Fedor Emelianenko’s highly-anticipated Bellator return will come against former interim heavyweight title challenger Tim Johnson on Oct. 23.
Weeks after his return was announced by Bellator, MMA heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko will fight former interim heavyweight title challenger Tim Johnson at Bellator Moscow on Oct. 23.
After a ton of anticipation and debate over who Emelianenko should fight for his return; including former UFC heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos, he’ll face Johnson who recently fell to Valentin Moldavsky by unanimous decision at Bellator 261.
Emelianenko hasn’t fought since his highlight finish over Rampage Jackson at Bellator 237, and before that losing in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final against Ryan Bader. Johnson, who was not really considered in the discussion as to who Emelianenko should fight, had been one of the hottest Bellator heavyweights before the loss to Moldavsky; earning three-straight wins entering the interim title bout.
To the surprise of no one, the MMA community was not impressed with the booking for Emelianenko’s return to the cage and isn’t as excited as they would be had he been matched up with a bigger name such as Overeem or even former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett. Fans of Bellator and Emelianenko roasted the promotion for not booking a more exciting bout for the Russia card’s main event.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the surprising Emelianenko vs. Johnson booking for Bellator Moscow’s heavyweight main event.
Check out how Twitter reacted to the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Johnson news
The Bellator Moscow card also includes a heavyweight fight between Tyrell Fortune and Vitaly Minakov in the co-main event, along with rising lightweight prospect Usman Nurmagomedov slated to make his return against an opponent to be determined later.
While the Bellator fanbase is clearly disappointed with the Emelianenko vs. Johnson matchup, they’ll have a chance to watch an MMA legend compete in his home country, an instance that has become a rarity in the sport today.