Leading up to his most recent fight against mixed martial arts icon Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 290, Ryan Bader was ready to don the black hat if required. All eyes were on Emelianenko’s retirement fight, and Bader himself would have wanted the Russian to ride off into the sunset with a victory had circumstances permitted a different opponent.
Bader made quick work of Emelianenko with a Round 1 technical knockout, which marked the third defense of his Bellator heavyweight championship. Emelianenko was draped in an aureole of reverence for his last bout, but make no mistake, Bader is swathed with distinctions that eclipse many of his other counterparts.