UNCASVILLE, Conn. – It’s been almost a year since Fedor Emelianenko stepped foot in the cage, but Scott Coker expects that to change soon.
Emelianenko (39-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), who’s expected to compete two more times before calling it quits, hasn’t fought since stopping Quinton Jackson in the first round at Bellator 237 in December 2019.
Speaking to MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference, Bellator president Coker said he’d rather have Emelianenko compete in front of a crowd, but understands that with most countries in Europe going through a second lockdown due to COVID-19, that may not be possible.
Either way, Coker said Emelianenko is definitely fighting next year.
“He calls me all the time and says, ‘When am I going to fight?,’” Coker said. “And problem is, we’d really like him to fight when there’s an audience available. But that can be challenging, too. So we’ll have to make a decision here pretty soon, and trying to get some of the visas for his fighters has been a little bit tough during this transition period. So we’ll wait and see how that all unfolds, and then we’ll make a decision on when he’ll fight. But he’s going to fight in 2021 for sure, no matter what, because he has to fight and he’s got to keep going.”
Scott Coker says Fedor Emelianenko will fight in 2021 – ‘no matter what’
