Bellator 269

Fedor turned back the clock at Bellator 269

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Fedor Emelianenko

This past Saturday in the main event of Bellator 269, Fedor Emelianenko (40-6) returned home to Russia to take on the tough Tim Johnson (15-8). Despite fighting in his homeland, many considered Fedor to be the underdog on Saturday night.

Johnson had a sensational 2020 that led him to an interim Bellator heavyweight title fight earlier this year. Meanwhile Fedor has struggled with Bellator heavyweights having gone just 3-2 leading up to Saturday night.

That said, there was still some mystique surrounding The Last Emperor as he walked to the cage on Saturday. The Russian crowd all on their feet with their eyes glued on their national hero who put Russian MMA on the map.

The fight started out with Fedor bouncing on his toes with his hands low. He looked good and was still looking to fight with the same style he had been fighting with his entire career. There were a few exchanges between him and Johnson where it looked like either man could’ve won by knockout had they landed.

Then, just a few minutes into the first at Bellator 269, Fedor turned back the clock. A beautiful left hook followed by a blistering right flattened Tim Johnson. No follow up shots were needed as Fedor picked up the KO win as the Russian crowd erupted.

What’s next after Bellator 269?

Scott Coker said last week that Saturday night was the first leg of a two-fight retirement tour for Fedor. Fedor is wrapping up his historic career with Bellator, but there is no word yet on who Fedor will fight in his next matchup.

Coker told the media on Saturday that Fedor will likely fight early next year or in the spring. That is when we will see Fedor compete for the final time in the Bellator cage. Fedor told the media afterwards that he needs to discuss his fighting future with his family.

To me, it’s going to be interesting to see who Bellator pairs him with. Honestly, Saturday night would’ve been the perfect fight to walk away on. A huge knockout win over a top contender in his home country. However, that doesn’t appear to be the plan and we should know sooner than later when we’ll see Fedor for the final time.

Bellator 269 Preview: Fedor Emelianenko – Tim Johnson

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Fedor Emelianenko

Tomorrow in the main event of Bellator 269, the legend Fedor Emelianenko (39-6) will be fighting in his home of Russia as he takes on Tim Johnson (15-7). The fight is Fedor’s first matchup in almost two years.

Fedor Emelianenko last made the walk back in December of 2019 at Bellator 237 when he took on Rampage Jackson. Emelianenko was able to pick up the first round knockout that night that moved him to 3-2 overall in Bellator.

It’s no secret that we truly never saw the best version of Emelianenko in the US. The best version of Fedor was the Pride Fedor, but that man is long gone. Now, at 44 years old, we could be looking at the last time that we ever see Fedor compete.

He doesn’t have any easy task in front of him tomorrow in Tim Johnson. Johnson has really turned things around since moving to Bellator. In 2020, he went on a sensational run that saw him go 3-0 with wins over Tyrell Fortune, Matt Mitrione, and Cheick Kongo.

Those wins earned him a shot at the interim Bellator heavyweight title against Valentin Moldavsky. Ultimately, he fell short in that matchup, but he’s still right there in the title picture for the heavyweight crown.

Bellator 269 Prediction

When thinking about this matchup, I think about the Fedor of old. No disrespect to Tim Johnson, but I think about the fact that nobody would even give him a shot against Prime Fedor if Prime Fedor was fighting at Bellator 269.

That said, the man he will be facing tomorrow has shown a suspect chin over his last few fights and I think that could come into play tomorrow night. Fedor Emelianenko has never been a big heavyweight and I think that can hurt him against Tim Johnson.

I’m expecting Johnson to make this fight ugly and try to grapple a bit with Emelianenko. Emelianenko still carries power and definitely carries a speed advantage. However, Johnson has been more active with a tougher schedule as of late. I think the legend gets put down in his home country tomorrow.

Prediction: Tim Johnson by TKO – Round 2