Bellator 269: Fedor Emelianenko claims stunning knockout in Moscow
The report below contains details of what happened at Bellator 269. You can watch the entire event again on BBC iPlayer (UK only) here.
Russian MMA icon Fedor Emelianenko rolled back the years in front of a home crowd as he knocked out the number two-ranked heavyweight Tim Johnson in the main event of Bellator 269.
Emelianenko, 45, was making his first competitive appearance on home soil in five years, but he proved that – despite his plans to retire from the sport in the near future – he remains a serious threat to Bellator’s top heavyweights.
The bout started with both men sizing each other up and testing the range, but when the action started in earnest it was Emelianenko – known as ‘The Last Emperor’ – who delivered in emphatic fashion.
With Johnson pushing forward to apply pressure, Emelianenko unleashed a stunning three-punch combination, with the final shot sending Johnson crashing to the canvas for a spectacular knockout.
Emelianenko’s knockout of Johnson took his career win tally to 40, with 31 of those victories coming inside the distance.
In his prime, Emelianenko held the heavyweight title in now-defunct Japanese promotion Pride Fighting Championships for 1,663 days during his famed nine-year, 27-fight undefeated run.
And this victory now puts Emelianenko in position to potentially challenge for championship gold one more time before he announces his retirement from the sport.
“It’s a huge event for us,” he said, about fighting in his home country. “It’s been a while since I last fought in Russia, so it is a very big deal and I’m happy that we managed to be successful.”
More to follow.
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