Fedor Emelianenko has dished out on why he has decided to fight Timothy Johnson next.
Emelianenko vs. Johnson will take place this Saturday (Oct. 23). The action will be held inside the VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia. The heavyweight collision will serve as the main event of Bellator 269.
Fedor Emelianenko Details Decision To Fight Timothy Johnson
“The Last Emperor” was a guest on the latest episode of The MMA Hour. On the show, Emelianenko told Ariel Helwani that Johnson’s recent string of success is what enticed him to accept the bout.
“Out of all the candidates of opponents who were offered, there were opponents who had several losses in a row. As for Team Johnson, he had a good series of victories and wins. The only loss which he got, so he lost to Valentin Moldavsky and for today he’s one of the top fighters of Bellator.”
When asked if his clash with Timothy Johnson could be the final bout of his pro MMA career, Fedor Emelianenko didn’t rule out the possibility.
“Well, there is such a chance. Simply that would depend on the health, on my physical condition after the fight. Certainly, we’ll discuss. We’ll discuss that with the family as well.”
Following his fight with Johnson, Emelianenko will have one fight left on his Bellator contract. The promotion has said that Emelianenko is in the midst of his “retirement tour” but the MMA legend hasn’t committed to retirement even if he fights through the deal.
“The Last Emperor” hasn’t been seen inside the cage since Dec. 2019. He defeated Quinton “Rampage” Jackson via first-round TKO inside Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Emelianenko has gone 3-1 in his last four outings.
