The speculation is finally over.
Since Fedor Emelianenko revealed that he was set to return to MMA, rumours had circulated for months about which promotion would secure his very valuable signature.
Only last week, Chael Sonnen tentatively broke a story that the UFC were working on a super-fight between Emelianenko and Anderson Silva at 205lbs.
But that was proven to be nonsense as an announcement arrived on Saturday night’s Bellator 142 broadcast that a new Japanese promotion, run by Former PRIDE president Nobuyuki Sakakibara, had procured Emelianenko’s services.
The Last Emperor’s comeback fight will take place on New Years Eve in Tokyo and while it technically won’t be under the Bellator banner, Scott Coker’s promotion will partner the new Japanese company and the end-of-year event will be broadcast by Spike.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Nobuyuki Sakakibara and our partner, Bellator President Scott Coker, to give MMA fans a big reason to celebrate this New Year’s Eve: Fedor fighting for free on Spike,” Spike President Kevin Kay said.
Many MMA fans from the PRIDE days still maintain that Emelianenko is the greatest fighter ever to compete in mixed martial arts and the UFC have long battled to get him into the octagon.
But that battle continues as the UFC seem to have missed out once more on the elusive Russian.
