Frank Mir (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

Recently Bellator announced that it will promote an all-star, heavyweight tournament in 2018, and a bout between Frank Mir and Fedor Emelianenko is in the works for the opening round.

When the competition was announced last week, both Emelianenko and Mir were confirmed as competitors, alongside Roy Nelson, Matt Mitrione, “Rampage” Jackson, Chael Sonnen, Ryan Bader and “King Mo” Lawal. No match-ups were announced, but since then, Mir has reported on the Phone Booth Fighting podcast that he will likely fight Emelianenko in April.

MMA Fighting is reporting that the bout has been agreed to, but that the contracts are not finalized.

Mir hasn’t fought since March, 2016, when he was stopped by Mark Hunt. Mir tested positive for banned substances following the bout, however, and was suspended for two years. The former UFC champ has denied knowingly taking performance enhancing drugs.