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Black Belt Hall of Famer Fedor Calls it a Career Following Loss

Mark Jacobs 2023.02.05 2 min read

In what he says will be the final fight of his storied career, MMA legend and Black Belt hall of famer Fedor Emelianenko looked all of his 46 years getting stopped in one round by Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader Saturday night in Inglewood, Calif.

With a host of MMA luminaries, from Royce Gracie to Chuck Liddell, in attendance, Emelianenko came out with his hands low showing little defense and quickly getting dropped by a Bader right hand. From there, the champion unleashed some ground and pound until referee Herb Dean saved a helpless Emelianenko putting an end to a sad spectacle televised by CBS.

If this was, indeed, his final fight – and he’s retired before only to come back – Emelianenko will still go down as one of the greatest heavyweights ever. Unbeatable as Pride heavyweight champion in the early 2000s, he holds wins over foes like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mark Coleman. He was inducted into the Black Belt hall of fame in 2004.

In the co-main event Bellator middleweight titlist Johnny Eblen used his kickboxing early then turned to his wrestling over the last half of the fight to grind out a unanimous five-round decision over Anatoly Tokov.

Bellator, Bellator mma, Mma news, Mixed martial arts

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