Tag: Fedor Emelianenko

Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov celebrate Fedor Emelianenko’s KO of Tim Johnson at Bellator 269

Fedor Emelianenko’s walk-off knockout of Tim Johnson had everyone on their feet – including Khabib Nurmagomedov.

[autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag]’s walk-off knockout of Tim Johnson had everyone on their feet – including [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Emelianenko (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) returned from an almost two-year layoff to face Johnson in the main event of Bellator 269 on Saturday, and he put on a show in front of his home fans in Moscow.

It took “The Last Emperor” less than two minutes to put Johnson away and it appears the 45-year-old legend still has a lot of fight left in him. A cageside Nurmagomedov couldn’t contain his excitement as he applauded Emelianenko’s emphatic return to the cage.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CVYtDaIlTaM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Despite his standout performance, Emelianenko remains uncertain of his fighting future. With one fight remaining on his Bellator contract, Emelianenko didn’t rule out a return to competition, but said he needs some time to reflect with his family before making a decision.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Fedor Emelianenko’s fairy tale end is clear, but is it achievable? | Opinion

All signs point to Fedor Emelianenko wanting to close his career with the Bellator heavyweight title.

Legendary heavyweight [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] scored a beautiful knockout of Tim Johnson in his return to home soil at Bellator 269 in Moscow.

It ended up being a thrilling moment for Emelianenko (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), but it also had the potential to be very sad. The betting odds had Johnson (15-8 MMA, 3-4 BMMA) favored to travel into enemy territory to win. That wasn’t unjust, either, because it was hard to know what version of the former PRIDE FC champ we’d be getting after he spent nearly two years away from the sport.

During Emelianenko’s layoff he celebrated his 45th birthday, and also had a severe case of COVID-19 that briefly put him in the hospital. It seemed entirely possible he would show up as a deeply compromised version of himself and be in over his head against Johnson, who had a more than 30-pound weight advantage.

To the delight of pretty much everyone outside of Johnson, his team, his family and his friends, Emelianenko turned back the clock and delivered a vintage 108-second knockout. It was fast, it was painless (for Fedor at least), and it was devastating. A truly feel-good moment all the way around.

The question now, however, is what does Emelianenko do from here? He has so much to be proud in his career, and it’s hard to fathom him putting together a more perfect moment than what happened on Saturday in front of his own people in Russia. It was perfect in every sense, and if I was his personal advisor, I’d strongly encourage him to close the door on the competitive chapter of his life.

But as we’ve seen so many times before in combat sports, almost no one retires when it seems to make the most sense. Moreover, Emelianenko has one fight remaining on his Bellator contract, and his services don’t come cheap. Leaving that money on the table would be foolish to a degree, and it’d be hard to blame him for wanting to collect it.

Given that, there seems to be two plausible scenarios for Emelianenko. He can either play it safe and pursue a winnable matchup that boost his chances of ending his career on a win, or he can shoot for the stars and try to go out on the highest of highs.

The fact Emelianenko chose Johnson for this matchup at Bellator 269 hints he’s thinking about the latter. Johnson entered the fight No. 2 in the Bellator heavyweight rankings, and Emelianenko picked him because he wanted to show he belongs at the top of the division and is relevant to the title.

A rematch with Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader could offer Emelianenko his fairytale finish. We saw how that fight played out already, and it didn’t go well for Emelianenko. However, Bader (28-7 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) has since been knocked out twice and looked like a more aged version of himself in recent fights. Perhaps that means he’s vulnerable. Or not. But if Emelianenko wants to take the risk and go for glory, then this is the obvious option.

It would take some maneuvering, of course. After Bader got ousted from the light heavyweight grand prix against Corey Anderson, he’s targeted to return to heavyweight for a title unification bout with interim champ Valentin Moldavsky. Conveniently, Moldavsky is one of Emelianenko’s pupils and teammates, and it wouldn’t be shocking if he offered to step aside and let his mentor fight Bader instead.

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‘Let him savor this thing’: No rush on deciding Fedor’s next move after stunning Bellator 269 win

When will “The Last Emperor” have his final fight? Fedor Emelianenko and boss Scott Coker weigh in.

[autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] did it again.

In the Bellator 269 headliner Saturday, Emelianenko (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) fought for the first time in almost two years and flattened [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] with a first-round knockout combination. For both “The Last Emperor” and his current promoter, Scott Coker, the promotion’s debut in Moscow was a special one.

“I’m really happy everything worked out the same way we were thinking (it would),” Emelianenko told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at a virtual post-fight news conference. “I’m very happy for the fact we made happy the audience, and we delivered really such great joy to our fans, to those who follow our career and Bellator events.”

Coker echoed the sentiment and called it a “special night.”

“Being a promoter for so long, there’s a few times that just capture that moment in time,” Coker said. “This is that night. It was like, ‘Wow.’ At 45, he can still bring it. He threw combinations at Tim that I haven’t seen for a little while honestly. I think that the pressure of him being at home really helped him. When I saw him yesterday, he seemed so focused, and I think a lot was riding on the line for him. He’s here, and he’s proud to be here. All of his people were here. It was just an amazing night. It was like, ‘Wow.'”

The bout vs. Johnson has long been touted as the first leg of a two-fight “retirement tour” for the heavyweight MMA legend, though more recently Emelianenko has been non-committal about his future beyond Bellator 269.

So will Emelianenko fight again?

“I will answer this question tomorrow,” Emelianenko said, with a smile.

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Emelianenko, 45, said he needs to go home and discuss his fighting future with his family before he commits. However, if another fight does happen, Emelianenko likes the idea of fighting in the U.S.

“It is a lot easier for me to perform in America,” Emelianenko said. “I don’t have such huge, huge attention. I do get attention, but all of the events are strictly planned. At home, all our camp and our preparation for the fight, they took place under the supervision of media, journalists, and so far and so on.”

While Coker was equally as passive when prodded about the final fight remaining on Emelianenko’s Bellator deal, he did provide a timeline he’d aim for the final fight of the Russian legend’s career, should he commit to it.

“We have scheduled one more fight for him,” Coker said. “I know him. He’s looked really good and beat (a top) contender, but let him enjoy the victory. Let him really savor this thing, and we’ll revisit with him maybe in a month. I think the next event we’ll have, we’ll probably schedule it early next year or maybe Spring of next year. That’s when you’ll see Fedor fight again.”

Bellator 269 took place Saturday at VTB Arena in Moscow. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 269 results: Fedor Emelianenko flattens Tim Johnson with three-punch knockout

“The Last Emperor” isn’t done yet.

“The Last Emperor” isn’t done yet.

After two years away from the cage, 45-year-old [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] returned Saturday at Bellator 269 when he knocked [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] unconscious at 1:46 of Round 1.

The heavyweight fight headlined the event, which took place Saturday at VTB Arena in Moscow. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

The excitement in the venue built with the walkouts. Johnson leaned into the U.S.A. vs. Russia theme, as he strolled to the cage to Hulk Hogan’s theme song “Real American.” Meanwhile, Emelianenko made his way to the cage with his vintage Russian walkout song blaring through the home arena.

The fight began, as did the “Fedor, Fedor, Fedor” chants. There wasn’t much of a feeling-out process as both men opened up early. Emelianenko (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) looked like the lighter fighter as he bounced around. Johnson (15-8 MMA, 3-4 BMMA), meanwhile, stayed a lot more stationary as he looked for a big punch.

Both men landed in the exchanges, but around the 90-second mark of the fight, Emelianenko found the home for a hard combination. Stunned, Johnson opened himself up as he stood square to the Russian legend. Emelianenko uncorked a hellacious three-punch combo that folded Johnson over backward. No follow-up shots were thrown as Fedor walked off.

With the win, Emelianenko advances to 3-1 in his most recent four fights. He also holds wins over Frank Mir, Chael Sonnen, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in Bellator. After Saturday’s win, Emelianenko has one fight remaining on his Bellator contract, which is expected to take place in 2022.

As for Johnson, the American falls to 0-2 in as many outings. The skid comes on the heels of a three-fight winning streak that earned him an interim title shot in June.

The latest Bellator 269 results include:

  • Fedor Emelianenko def. Tim Johnson via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:46
  • Said Sowma def. Vitaly Minakov via TKO (doctor stoppage) Round 3, 3:08
  • Usman Nurmagomedov def. Patrik Pietila via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:06
  • Anatoly Tokov def. Sharaf Davlatmurodov via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Kirill Sidelnikov def. Rab Truesdale via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:01
  • Katarzyna Sadura def. Darina Mazdyuk via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:17
  • Irina Alekseeva def. Stephanie Page via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Nikita Mikhailov def. Brian Moore via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Alexey Shurkevich def. Grachik Bozinyan via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:25
  • Aiden Lee def. Alexander Osetrov via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:41

Twitter reacts to Fedor Emelianenko’s walk-off KO of Tim Johnson at Bellator 269

See the top Twitter reactions to Fedor Emelianenko’s knockout win over Tim Johnson at Bellator 269.

[autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag]’s return to Russia proved successful on Saturday when he defeated [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] in the Bellator 269 main event.

Emelianenko (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), the legendary former PRIDE FC champion, thrived in his homecoming fight in Moscow with a first-round knockout victory over Johnson (15-8 MMA, 3-4 BMMA) in the heavyweight fight at VTB Arena.

“The Last Emperor” said pre-fight that he wouldn’t retire after this win, and at 45 years old, it remains to be seen if he sticks to his guns.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Emelianenko’s victory over Johnson at Bellator 269

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Bellator 269 video: ‘Baby Fedor’ pummels opponent into oblivion

Before his mentor took the cage, Kirill Sidelnikov impressed at Bellator 269.

Before [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] walked to the cage Saturday in Moscow, “Baby Fedor” had his turn and made the most of it.

[autotag]Kirill Sidelnikov[/autotag], an underling of “The Last Emperor,” quickly made his mark at Bellator 269 when he ran through heavyweight opponent [autotag]Rab Truesdale[/autotag] in 2:10 for his sixth pro stoppage due to strikes.

The bout served as the featured prelim for the event, which took place Saturday at VTB Arena in Moscow. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Sidelnikov (13-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) caught a Truesdale () kick approximately 90 seconds into the fight and landed a left jab that dropped the Scottish fighter to the mat. From there, Sidelnikov pounced. Punches and elbows to the head and body landed over and over again.

Bloodied and battered, Truesdale attempted to block the strikes with his hands but there was no escape. A series of violent ground-and-pound elbows were unanswered and referee Kevin MacDonald waved off the fight.

With the win, Sidelnikov turned a solo victory into a winning streak. Meanwhile, Truesdale loses his second straight outing in his promotional debut.

Check out the finish from “Baby Fedor” in the video below:

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 269 results include:

  • Kirill Sidelnikov def. Rab Truesdale via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:01
  • Katarzyna Sadura def. Darina Mazdyuk via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:17
  • Irina Alekseeva def. Stephanie Page via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Nikita Mikhailov def. Brian Moore via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Alexey Shurkevich def. Grachik Bozinyan via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:25
  • Aiden Lee def. Alexander Osetrov via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:41

Fight Vault: Top 5 Fedor Emelianenko fights

Welcome to Dan Tom’s “Fight Vault,” in which MMA Junkie’s fight analyst delves into the archives for his top five Fedor Emelianenko fights.

With MMA’s current breakneck schedule, it can be easy to lose sight of individual fighters or forget the sport’s history altogether.

[autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag], for example, will compete for the 46th time as a professional this Saturday in Moscow, Russia at Bellator 269. Although there are still hardcore fans who remember the unique feelings that Emelianenko brought to the MMA space throughout the early and mid-00s, many fans of today are quick to forget the context of time and the historical importance of these characters.

For that reason, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of my favorite fights from Emelianenko’s catalog.

Like all lists via The Fight Vault or The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast, I do not proclaim this to be some sort of definitive list. These are simply just my personal favorite fights from Emelianenko, as I hope that these selections inspire you to either revisit old classics or remedy the blind spots that exist in your fandom.

So, without further ado…

Bellator 269 predictions: Who’s taking Tim Johnson over Fedor Emelianenko?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 269 main card in Moscow, featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Johnson at heavyweight.

Emelianenko
vs.
Johnson		 Minakov
vs.
Sowma		 Nurmagomedov
vs.
Pietila		 Davlatmurodov
vs.
Tokov
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 167-97		 emelianenko2021
Emelianenko
(66%)		 minakov2021
Minakov
(91%)		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
(92%)		 tokov2021
Tokov
(83%)
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 172-92		 johnson2021
Johnson		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 166-98		 emelianenko2021
Emelianenko		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 164-100		 johnson2021
Johnson		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 161-103
trophy copy 2020 Champion		 johnson2021
Johnson		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 160-104
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 emelianenko2021
Emelianenko		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 160-104		 emelianenko2021
Emelianenko		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 159-105
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 emelianenko2021
Emelianenko		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 155-109
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 johnson2021
Johnson		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 154-110		 johnson2021
Johnson		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 153-111		 emelianenko2021
Emelianenko		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 151-113		 johnson2021
Johnson		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 150-115		 emelianenko2021
Emelianenko		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
2021: 90-58		 emelianenko2021
Emelianenko		 minakov2021
Minakov		 nurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov		 tokov2021
Tokov

Bellator makes its debut in Russia this week with arguably the most famous Russian fighter of all time at the top of the bill.

Bellator 269 takes place Saturday at VTB Arena in Moscow. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (39-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) fights in his home country for the first time in more than five years when he takes on [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) at heavyweight. Johnson, fighting in hostile territory, is a -160 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Emelianenko is +125. But it’s Emelianenko who has a 7-6 lead in the picks from our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers at 13-0.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Vitaly Minakov[/autotag] (22-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) is a big -320 favorite at heavyweight against [autotag]Said Sowma[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA). He’s one of three unanimous picks from our staff members on the main card.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will try to keep his unbeaten record intact against [autotag]Patrik Pietila[/autotag] (11-8 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in a 160-pound contract weight fight. Nurmagomedov is a massive -3000 favorite, and not surprisingly he’s a unanimous pick.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (29-3 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) is a huge -750 favorite at middleweight against [autotag]Sharaf Davlatmurodov[/autotag] (18-3-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and is our third unanimous choice.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Emelianenko (66 percent), Minakov (91 percent), Nurmagomedov (92 percent) and Tokov (83 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

Bellator 269 weigh-in results: Fedor Emelianenko gives up 33 pounds to Tim Johnson

Check out the results from the official Bellator 269 weigh-ins in Moscow.

The Bellator 269 official weigh-ins took place Friday at the host hotel in Moscow, ahead of the Saturday’s event at VTB Arena.

Among those weighing in were [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (39-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-3 BMMA), who meet in the heavyweight main event. The bout will be Emelianenko’s first since December 2019, and it kicks off a retirement tour for the legendary fighter.

The full Bellator 269 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (SHOWTIME, 3 p.m. ET)

  • Fedor Emelianenko (233.5) vs. Tim Johnson (264)
  • Vitaly Minakov (265) vs. Said Sowma (243)
  • Usman Nurmagomedov (160) vs. Patrik Pietila (158.5) – 160-pound catchweight bout
  • Sharaf Davlatmurodov (186) vs. Anatoly Tokov (185)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, noon ET)

  • Kirill Sidelnikov (264) vs. Rab Truesdale (247)
  • Darina Mazdyuk (125) vs. Katarzyna Sadura (125.5)
  • Irina Alekseeva (129.9) vs. Stephanie Page (124.5) – 130-pound catchweight bout
  • Nikita Mikhailov (135.5) vs. Brian Moore (136)
  • Grachik Bozinyan (170) vs. Alexey Shurkevich (171)
  • Aiden Lee (147.5)* vs. Alexander Osetrov (145.5)
  • Alexander Belikh (146) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (148.8)*

* Lee missed the featherweight limit by 1.5 pounds.

* Rabadanov missed the featherweight limit by 2.8 pounds.

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Bellator 269 video: Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Johnson face off for first time

“The Last Emperor” went face to face with his Bellator 269 opponent for the first time.

“The Last Emperor” is nearing his return to action for the first time in nearly two years.

Two days before his Bellator 269 headliner vs. [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag], heavyweight legend [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] came face to face with his opponent for the first time Thursday when the two squared off following a promotional news conference.

Emelianenko (39-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and Johnson (15-7 MMA, 3-3 UFC) will face off one more time Friday at the ceremonial weigh-ins before they throw down in a three-round heavyweight tilt Saturday at VTB Arena in Moscow. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Emelianenko, 45, has not competed since a quick first-round TKO over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in December 2019. The PRIDE and Strikeforce alum has won three of his most recent four outings, a stretch that also includes victories over Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen, as well as a loss to Ryan Bader.

As for Johnson, the former UFC fighter won three straight fights en route to a Bellator interim title shot in June. However, he lost to Emelianenko’s protege Valentin Moldavsky by unanimous decision.

Check out the faceoffs for Emelianenko vs. Johnson, Vitaly Minakov vs. Said Sowma, Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Patrik Pietila, and Anatoly Tokov vs. Sharaf Davlatmurodov in the video above.

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