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‘Twas the tap heard ‘round the world.
Former PRIDE Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko watched his 27-fight win streak come to a painful end after succumbing to a Fabricio Werdum submission at the Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Werdum” event back in June 2010.
Now he wants revenge.
“I have a meeting with Scott to discuss what the future holds as far as fighting,” Emelianenko told MMA Junkie. “For myself, yes, I would like to fight him. Whether that’s a fight fans are interested in seeing or Bellator is interested in putting on, I don’t know that.”
Fortunately for Emelianenko, who turns 44 next month, Werdum is open to running it back under the Bellator MMA banner. More importantly, promotion president Scott Coker is just as eager to book their heavyweight do-over as part of the “Fedor Retirement Tour.”
“The fight with him and Fabricio would be something that if it was an important revenge-type scenario for Fedor in his mind, and something that still eats at him every day, then it would be something we’d be interested in,” Coker told MMA Junkie. “Whatever he says, then we’ll go make it happen. If it’s an important fight to him, then we’ll probably put it together. If not, it doesn’t mean we won’t still pursue Fabricio.”
Werdum (24-9-1), now 43, finished out his UFC contract by submitting Alexander Gustafsson last month on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi. As for Emelianenko (39-6, 1 NC), his last bout resulted in a technical knockout victory over Quinton Jackson at Bellator 237.
At this point, Werdum vs. Fedor 2 feels like a foregone conclusion.