His salad days in Pride Fighting Championships are now a distant memory, but the iconic Fedor Emelianenko still packs a promotional punch.
Emelianenko will make his once-delayed Bellator MMA debut when he faces “The Ultimate Fighter 10” alum Matt Mitrione in the Bellator 180 co-main event on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The 40-year-old Russian enters the three-round clash on a run of five consecutive victories. However, Emelianenko has not competed since he was awarded a controversial majority decision over Fabio Maldonado under the Fight Nights Global banner a little more than a year ago.