Ryan Bader has given his thoughts on Fedor Emelianenko’s Bellator 208 performance.
Bader was in attendance for Bellator 208 to see a semifinal match in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix. Just one night prior, Bader punched his ticket to the finals by defeating Matt Mitrione via unanimous decision. Emelianenko ended up finishing Chael Sonnen via TKO in the first round and he will now meet Bader for the Bellator heavyweight championship on Jan. 26.
Ryan Bader Talks Fedor Emelianenko’s Performance
Bader spoke to reporters during the Bellator 208 post-fight press conference. He discussed “The Last Emperor’s” performance (via MMAJunkie.com):
“Fedor looked impressive. He went out there and got after it right away. Chael got in his face and started putting that pressure on him. Fedor was throwing back hard, and he’s throwing those three, four, five punch combos. As the fight went on, I wish I got to see a second round. I thought it would start to turn a little bit in Chael’s favor if it got to the second round, but overall Fedor looked impressive. I’m excited. I’m ready. It got me going.”
Bader is looking to become Bellator’s first two-division champion. Rory MacDonald fell short in his bid to make history, falling to middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi via second-round TKO. Bader is the reigning Bellator light heavyweight title holder.
Stick with MMA News for coverage of the Jan. 26 event. We’ll keep providing you with details once the card begins to take shape.
Do you think Ryan Bader is destined to become a two-division champion?
