Fedor Emelianenko wants to end his career with the Bellator heavyweight title.
The president of the organisation Scott Coker will mull over granting Emelianenko his wish, but some key moments have to align before he gives it serious consideration.
“That’s what Fedor asked me,” Coker told MMA Junkie.
“He’s like, ‘If Ryan beats Moldavsky, I want to fight Ryan Bader.’ That’s what he said. I said, ‘Well, let’s talk about it and I’ll give you some other possibilities in the beginning of January, then let’s see how the fight unwinds and we’ll make a business decision, Fedor. How about that?’ And he said, ‘OK.’ And that was it.”
Emelianenko has fought for Bellator gold once before, but Bader shut him down with a 35-second TKO at Bellator 214 in January 2019 to win the belt and heavyweight grand prix.
Even if it doesn’t materialize, Coker promises Emelianenko’s retirement fight will be a monumental moment.
Coker plans to take his retirement fight back there, and allow the former longtime PRIDE FC champ to exit the sport on the appropriate stage.
“We have one more fight with him and we’re going to do something really big in Russia,” Coker said. “He deserves a king’s sendoff with the career that he’s had, and we’re going to give it to him.”
