Fedor Emelianenko rolled back the years to stop fellow heavyweight legend Frank Mir inside the opening minute of their bout at the Allstate Arena in Chicago.
The bout between two sporting greats was to mark the first time in over fifteen years that Fedor has been marked as an underdog. Many people were predicting a victory for Frank Mir, despite having been out of action for over two years but it was quick work for Fedor, who many consider this to have secured his place as the greatest heavyweight of all time.
Mir started the fight well, landing a leg kick followed by a left hand that sent Emelianenko backing up against the cage. A trademark hip toss followed from Fedor before the fight returned to the feet. Mir came marching forward and began swinging some wild, overextended shots, leaving his chin wide open for a short left hook. The shot sent Mir to the canvas, before repeated unanswered shots from Fedor forced bearded referee Mike Beltran to call a stop to the fight after just forty-eight seconds.
Fedor Emelianenko moves on to face Chael Sonnen in the semi-final of the heavyweight grand prix later this year. Sonnen spent most of his career as a middleweight, before moving to light heavyweight in recent years. He entered the heavyweight tournament and outpointed Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson in the opening round, despite weighing thirty-one pounds less.
Could weight prove a factor in the semi-final? Fedor traditionally weighs in between 230 and 240 pounds. Could the forty-two-year-old go on to win the tournament? He could potentially rematch Matt Mitrione if they were to both reach the final.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu aficionados were treated to an array of submission victories on the main card, including Conor McGregor’s close friend and training partner Dillion Danis.
Danis made his long-awaited mixed martial arts debut and took just over ninety seconds to submit Kyle Walker with a slick toe hold submission. Danis stated before the event that he’ll “own Bellator after this weekend”. It’ll be interesting to see who he’ll fight on his second appearance, with his opponent holding a 2-4 record on his debut.
Neiman Gracie, a member of the famed Gracie family, the pioneers of Brazilian jiu-jitsu also showed his credentials. Gracie submitted Mexican welterweight Javier Torres in the second round of their bout with a triangle choke and moves his professional record to a perfect 8-0.
Rafael Lovato also joined Gracie in moving to 8-0 with an armbar submission victory after just over a minute into his bout with former UFC middleweight Gerald Harris. Bellator is full of some of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in mixed martial arts, with submissions aplenty in Chicago.
The co-main event followed suit with four of the five main card bouts ending by submission, as Emmanuel Sanchez confirmed his status as one of their top featherweights, with a first-round triangle choke over UFC veteran Sam Sicilia.
Bellator moves on to San Jose, California on May 12th, with Ryan Bader taking on Mo Lawal for the final place in the semi-final of the heavyweight grand prix. The card also sees elite welterweights Jon Fitch and England’s own Paul Daley go to battle in the co-main event.
Full Results
Heavyweight: Fedor Emelianenko def. Frank Mir via TKO (strikes) after 0:48 of Round 1.
Featherweight: Emmanuel Sanchez def. Sam Sicilia via submission (triangle choke) after 3:52 of Round 1.
Catchweight (188lbs): Rafael Lovato Jr def. Gerald Harris via submission (armbar) after 1:11 of Round 1.
Welterweight: Neiman Gracie def. Javier Torres via submission (triangle choke) after 3:18 of Round 2.
Catchweight (175lbs): Dillon Danis def. Kyle Walker via submission (toe hold) after 1:38 of Round 1.
