Fedor Emelianenko

By FCF Staff

Fedor Emelianenko’s retirement tour has been sidelined due to the coronavirus pandemic. But, Bellator President Scott Coker says the legend still intends to fight again.

The 43-year-old, legend is coming off a quick, stoppage win over “Rampage” Jackson in December. Before the pandemic began shutting down businesses, the expectation was that Fedor would fight two more times.

While talking to MMA Junkie recently, Coker confirmed that Fedor’s retirement tour will continue, but on a new timeline.

“I definitely think (the pandemic) effected his timeline and the timeline we wanted to do for him,” Coker said. “We wanted him to fight some time in the fall. That might be tough now. The idea of Fedor was not to bring him into the States anymore. It was to fight in the Middle East or in Europe. In Japan, we already did that as our first one.”

“The final one would be in Russia in Moscow,” Coker said. “We’d throw a fight in his home country where he lives now and put on a great show and bring Bellator there for the first time. I mean, look at how many great Russian fighters we have. It’s unbelievable. The list goes on and on. There’s some great talent there, and we’re scouting all the time. We’re going to be in the Russian fight business for a long time. We wanted to go there with Fedor. We wanted to do the first Bellator event there.”

“Now I think everything gets pushed back four of five months,” Coker said. “Something that we’re trying to do maybe at the beginning of the year might not go until May of next year. We’re going to do right. We’re going to do it in a way that’s health and safety first. Then, we’re going to put on some great fights. It’s going to be a matter of time.”

Emelianenko (39-6-, 1 NC) signed with Bellator in 2017, and since then “The Last Emperor” has gone 3-2.