Even in a diminished state, Fedor Emelianenko remains a formidable weapon.
“The Last Emperor” put away Frank Mir with first-round punches in the 2018 Bellator MMA heavyweight grand prix quarterfinals at Bellator 198 on Saturday at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. In his first appearance since March 19, 2016, Mir (18-12, 0-1 Bellator) succumbed to blows 48 seconds into Round 1, as the fading former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder was saddled with his third straight defeat.
Emelianenko (37-5, 1-1 Bellator) navigated some choppy waters, drew Mir into a firefight and uncorked a short but devastating left uppercut that put the Las Vegas native on all fours.