Fedor came through with another huge finish, while some Bellator standouts also won big in Japan.
Bellator’s first trip to Japan was an interesting affair to say the least. Strong performances by Michael ‘Venom’ Page, Lorenz Larkin, and Michael Chandler made the event an entertaining outing. That, coupled with the atmosphere at the Saitama Super Arena, made it a special trip. However, it was the main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson that most fight fans tuned in for.
Fedor vs. Rampage, well, that was something else entirely. ‘The Last Emperor’ showed up looking focused, with fantastic hand speed and killer instinct. It was as close to prime Fedor as you’ll get these days. That, however, may have been helped by a less-than-ready for Prime Time Jackson. Rampage clocked it at 265lbs for the heavyweight bout, and later referred to feeling like a Hippopotamus in the cage.
While Hippos are known for going on the odd rampage (seriously, do not piss a hippopotamus off), Jackson had little in the way of offense Saturday. Instead, Fedor bombarded the former UFC star before leaving him laying face-down on the canvas.
After a bit of confusion following the fight (did Fedor just retire?) it appears Emelianenko will fight on, planning another two bouts to close out his illustrious career. As for Jackson, here’s to hoping he can shed those pounds and head back to light heavyweight.
Check out highlights from Bellator Japan below!
