last Emperor is 4-1 with three TKO’s, two of which are over some of the best to ever do it, Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen.
Again, who knows what could be next for Fedor. Win or lose this could very well be the final fight of his tremendous career. He will have numerous supporters behind him come tomorrow night, as we all want to see a true icon ride off into the sunset in the right fashion, with some gold around his waist.
