Bellator CEO Scott Coker has two big-named opponents lined up for MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko.
MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko has not seen action since December 2019. That last fight was against fellow veteran Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, whom he defeated via first-round TKO.
Throughout the last year and three months, “The Last Emperor” also battled COVID-19. Now that he’s fully recovered, Bellator CEO Scott Coker is already planning for his return.
“He’s doing much better and he’s ready to start training and getting ready,” Coker told MMA Junkie. “He will fight here in the next several months, I think. I’m going to talk to him when he gets here next week.
He’s coming with (Vadim) Nemkov. I’ll have a chance to sit down and talk to him. I’ll make sure we’re on the same page as far as the timing of it all. I’m thinking late summer or early fall, you’ll see Fedor in the cage again.”
As for Fedor’s possible opponents, Coker is looking at two names: Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem, both of whom have been recently released from the UFC.
“We’re not going to sign these guys to, like, a two-year, six-fight deal or build them up,” he said. “They’ve done everything. They’ve already proved themselves. They are legends of the sport already. But what I will say is we do have legends of the sport here.
“If we go down the road, and we think a Fedor opponent will work, Alistair and Fedor will be very interesting to me. Junior Dos Santos and Fedor will be very interesting to me.”
Overeem and dos Santos were both cut from the UFC roster in early March. “The Demolition Man” has been quiet the entire time, but “Cigano” did express interest in fighting Fedor.