Bellator 290 post-event facts: Ryan Bader keeps perfect rematch record

The first Bellator event of 2023, Bellator 290, went down Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and it marked a monumental occasion for both the promotion and the sport.

In addition to being the organization’s debut showcase on CBS, the card marked the retirement fight of legendary former PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko (40-7 MMA, 4-3 BMMA), who suffered a first-round TKO loss to heavyweight titleholder Ryan Bader (31-7 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) in their main event rematch.

The co-headliner saw middleweight champion Johnny Eblen(13-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) remain undefeated with a unanimous decision win over Anatoly Tokov (31-3 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) for his first title defense.

For more on the numbers behind the title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 290.