Fedor Emelianenko’s run through the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix came to a crashing halt last night (Sat., Jan. 26, 2019) after Ryan Bader knocked him out in just 35 seconds at Bellator 214 to win the big prize (see it here).
The loss snapped “The Last Emperor’s” two fight win streak after taking out Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen to reach the finals, bringing him to an even 2-2 under the Bellator MMA banner. Afterward, the living legend took to social media to reflect on the defeat (as transcribed by MMA Junkie).
“After the fight, I feel good, the dissection over the eye is not deep, yesterday I had several stitches. I think it will heal in a couple of weeks. I want to say thanks to everyone who helped me get ready, who came to the fight, and who got up early to watch the match. Thank you all for your support and your prayers. All the will of God.”
Where Fedor goes from here is anyone’s guess, but the 42-year old combatant did hint at the possibility of retirement looming in the near future. Interestingly enough, Fedor has no more fights remaining with Bellator, as Scott Coker said as much during the post-fight presser.
Thee is always the option of Emelianenko fighting overseas, as his name still carries huge weight the foreign crowd, especially in Japan. That said, at this point in his career Fedor has been there and done that. There aren’t really any other major titles for him to win other than the UFC strap, but that ship has sailed for good.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what Fedor opts to do with his combat career moving forward in the coming months.
For complete Bellator 214 results and coverage click here.