The major American mixed martial arts (MMA) organization Bellator has officially confirmed the upcoming heavyweight fight between one of the most famous athletes, Fedor, and the former champion of the most prestigious UFC promotion, Frank.

The meeting will definitely take place in April in Rosemont, America, but the specific date of the show will be announced later.

The other pairs of the 1/4 finals of the Bellator Grand Prix in the heavy category have also been finally determined. Quinton Jackson will fight Chael Sonnen on January 20, will fight Roy Nelson on February 16, and Ryan Bader will fight Mohammed Lawal in May (date also to be confirmed).

Besides Emelianenko, the participants are Americans. All of them are well over 30 years old, and the oldest, Nelson and Fedor, are already 41 years old. Moreover, if the Russian, his recent winner Mitrione, as well as Mir and Nelson traditionally performed in the absolute division, then the four others are natural light heavyweights. Jackson held the title in the UFC, Laval held the title in the once popular but now defunct Strikeforce, and Bader is the current Bellator champion.

“Mir is a famous, very difficult fighter who fought everywhere,” said Emelianenko’s coach, whose words are quoted by. — Characteristic, patient.

But Fedya is no gift either. These are fighters worthy of each other, I think their fight will be interesting.”

The specialist also recalled the problems that the American had.

“Mir was disqualified for doping, he missed quite a lot,” Voronov noted. “But I think he didn’t waste his time.”

According to the coach, “Emelianenko is always in excellent shape and everywhere he looks for an opportunity to maintain athletic condition, despite the heavy workload.”

At the same time, in addition to direct training, the athlete devotes a lot of time to social activities.

So, in the middle of this month, he met with the Prime Minister of Israel, which he spoke about on his Instagram account.

According to former Bellator middleweight champion (up to 84 kg) Alexander, the outcome of the upcoming fight cannot be predicted, and the opponents have equal chances.

“It all depends on Fedor, how he will feel and prepare in the first place,” R-Sport quotes Shlemenko as saying. - If he prepares well, then he has every chance of becoming a champion and winning this tournament. The world is dangerous because it is very large. He will definitely be heavy, plus Mir is a recognized wrestler, that is, he is very dangerous on the ground.

Here two fighters are standing next to each other, and the chances are 50 to 50. Fedor has a clear advantage in striking technology, and in wrestling, on the ground, Mir has a better chance.”

The fighter especially emphasized that Mir’s problem is striking technology: that’s why the American prefers to fight.

“So the intrigue lingers here until the last,” Shlemenko stated. “And the fact that Mir hasn’t performed for a long time evens out their chances.” The fight will definitely be unpredictable. It's hard to predict what will happen. And none of them can be called a clear favorite or a clear outsider.”

The World itself is very excited about the upcoming event.

“I’ve been following MMA closely lately because I was working as a commentator,” the American shared. -

As for Fedor, I wanted and am glad to meet him, because his achievements speak for him.

As always, I feel I have a great chance of winning."

Mir has not entered the octagon for more than a year, and lost his two previous fights - to a Belarusian in September 2015 and by knockout in the first round in March 2016. After this meeting, Mir failed a doping test and received a two-year disqualification.

Bellator head Scott conceived the tournament (full name: World Grand Prix 2018) with the goal of identifying the strongest heavyweight.

This niche has remained vacant since May 14, 2016, when the then champion was stripped of the title due to a long period without defending.

The previous heavyweight title fight took place in Bellator more than three years ago. On April 4, 2014, Russian Vitaly Minakov successfully defended the belt, previously taken from his compatriot, in a duel with the experienced Frenchman Cheick Kongo.

It will be something special for all of us,” Coker emphasized. “We will field eight iconic fighters over the course of one year, and the final winner will take the championship title. It’s high time for him to finally find a new owner.”

You can find other news, materials and statistics on boxing and MMA, as well as in the sports department groups on social networks

Together with a blow to the jaw from Matt Mitrione, the Last Emperor received the fifth anniversary defeat in his career. For the first time in seventeen years of professional fighting activity of Fedor Emelianenko, the judges’ protocols say “knockout” specifically in relation to the Russian athlete. However, this is what it was all about.

After the fight with Fabio Maldonado, when the St. Petersburg audience saw Emelianenko beaten and barely standing on his feet, he admitted that he intended to fight his next fight against the knockout artist. One of the greatest fighters in history needed to prove that the first round of the meeting with the Brazilian was a mistake and a single miscalculation. Mitrione was ideal for this. A very average and clumsy fighter, experiencing mental problems and alcohol addiction. The only objectively strong side is a heavy fist and a large carcass. In the cage, the American rather looked like a bear, which for a sambo wrestler of Emelianenko’s level should be that very loud falling cabinet. However, by the age of forty, the Russian’s chin had reached the “broken” stage, when one blow could easily end up on the floor. This happened last weekend.

The problem now is that self-esteem and the eminent nickname “The Last Emperor” are a bone in Emelianenko’s throat. Well, a man of such dignity cannot end his career after such a fight, just as he could not after a feeble victory over Maldonado. Although if he had wanted to, the contract with Bellator for four fights would have been canceled without any problems. After all, even the president of the American promotion, Scott Coker, does not hide the fact that Emelianenko has much more rights than an ordinary fighter. For example, Fedor personally takes part in the selection of an opponent. He has already announced that the opponent will not be confirmed for the next fight without him. And here a very interesting dilemma arises.

Once again, it would be stupid to go head-on into a jackhammer, and Emelianenko demonstrated his weakness in confrontations with easier opponents back in 2011. Then middleweight Dan Henderson barely gained the required 94 kilograms and outdid the 110-kilogram Fedor in the first round. An interesting option that has already been tested in Bellator could be several retro fights from the 2000s, when Emelianenko reigned in his sport. There will probably be a couple of people willing to take revenge after fifteen years. Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock did not skimp on holding a third fight between themselves at the age of fifty. The speed and technique, of course, are no longer the same, but the audience trembles with delight.

But will Emelianenko himself agree to switch from a fighter to dolls for demonstration performances? By the way, they are paid well.

The heavyweight mixed martial arts (MMA) fight under the auspices of the Bellator promotion Fedor - Matt Mitrione has not been canceled, but postponed. This formulation is adhered to by officials related to the organization of the event.

Early on Sunday morning, Moscow time, the legendary Russian martial artist Emelianenko Sr. was supposed to make his debut under the auspices of the Bellator organization, which is considered the second in status in the world after the UFC.

however, a few hours before the scheduled fight, it became known that the Russian’s opponent, Mitrione, had serious health problems.

According to the official version, the American complained of pain and was sent to the hospital.

Information about the incident quickly appeared on Emelianenko’s Instagram account.

“A few minutes ago, Bellator officially canceled the fight because my opponent was hospitalized,” it was written on behalf of the domestic athlete. “A lot of work was done, I seriously prepared for this fight, but, unfortunately, it will not take place today. I wish Matt a speedy recovery.

Our fight will be postponed for several months so that Mitrione can recover. Many thanks to everyone who helped me prepare for this fight, who prayed, worried and was sick. Thank God for everything!"

Posted by Fedor Emelianenko (@fedoremelianenkoofficial) Feb 18, 2017 at 4:41 PST

As Fedor stated a little later, the head of Bellator will announce a new date for the fight “in the near future.” The athlete believes he will have time to prepare well for his new entry into the octagon in May-June.

The functionary himself, in turn, through his Twitter page, promised to soon return to San Jose with the announced event and emphasized that his organization managed to “decently get out of a difficult situation.” According to Coker, the Emelianenko fight could still take place in the next couple of months. However, he did not rule out replacing the opponent with a Russian. The head of Bellator seriously fears that Mitrione’s recovery will take a long time.

“We are all disappointed because we came here to see Fedor in the main fight of the evening,” mmajunkkie.com quotes Cocker as saying. “But what can you do, Mitrione felt very bad in the morning, so I insisted that he be taken to the hospital and checked out.

Based on the results of a medical examination, it turned out that he had kidney stones. For this reason, he was in serious pain.

We understand that a serious fight has been cancelled, but the health of the athletes interests us first and foremost. The fans gathered are disappointed, but I hope that we will correct this situation.”

So far, fans have not returned tickets en masse, although they have been guaranteed a refund of funds. Emelianenko himself, by the way, could lose a decent amount from the cancellation of his performance - according to various estimates, from $500 thousand to $1 million.

Meanwhile, the Russian fighter’s camp also expressed strong disappointment with what happened. Here they complain about the large volumes of training work, which, apparently, was done in vain.

As always, Emelianenko was preparing for the fight in Stary Oskol with his team. As part of the main stage, I worked on endurance, speed and striking technique. In the morning I jogged eight kilometers, then honed my wrestling in the gym, and in the evening I boxed.

Right up to the deadline, they still wanted to save Emelianenko’s appearance by urgently replacing his opponent. In particular, the candidacy of the Englishman Oli Thompson was discussed, who in the same show lost on points to the famous Frenchman Cheick Kongo.

In addition, famous American fighters of different weight categories, and Mohammed Lawal, offered their services.

However, they all received a refusal from the organizers.

According to the Bellator boss, it turned out to be impossible to find a new opponent for Fedor due to time pressure. True, Cocker positively assessed the prospect of bringing his superstar together with Laval.

Let us add that in the preliminary program of the fight evening, the famous student of Emelianenko, middleweight Anatoly Tokov (up to 84 kg), defeated Brazilian Francisco Francais by technical knockout in the second round.

The Russian won his 25th victory with three defeats. It is curious that Emelianenko helped him prepare for the fight, acting as a sparring partner.

You can get acquainted with other materials, news and statistics from boxing and MMA, as well as in the groups of the sports department on social networks

Mixed martial arts fans will know the name of the Bellator Heavyweight Champion in 5 months. The promotion has announced the date of the Grand Prix final among the heavyweights - the long-awaited fight will take place on January 26 in Los Angeles. It remains to find out the names of the contenders for the title.

The Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix final will take place on January 26, 2019 in Los Angeles, reports MMAFighting.

Fedor Emelianenko defeated Chael Sonnen quite easily. The only time it was alarming was when Sonnen tried to go for a choke. But the American was forced to get off the back of our fighter quite quickly.

Fedor reached the Grand Prix final, where he will meet Ryan Bader. It will be much harder with him.

Bader made it to the finals the day before, defeating Matt Mitrione, the same one who knocked out Emelianenko last June. It was a one-goal game according to a simple scenario: Ryan confidently went to the feet (all attempts were successful), moved Mitrione down and wore him down there. Khabib style. No unnecessary actions, excellent control. Yes, it was not possible to win ahead of schedule (although at one moment Matt almost knocked - he even raised his hand to do it, but still did not), but Mitrione was defeated. Bader dealt with him like a newcomer.

Emelianenko's next opponent is very good in wrestling.

Both Bader and Sonnen are basic freestyle wrestlers. Sonnen did nothing but try to take Emelianenko to the ground. It happened twice. Twice in one round isn't that bad. Bader is now much more dangerous - he is a fighter of a different level. Defense against penetrations to the legs is perhaps the main thing Fedor will need to pay attention to while preparing for the fight.

Sonnen in the standing position is nothing, frankly speaking. Bader can not only fence, but also cut him down on the spot. In the quarterfinals of the Grand Prix, he defeated Mohamed Lawal (and this is a pretty decent fighter) in 15 seconds - he knocked him down with a left jab and then finished him off. Ryan competed in the UFC for a long time (from 2008 to 2016, 15 wins, 5 losses). And there he won by knockout five times - he knocked out Ilira Latifi, for example, with a knee blow.

But a stand-up fight is what Emelianenko will need in the fight with Bader. Fedor is 42, but his speed is still perfect, and his punch is heavy. In the first 20 seconds, he sent Sonnen to the canvas twice. Last time I beat Frank Mir. And he put Mitrione in the back seat (and if he had hit him a little more accurately, he probably would have been knocked out).

And Bader doesn't have a stone head. He was knocked out three times. And if Anthony Johnson scored it at the net after a fight on the ground, then Glover Teixeira scored it after he sent Ryan into a hard knockdown. Lyoto Machida decided everything with one counter blow.

The fight is exhausting, even if the opponent can’t really do anything in response. Especially when you fight continuously for almost 15 minutes. But Bader didn’t seem to be tired at all in the fight with Mitrione. Obviously, it’s easily enough for five rounds. He's in great shape. He is 35 years old. For MMA, especially for heavyweight, this is the juice.

Fedor is 42. After his return, he had only one fight that lasted more than one round - a thriller with Fabio Maldonado. He walked through it all in a standing position, and Fedor was wildly exhausted. However, the intensity then was the highest, Emelianenko missed a gigantic number of blows. In such a situation, almost anyone would be exhausted. The fight with Sonnen is more revealing. It ended at the end of the first round, and it seemed that by the fifth minute our fighter was no longer fresh at all. In short, I started breathing.

Given Bader's style, this is a very bad sign. Fedor will train defense against passes to the legs, but not physics. Emelianenko understands that it is already difficult for him to withstand all 15 minutes, and immediately rushes forward. Surely this will happen in the fight with Bader. Because if Fedor doesn’t win in the first round, it will be much more difficult to do so in the remaining rounds. Emelianenko, of course, is the greatest, but in the Grand Prix final the American will be the clear favorite.

Fedor signed a contract with Bellator in 2016 for three fights + one championship. That is, now the contract will be automatically extended for one more fight. Will the fight with Bader be the last of Fedor's career? It is likely that yes - and regardless of the outcome. But winning the Grand Prix would be very beautiful.

Russian mixed style (MMA) fighter Fedor Emelianenko did not rule out that he will retire after the final Bellator Grand Prix fight with American Ryan Bader. The 42-year-old Russian stated this at a press conference.

On Sunday, Emelianenko defeated American Chael Sonnen in the semifinals by technical knockout. The place and date of the final battle will be announced later.

“It all depends on how you feel. I can answer this question only after the final fight,” Emelianenko said.

Regardless of how Fedor’s future career develops, we thank him for the positive moments that he gave to MMA fans. will remain the greatest fighter in the history of the sport.

A heavy defeat for Fedor, which suggests the advisability of continuing to perform. Fights are fights, but health is more important. In this regard, we invite you to take part in the survey: Is Emelianenko worth continuing his career?

1st round. In the first exchange, the fighters shocked each other. Both ended up on the canvas, but Mitrione managed to recover much faster, went for the finish and managed to finish the fight in his favor.

06:45. Referee of the fight is Dan Miragliota. Go!

06:42. Fedor comes out to the Russian-Serbian composition “Our Faith is Orthodox” (lyricist by Nikola Serbsky). Fedor will fight in red gloves.

06:40. Mitrione's exit. He walked to the cage in a white cap and black T-shirt.

06:35 . Well, now the long-awaited fight with the participation of Fedor Emelianenko awaits us. He will make his Bellator debut against American Matt Mitrione.

06:30 . Chandler suffers a leg injury, resulting in Primus being declared the winner and becoming the new champion.

06:25 . Next up is the lightweight title fight between Michael Chandler (c) and Brent Primus. And in the next fight he will enter the cage.

06:05 . The lightweight fight ended, in which the young talent Aaron Pico, making his MMA debut, lost to the aged Zach Freeman by guillotine choke in the first round.

06:00. The famous Russian trainer Edgard Zapashny is in New York and reports the latest news. In particular, in one of his last posts he said that Fedor had just arrived at the venue of the fight.

05:50 . Lima won by unanimous decision and remains the organization's welterweight champion.

05:20 . The first bout of the main card has begun, a welterweight title fight pitting title holder Douglas Lima against challenger Lorenz Larkin.

05:00 . The tournament has started. The preliminary card fights have now ended, and the main fights of Bellator 180 are next.

Results of preliminary card fights

Light heavyweight fight.
Ryan Bader - Phil Davis - Bader wins by split decision.

Featherweight fight.
James Gallagher - Chinzo Machida - Gallagher wins via rear naked choke in the first round.

Flyweight fight.
Heather Hardy - Alice Yauger - Hardy wins by technical knockout (finishing) in the third round.

Welterweight fight.
Ryan Couture - Haim Gozali - Couture wins by unanimous decision.

Lightweight fight.
Jerome Mickle - Anthony Ghiaccina defeated Ghiaccina by rear naked choke in the third round.

Welterweight fight.
John Salgado - Hugh McKenna - McKenna wins by submission (kimura) in the first round.

Flyweight fight.
Matt Rizzo - Sergio da Silva - victory via choke (arm triangle) in the third round.

Lightweight fight.
Bradley Desire - Nate Grebb - Desire wins by knockout in the first round.

June 24 in New York as part of the Bellator 180 tournament, which is rightfully considered the best representative of mixed martial arts in our country. An American will oppose the Last Emperor Matt Mitrione, who gained fame as a tough, uncompromising fighter. Initially, the fighters were supposed to meet in February, but a few hours before the fight Mitrione felt unwell and was hospitalized with a diagnosis of kidney stones. The meeting of the fighters will take place at the legendary Madison Square Garden arena, and will become the co-main fight of the tournament.

The official weigh-in ceremony took place the day before. Mitrione outweighed the Russian, turning out to be more than nine kilograms heavier. The scales under the American showed 116.4 kg, while Emelianenko pulled 107.2 kg.

Participants in the main fight of the evening, Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva, showed equal weight - 93.3 kg, thus falling within the light heavyweight limit.

The broadcast of the fight will begin on the night from Saturday to Sunday, Moscow time. The approximate start of the Emelianenko fight is 06:00.

Bellator 180 Tournament Lineup

Light heavyweight fight.
Chael Sonnen - Wanderlei Silva

Heavyweight fight.
- Matt Mitrione

Lightweight title fight
Michael Chandler - Brent Primus

Lightweight fight
Aaron Pico - Zach Freeman

Light heavyweight fight
Ryan Bader - Phil Davis

Featherweight fight
James Gallagher - Chinzo Machida

Welterweight fight
Neiman Gracie - Dave Marfon

Flyweight fight
Heather Hardy - Alice Yawger

Welterweight fight
Ryan Couture - Haim Gozali

Lightweight fight
Jerome Mickle - Anthony Ghiaccina

Welterweight fight
John Salgado - Hugh McKenna

Flyweight fight
Matt Rizzo - Sergio da Silva

Lightweight fight
Bradley Desire - Nate Grebb