Khabib Nurmagomedov is showing his support for Fedor Emelianenko.
At Bellator NYC on June 24, Emelianenko will battle Matt Mitrione in the co-main event. The heavyweights are set to do battle inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. It’ll be “The Last Emperor’s” Bellator debut.
Back in February, Emelianenko was set to fight Mitrione in the main event of Bellator 172. It wasn’t meant to be as Mitrione was pulled from the card due to kidney stones.
During a recent media scrum following open workouts, “The Eagle” talked a bit about Emelianenko’s first bout under the Bellator banner. Nurmagomedov sympathized with Mitrione’s illness, but still hopes Emelianenko puts him away early (via Bloody Elbow):
“When I learned that Matt Mitrione withdrew from the fight due to kidney stones, I could not believe that this is possible! And then see what happened to me – the same thing. That is life. Today, you can get sick. Tomorrow – die. Some things we can not change. As for the new fight between Emelianenko and Mitrione, I think there is an excellent chance for Fedor. The Americans have good striking, a decent backhand, but it is not dangerous in the stalls. Therefore I wish Fedor buries him in the first round.”
