WOW! Fedor Emelianenko Could Face Alistair Overeem in his Bellator Return Fight

Published 06/26/2021, 9:07 AM EDT

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Bellator MMA President Scott Coker spoke to media members after Bellator 261 wrapped up. Coker was asked a lot of questions regarding an announcement that the organization made about Fedor Emelianenko. Scott Coker revealed that ‘The Last Emperor’ would return to action on October 23 at the VTB Arena in Moscow.

Chiefly, this will be the first time that Bellator will be traveling to Russia. Of course, it’s only fitting that Fedor Emelianenko will be the headliner for the organization’s first foray into the region. What’s more, Scott Coker has always discussed taking the promotion to Russia and giving Emelianenko the chance to headline.

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Who will stand across ‘The Last Emperor’ in Russia?

While fans now know with complete certainty that they will see Emelianenko once more, the question persists- who will be his opponent? Scott Coker revealed that there are several marquee heavyweight fighters who are vying to take on Emelianenko. Coker listed off the fighters who had reached out and it’s no surprise that everyone wants a slice of the action.

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“Believe me, there is no shortage of opponents (for) Russia right now,” Coker said at a post-fight news conference. “Listen, the managers of all the free agents are calling. Josh Barnett was texting me today. I talked to (Junior Dos Santos’) manager a couple days ago. Alistair Overeem. The list goes on and on and on.” [h/t MMA Junkie].

The aforementioned heavyweight legends who want to fight Fedor Emelianenko all have a stake in the game. Junior Dos Santos is a free agent ever since leaving the UFC. Moreover, Josh Barnett is already a member of the Bellator roster, albeit not an active member. ‘The War Master’ took to social media and threw his hat in the metaphorical ring.

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As for Alistair Overeem, he recently signed with GLORY kickboxing after parting ways with the UFC. However, Bellator and GLORY have a good working relationship and there’s no reason why the fight won’t happen. As it stands, it’s clear that Fedor Emelianenko is still the prizefighter that he was in his prime.

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Also Read: 5 Things You Need to Know About Alexander Volkov

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Written by:

Darryl Pinto

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Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.
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