Fedor Emelianenko will no longer be having his retirement fight in Moscow due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, Bellator president, Scott Coker revealed.
Emelianenko fought in Russia in his last fight back in October where he knocked out Tim Johnson in the first round. The plan was for him to return to Moscow sometime this year for his retirement fight but after Russia invaded Ukraine and the war going on there, Coker says that will no longer be happening.
“It’s definitely not going to happen in Moscow this year,” Coker told reporters following Bellator 276. “We’re not gonna do Fedor’s retirement fight there for obvious reasons. We’ll be looking for an alternative site at some point, but we’re going to sit down with Fedor when he comes to [Bellator 277] in San Jose and see what he’s thinking.”
According to Scott Coker, Bellator already received permission to host the event in the Red Square which is one of the most historically significant areas of Moscow. It was going to be a massive event and a swan song to remember for the heavyweight legend in Emelianenko but that will no longer happen.
“We had an amazing show planned in Moscow,” Coker said. “I don’t even mind telling you this but we originally had approval to do the fight in Red Square, and it was going to be such a great sendoff for the GOAT in my opinion. Now, we have to pivot and create something else that’s great, find another venue, and find another amazing site because he deserves to have a great sendoff — and we’ll do that — we just don’t know where yet.”
When and who Fedor Emelianenko will fight in his retirement fight is uncertain. With him being a legend and on a two-fight winning streak perhaps he fights for the belt in his final fight, but at this time, his entire retirement plan now has to be re-worked.
