Ryan Bader was okay with giving Fedor Emelianenko all of the spotlight in the leadup to their rematch at Bellator 290, but come fight night, “Darth” was all business.
From the jump, the two came out swinging and Bader tagged Fedor early. As the round progressed, Emelianenko tried to be aggressive but Bader was up for the task. During an exchange, Bader clipped the former PRIDE FC champion, sending him tumbling to the canves.
It was deja vu all over again.
This time around, however, “The Last Emperor” managed to survive a bit longer, but it wasn’t for long. Bader managed to pass his guard and proceeded to deliver a heavy dosage of ground-and-pound which left referee Herb Dean no other choice but to step in and put an end to the fight, giving Bader his second first-round win over “The Last Emperor.”
For Bader, it’s his third title defense and he’ll now look for a fresh challenge in his next time out. For Emelianeko, while he didn’t get the fairy tale ending he wanted, he was sent off in a nice way by the promotion, who invited several living legends to join him in the center of the cage as he put his gloves down.
Fedor Emelianenko lays down his gloves surrounded by legends!
Tune in to @CBS and @paramountplus NOW. #Bellator290 #Bellator #MMA @BellatorMMA @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/DgXYmEfskx
— SHOWTIME SPORTS (@SHOsports) February 5, 2023
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