‘The Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko bid farewell to his 23-year MMA career with a bang at Bellator 290, as he stepped back into the octagon for one final showdown against Ryan Bader in a much-anticipated rematch. The fight filled the night with excitement and anticipation, as the OGs of the MMA world gathered to witness Emelianenko’s last battle.

Legends such as Chael Sonnen, Royce Gracie, Dan Henderson, Mark Coleman, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes, and Chuck Liddell all came together to pay homage to the 46-year-old Russian icon. The picture of these MMA greats together brought back memories of the ‘good old days’ and elicited a flood of emotions and reactions from fans who underwent a wave of nostalgia and were overwhelmed by the sight of these legends together once again.

MMA fans take a trip down the memory lane

The MMA era of the late 90s and early 2000s holds a special place in the hearts of fans, as the sport grew with them. Witnessing all the legends they grew up watching come together for Fedor Emelianenko‘s last fight was an extremely moving moment, and we could see this in the fans’ reactions to the picture.

The caption here wrote, “The legends are out for Fedor’s final fight 🙌 #Bellator290”. And there couldn’t be a better way to describe it.

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‘We Have Already Somehow Negotiated on This Subject’- Boxing Legend Teases a Potential MMA Fight Against Fedor Emelianenko

Check out how the fans reacted to this legendary picture:

“Dude wtf all the ogs came out”

“End of a era fs”

“Crazy to see all these legends all in one place. I feel the UFC should stop being petty and do more shit like this for the legends.”

“MMA Royalty”

“Holy shit this picture brings back some great memories watching these guys fight 👏🔥”

“Truly legendary such a great pic cheers!”

The fight with Ryan Bader may not have ended well for Fedor Emelianenko, but he is simply grateful for the journey he had. Because not many fighters can boast of such a decorated career.

Fedor Emelianenko reflects on his final battle

Fedor Emelianenko may have lost his last fight against Ryan Bader via TKO in the first round, but that doesn’t dim his shining legacy. This may not have been the way he wanted to walk away from MMA but he is grateful for the opportunity. He gave it his all, leaving everything in the octagon, and he will cherish this moment forever.

The 46-year-old said, “On one side, I’m sad of course that I didn’t deliver in the fight as I wanted to,” 

He further added, “But on the other, I’m so happy that all these people are here cheering for me and all these veteran fighters that have walked the path with me for almost the last 20 years are here to greet me, so I’m very happy.”

Despite the loss, he held his head high, knowing that he gave it his all and left it all in the octagon. And with that, fans will always remember Emelianenko as one of the greatest to grace the octagon.

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