Bellator 237 was capped off by Fedor Emelianenko’s first-round knockout over fellow legend Rampage Jackson. Fedor announced afterward that he is going out on top with a win in Japan.
Two men who built their legends in Japan will return to the country to headline Bellator 237 in Rampage Jackson and Fedor Emelianenko.
Fedor Emelianenko was 31-1 with one no contest through his first 33 fights including winning the PRIDE heavyweight title. His list of victims reads like a hall of fame of the sport. Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and Mark Hunt were all among those who lost to Fedor in PRIDE. Since joining Bellator in 2017, the sambo expert is 2-2.
Rampage Jackson is one of the biggest names in the history of the sport. He had a storied career in PRIDE going 12-5 but never winning the title. He went over to the UFC in 2007 and won the title in his second fight there against Chuck Liddell. Rampage defended the title once and moved to Bellator in 2013. Since then, he is 5-2 (with a win in the UFC in between).
Fedor opened the striking with an extended combination against a guarded Rampage Jackson. Fedor then landed a righ hand down the pipe and avoided a left hand from Rampage. “The Last Emperor” landed another combination including a clean body kick. Another combination came through for Fedor, followed by a right hand over that top that crushed Rampage. He fell face-first and the referee immediately jumped in to stop the fight.
In the post-fight interview, Fedor decided to call it a career in the building he never lost in, the Saitama Super Arena. He retires as a true legend of the sport and one of the greatest of all time.
🇷🇺 @FedorOskol hangs up the 🥊s tonight in an iconic arena and on a memorable note.#BellatorJapan pic.twitter.com/lk1HcinPvh
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) December 29, 2019
Fedor Emelianenko def. Rampage Jackson by KO (Right Straight) in Round 1 (2:44)
