Tag: Ryan Bader

Fedor Emelianenko retirement fight set for Bellator 290 on February 4th vs. Ryan Bader

Fedor EmelianenkoAfter nearly 23 years, Russian combat sports legend ‘The Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko will retire in 2023. Stepping into the cage one more time, Emelianenko will take on reigning Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader at Bellator 290 on February 4th, 2023. Emanating from the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, the card will air live on […]

Fedor Emelianenko

After nearly 23 years, Russian combat sports legend ‘The Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko will retire in 2023.

Stepping into the cage one more time, Emelianenko will take on reigning Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader at Bellator 290 on February 4th, 2023. Emanating from the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, the card will air live on CBS. It will be the first time Bellator will feature on network television and the first time CBS has aired an MMA event in over a decade.

The fight between Fedor Emelianenko and Ryan Bader will be a rematch of their January 2019 bout during the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament final. Bader scored a 35-second knockout against ‘The Last Emperor’ to capture the then-vacant heavyweight championship. Already the holder of Bellator’s light heavyweight title, ‘Darth’ Bader became a two-division champion with his destruction of Emelianenko.

Scott Coker Comments on Fedor Emelianenko Retirement Fight Airing on CBS

Bellator MMA president Scott Coker issued a statement following the announcement, explicitly discussing the promotion’s debut on network television.

“We have been working tirelessly on growing this brand into the global powerhouse it is today and a primetime slot on CBS has always been one of our key objectives,” Coker said. “With a healthy roster full of many of the world’s very best fighters, along with elite up-and-coming prospects and legends of the game, I’m very excited to showcase this event on the most-watched network in America.”

In his prime, Fedor Emelianenko went on a 27-fight win streak across multiple promotions including Rings, PRIDE, Affliction, and Strikeforce. Time eventually caught up with ‘The Last Emperor’ and he found himself dropping three straight under the Strikeforce banner. Emelianenko recovered winning five in a row before signing with Bellator in 2017. In the last five years, ‘The Last Emperor’ has gone 4-2 with wins over Frank Mir, Chael Sonnen, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, and Tim Johnson.

His last loss inside the cage was the 2019 meeting with Ryan Bader. If Fedor Emelianenko gets the victory in his final MMA appearance this February, he will not only avenge the last loss of his career, he will walk away as a world champion.

Scott Coker says Fedor Emelianenko’s last fight will be Ryan Bader or Anderson Silva: ‘It would be unbelievable.’

fedor emelianenko Scott coker Ryan Bader Anderson SIlvaThe greatest heavyweight to ever live Fedor Emelianenko is getting ready for his final fight in MMA. The Russian-born athlete was recently discussed in an interview with Bellator President Scott Coker. According to Coker, Fedor most wants to avenge his earlier loss to Ryan Bader for his final match. Coker and Emelianenko have been working […]

fedor emelianenko Scott coker Ryan Bader Anderson SIlva

The greatest heavyweight to ever live Fedor Emelianenko is getting ready for his final fight in MMA. The Russian-born athlete was recently discussed in an interview with Bellator President Scott Coker.

According to Coker, Fedor most wants to avenge his earlier loss to Ryan Bader for his final match. Coker and Emelianenko have been working together on and off for more than a decade, originally they promoted alongside one another in Strikeforce.

While speaking on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the Bellator President said:

“Fedor, he’s got his bullseye on Ryan Bader. He wants to fight Ryan Bader. So Ryan is resting and he wants to fight at the beginning of next year. So we’re going to have a conversation.”

Fedor Emelianenko even asked for ‘Darth’ Bader in an interview in Russia where he said:

“For me, Bader remains the number one goal for now. They (Bellator) didn’t contact me, no one told me the news, I also learned about it from the Internet, from the media. Whether it is inflated, whether it attracts attention. But for now, I’m preparing for Bader.”

Ryan Bader and ‘The Last Emperor’ originally met in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final in which the US-born athlete earned a first-round knockout stoppage victory. In the same interview, Fedor went on to discuss an all-time MMA great Anderson Silva. Regarding ‘The Spider,’ Fedor Emelianenko said:

“Anderson Silva’s boxing is very good, considering that he is now winning boxing matches. But I do not rule out the fight completely. Yes, thank God, it turns out to win somewhere standing, to finish the fight faster, but no, the fight is in force. As for Anderson, he ended his last fights in MMA with defeats, there were several knockouts, despite good boxing. Let’s see. If Bellator does offer it, we will consider it.” [Russian to English courtesy of Google Translate]

Fedor Emelianenko vs Anderson Silva?

It sounds as though ‘The Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko is open to a match against the former Brazilian UFC world champion. Scott Coker, while speaking to Helwani, addressed this fight and put some cool water on these rumors. While speaking on The MMA Hour he said:

“Fedor hit me up, ‘Am I going to fight Anderson Silva?’ I said, ‘No, no. Everybody just calm down.’”

Although, Coker sounds interested:

“I think Anderson enjoys boxing. I haven’t talked to him but I think he enjoys boxing and he’s going to continue boxing. He’s going to fight Jake Paul on the Showtime pay-per-view coming up. But if there was an opportunity, of course I would love to do it. That would be amazing. The two GOATs, that would be amazing ... As a fan, I would love it. It would be unbelievable.” [Transcript courtesy of MMA Fighting]

See the full interview with Scott Coker below:

Ryan Bader Reveals Which Member Of The Cain Velasquez Family Was Molested

Ryan BaderRyan Bader has provided some inside information about the Cain Velasquez case. The former UFC heavyweight champion is currently facing more than 20 years in prison after being charged with attempted murder and nine other offences following an incident in San Jose. Velasquez was hit with those charges after allegedly firing a handgun into a […]

Ryan Bader

Ryan Bader has provided some inside information about the Cain Velasquez case.

The former UFC heavyweight champion is currently facing more than 20 years in prison after being charged with attempted murder and nine other offences following an incident in San Jose.

Velasquez was hit with those charges after allegedly firing a handgun into a truck occupied by Harry Goularte Jr along with two other people one of those being Goularte’s stepfather.

Goularte Jr was recently charged with molesting a close relative of Velasquez. The bullet struck Goularte’s stepfather however he is expected to survive the incident.

Velasquez is also accused of ramming his truck into the vehicle the suspected pedophile was occupying after chasing it down for 11 miles in what has been described as a high-speed car chase.

The 39-year-old former fighter was denied bail on Monday and he will remain in custody ahead of his next hearing on April 12. Judge, Shelyna Brown said the risk is “too great” after reviewing Velasquez’s “reckless” alleged actions.

Ryan Bader Wants To Help Raise Funds For Cain Velasquez

Until now all that was known about the molestation victim was that he/she was a four-year-old relative of Velasquez.

In his efforts to raise money for his fellow fighter, Bader seemed to inadvertently release information that was not available to the public.

“Many of you know Cain is currently in jail and was denied bail,” Bader wrote on Facebook. “Cliff notes is he went after the man who was molesting his 4 yr old son. The 43 yr old man was released immediately with no bond and was able to go back home. Cain took justice into his own hands, and although not the smartest decision, any father would have felt the same way. This will help his family in the tough times ahead. Cain is an amazing human that made a mistake after an absolutely horrible crime was committed on his child. Please share and anything helps.”

You can help Ryan Bader raise money for Cain Velasquez here.

Cheick Kongo To Ryan Bader: “I’m Going To Murder You”

Bellator heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo is looking to earn more than the heavyweight title in his upcoming rematch against Ryan Bader. Kongo has proved that age may be just a number during his recent run-in Bellator. The 46-year-old has won 9 of his last 11 fights, including most recently against Sergei Kharitonov at Bellator 265. […]

Continue Reading Cheick Kongo To Ryan Bader: “I’m Going To Murder You” at MMA News.

Bellator heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo is looking to earn more than the heavyweight title in his upcoming rematch against Ryan Bader.

Kongo has proved that age may be just a number during his recent run-in Bellator. The 46-year-old has won 9 of his last 11 fights, including most recently against Sergei Kharitonov at Bellator 265.

Just minutes after Bader earned a unanimous decision victory against Valentin Moldavsky at Bellator 273, the promotion announced that Bader will defend his belt against Kongo in May at an event in Paris.

The Bader-Kongo rivalry is one of the most heated in recent Bellator history. The two top heavyweights fought to a no-contest after an accidental eye-poke by Bader stopped the fight. Bader later denied that he poked Kongo.

Kongo is looking to earn a decisive win this time against Bader. During a recent interview with Mirror, he revealed what he told Bader during their staredown following Bellator 273.

“I told him ‘karma is a b****’ and you did really good,” Kongo said. “I was impressed with his performance, it was a really good satisfaction. I wish he will be able to perform the same way [against me] but I’m going to kill you. When he left the cage, I told him ‘you better be ready, because I’m gonna murder you’. I wasn’t expecting to face him after three years, I thought it was just a utopia but they make it real. Now it’s happening. His salvation will probably for me to die with Covid or get hit by a car to not face me.”

Kongo will have the opportunity to exact his revenge against Bader in front of the hometown crowd in Paris. He has his own gym and team in France called “Kongo’s Smashin’ Club”, which features top prospects such as Djati Melan.

Kongo’s murder comments remind some fans of UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland, who has previously spoken about his desire to kill someone in the cage.

The Kongo-Bader rivalry doesn’t show any signs of cooling down anytime soon, and their fight is expected to be one of the most highly-anticipated in Bellator in 2022.

What is your prediction for Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo 2?

Continue Reading Cheick Kongo To Ryan Bader: “I’m Going To Murder You” at MMA News.

Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo Set for May 6 in Paris

Ryan BaderOn Saturday, Bellator announced that the promotion would return to Paris, France, hosting a heavyweight title fight between Ryan Bader and Cheick Kongo. The announcement came after Ryan Bader left the Bellator sphere with a victory over Valetin Moldavsky in the Bellator 273 headliner. The promotion shortly after confirmed that the card would go down […]

Ryan Bader

On Saturday, Bellator announced that the promotion would return to Paris, France, hosting a heavyweight title fight between Ryan Bader and Cheick Kongo.

The announcement came after Ryan Bader left the Bellator sphere with a victory over Valetin Moldavsky in the Bellator 273 headliner. The promotion shortly after confirmed that the card would go down on May 6th at Accor Arena and that Bader would defend his title against French native Cheick Kongo.

Kongo was present at Bellator 273 and was brought into the cage for a faceoff with Ryan Bader following his five-round battle. The forty-six-year-old stated he was proud of getting Bellator to France in 2020 and hopes it’s a great sign moving forward for developing the sport in his country.

Paris Hosts Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo

“Bringing Bellator to France in 2020 was one of the highlights of my career, and I knew that it was the start of a long run of big events in Paris,” Bellator president Scott Coker stated. “Here we are ready for our second trip to France, and this time we are bringing a heavyweight world title rematch featuring arguably the most recognizable French mixed martial artist in our sport’s history. It’s personally important to me to help grow the sport in France and give these athletes a chance to perform on a large stage.”

May 6th will mark the second time Bader and Kongo have shared the Octagon with one another. The first meeting between the heavyweights ended prematurely due to Bader unintentionally poking Kongo in the eye resulting in the fight being declared a non-contest.

Kongo’s last appearance at Bellator Paris didn’t go as planned, as he dropped a unanimous decision to Tim Johnson, which put his title hopes on hold. Kongo bounced back at Bellator 265, recording a round-two submission over Sergei Kharitonov, granting him another crack at gold.

Bader’s victory on Saturday night saw the thirty-six fight veteran back in the win column after being stopped in round one by Corey Anderson. The fight marked Bader’s first fight back at heavyweight since the first meeting with Kongo.

How do you see the heavyweight title fight playing out?

Ryan Bader Beats Valentin Moldavsky In Thriller – Bellator 273 Highlights

Ryan Bader, Valentin MoldavskyIt was far from an easy matchup for Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader, but he won the later rounds of the fight to retain his title at Bellator 273. Bader made his long-awaited return to heavyweight after a long stint in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix. He lost in the semifinals to Corey […]

Ryan Bader, Valentin Moldavsky

It was far from an easy matchup for Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader, but he won the later rounds of the fight to retain his title at Bellator 273.

Bader made his long-awaited return to heavyweight after a long stint in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix. He lost in the semifinals to Corey Anderson in his last outing, eliminating him from attempting to get his 205-pound belt back.

Bader nearly finished the fight in the opening seconds with a strong flurry on Valentin Moldavsky. He wobbled Moldavsky bad with punches before Moldavsky was able to move the fight to the clinch and stop Bader’s advance.

Moldavsky found a rhythm in Rounds 2 and 3, using his trademark wrestling to control the pace of the fight. But, he didn’t put out a lot of offense once he got top position on Bader.

Bader and Moldavsky were dead even heading to the fifth and final round. Moldavsky’s boxing proved effective in the first half of the round, but Bader used his clinch work and elbows up against the fence to stifle Moldavsky.

After five exhausting back-and-forth rounds, the judges gave Bader the 48-47 unanimous decision victory over Moldavsky.

Following the win, it was announced that Bader will defend his heavyweight title against Cheick Kongo in May. The card is slated to take place on May 6 in Paris, FR.

Bader has already confirmed that he won’t fight at 205 pounds for the remainder of his MMA career. He looked strong and energetic at heavyweight and doesn’t have to worry about brutal weight cuts at this stage of his career.

With the win, the 38-year-old Bader further proves that he’s still one of the most elite fighters in the world with an all-time gritty performance at Bellator 273.

Highlights from Ryan Bader vs. Valentin Moldavsky

Check out the highlights from the heavyweight showdown between Bader and Moldavsky at Bellator 273.