Fedor Emelianenko concluded his current Bellator contract on Saturday night, but he was unable to provide a storybook ending to his run through the promotion’s heavyweight grand prix.
Instead, Ryan Bader claimed the the vacant heavyweight throne in the Bellator 214 headliner with a 35-second stoppage of “The Last Emperor,” who had vanquished Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen to reach the final. A left hook from Bader — the first punch landed of the fight — sent Fedor to the canvas, and the UFC veteran finished his foe with a right hand as the Russian attempted to sit up.