Heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko was always a bit of an enigma to MMA fans, but his last fight before retirement showed the man he really is. A masterful performance saw him claim victory in Moscow, with devastating knockout power that left no doubt about who would leave the cage next.
Alexander Emelianenko is a Russian heavyweight fighter. He has been fighting since 1997, and he has fought for over 15 years. On November 24, 2018, during Bellator 269 in Moscow, he won by knockout against Frank Mir to claim the Bellator Heavyweight Championship.
Fedor Emelianenko, a Russian MMA legend, defeated Tim Johnson at Bellator 269 in Moscow.
The events of Bellator 269 are detailed in the report below. On iPlayer (UK only), you may watch the complete event again here.
Fedor Emelianenko, a Russian MMA legend, knocked out number two-ranked heavyweight Tim Johnson in the main event of Bellator 269 in front of a home audience.
Despite his aspirations to retire from the sport in the near future, Emelianenko, 45, made his first competitive appearance on home soil in five years, proving that he still a significant danger to Bellator’s best heavyweights.
Both men took their time measuring each other up and gauging the range, but when the fight got serious, it was Emelianenko – dubbed “The Last Emperor” – who came out on top.
With Johnson coming forward to apply pressure, Emelianenko landed a terrific three-punch combination, the last strike sending Johnson, 36, to the mat for a sensational knockout.
Emelianenko won his 40th fight by knocking out Johnson, with 31 of those wins coming inside the distance.
During his legendary nine-year, 27-fight unbeaten run, Emelianenko held the heavyweight championship in the now-defunct Japanese company Pride Fighting Championships for 1,663 days.
And now, with this win, Emelianenko is in a position to contend for championship gold one more time before retiring from the sport.
Fighting in his native nation is “a significant occasion for us,” he added. “It’s been a long time since I’ve fought in Russia, so it’s a huge event for me, and I’m glad we were successful.”
Minakov’s ambitions are dashed due to a dislocated finger.
In his co-main event battle with American Said Sowma, Vitaly Minakov grips his dislocated finger.
Vitaly Minakov, the former Bellator heavyweight champion, was unable to make a successful return to the Bellator cage after suffering a fight-ending injury in his co-main event clash with American Said Sowma.
Minakov, 36, had his first appearance since August 2019, dominating the first round against Sowma, forcing the smaller man into the back foot with his heavy-handed punching.
Sowma, 28, changed tactics in round two, focusing on Minakov’s lead leg with a series of pounding calf kicks that obviously bothered the former champion.
When Minakov dislocated a finger in the last round by punching the top of Sowma’s head, referee Bryan Miner halted the bout and brought in a doctor to assist the Russian reset the digit.
The Russian sought to continue, but the fight had already been stopped, and Sowma was declared the winner by TKO.
After an easy victory, Nurmagomedov demands for top-10 opponent.
Usman Nurmagomedov, an undefeated lightweight, crushed Finland’s Patrik Pietila to enhance his flawless professional record to 14-0, and then asked Bellator’s matchmakers to put him in a fight against a top-10 rated opponent.
With his cousin, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, in his corner, the 23-year-old landed a strong calf kick on Pietila and quickly knocked him out.
On the mat, Nurmagomedov pounded the Finn with ground blows before securing a rear-naked choke for his fourth career submission win.
“I’m asking Bellator to give me someone from the top 10 since the number of detractors is rising,” Nurmagomedov stated after the fight via a translator.
Usman Nurmagomedov congratulates his cousin, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, for his victory against Finland’s Patrik Pietila.
After a hard-fought victory, Tokov demands for a championship chance.
Middleweight contender Anatoly Tokov was pushed to the limit by former training partner Sharaf Davlatmuradov in a tough three-round struggle in the night’s first main card bout.
Tokov, 31, was knocked out with the opening blow of the bout by the rangy Davlatmurodov, but the Russian contender got right back up and resumed his job.
The fight was close throughout, but Tokov’s strength and grappling gave him the lead at vital points, and he won by decision with scores of 29-28, 28-29, 29-28.
Tokov’s victory extended his winning run to six bouts and marked his professional MMA career’s 30th victory.
It also puts the Russian star in contention for a championship chance against Gegard Mousasi of the Netherlands, who has the middleweight title. Mousasi, a former ACB champion, said: “I feel I deserve a title opportunity, however in this specific fight I couldn’t demonstrate all that I am capable of.”
Lee states that he was submitted quickly.
Birmingham featherweight Aiden Lee won a stunning first-round submission win over Russia’s Alexander Osetrov in the evening’s first bout.
Lee, who was aiming to avenge a June submission loss to hot prospect Aaron Pico, won his third fight under the Bellator brand.
“I’m a good striker, a world-class striker,” Lee remarked after his rear-naked choke victory.
“I felt at ease on my feet, but I knew I had a significant edge over him on the ground.”
Brian Moore of Ireland and Rab Truesdale of Scotland, on the other hand, had a less eventful night.
Moore, 34, was beaten by Russian prospect Nikita Mikhailov in a bantamweight preliminary card battle that went the distance, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 on the scorecards.
Truesdale, 35, fought in the night’s headline preliminary card event, but was defeated by Russian heavyweight Kirill Sidelnikov through ground-and-pound TKO.
Related Tags
- bellator news
- ufc vs bellator
