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Bellator 269 brings one of the greatest combat sports careers full circle, as the “Last Emperor”, Fedor Emelianenko and four other main card fighters, return to their home country. Enjoy the Russian invasion at an early start time today (3pm ET).
The legacy of Fedor Emelianenko was cemented long ago but rose to new heights in the #Bellator cage.
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 22, 2021
He faces @TBearTim this Saturday (10/23) LIVE on @SHOSports at a new time 🕒 3pm EST/12pm (Noon) PST.#Bellator269 pic.twitter.com/fcfENmuiJP
-170 Tim Johnson (15-7: 8 KOs, 3 SUBs) vs. +135 Fedor Emelianenko (39-6: 15 KOs, 15 SUBs)
First off, there always needs to be a tip of the hat shown to Fedor Emelianenko, who had one of the craziest runs in MMA history in one of the most unpredictable divisions. At the height of his prime, Fedor displayed one of the most elite well-rounded skill sets we’d ever seen. He could land huge overhand knockout punches or use an array of slick submissions. Now, 45-years young and after over 20 years of MMA experience, Fedor Emelianenko is trying to contend with a dangerous Tim Johnson. A former fighter in the UFC, Tim Johnson is big, strong and packs a heavy punch. There’s a very good chance this fight ends in the first round by knockout. It’s going to be a mano showdown, but I think Emelianenko has still maintained power even when being backed up. I think Johnson will charge forward and Emelianenko will catch him with something clean. I also believe Emelianenko will hang em up after this one, in front of the Russian fans.
Selection: Emelianenko via 1st round Knockout
-300 Vitaly Minakov (22-1: 13 KOs, 7 SUBs) vs. +230 Said Sowma (7-2: 4 KOs, 1 SUB)
Vitaly Minakov is one of the aforementioned Russian fighters I was speaking about. He, like many fighters from Russia, has a very strong combination of striking, grappling and cardio. While he is no Fedor, Vitaly Minakov is in a position, as a co-main event fighter, on a card in Russia headlined by the country’s prized fighter, to be one of the torchbearers for Russian MMA. Also, Minakov is hot off a knockout victory against main event fighter Tim Johnson. So, good luck to Said Sowma, right? Right. It’s going to be an uphill climb for the Surname native. Sowma is talented, but still a little too green. I think Minakov will take it after because he grinds that much more.
Selection: Minakov via Decision
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-2500 Usman Nurmagomedov (13-0: 8 KOs, 3 SUBs) vs. +900 Patrik Pietila (11-8: 1 KO, 3 SUBs)
Usman Nurmagomedov is walking into this fight as one of the biggest favorites in MMA history. It came close, but even the UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko who hasn’t lost in over 5 years at the highest level only reached a -1500 money line in her last fight against Lauren Murphy. Also, Usman Nurmagomedov is walking into the cage with one of the most famous last names in MMA. Usman is the cousin of all-time great and recently retired UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. All fighters attached to the Khabib lineage, all train like savages. Like we’ll see next week with Islam Makhachev at UFC 267, Usman will attack first and look for the finish of Patrik Pietila at a ferocious pace. So if you are going to bet on this fight, there’s a +250 line on Nurmagomedov winning via submission which is worth the gamble because of him and his team’s submission wrestling training
Selection: Nurmagomedov via 2nd round Submission
-650 Anatoly Tokov (29-3: 16 KOs, 7 SUBs) vs. +430 Sharaf Davlatmurodov (18-3-1: 8 KOs, 5 SUBs)
Another talented Russian getting the rub from being on a Fedor Emelianenko card in his home country, Anatoly Tokov, has all the tools to be a star. He hasn’t lost in almost five years and puts on a show in all of his fights. Though Tokov has great technique, he is not shy about getting into a firefight. His opponent, Sharaf Davlatmurodov, is a slender middleweight who is very good at remaining calm and being sufficient in whatever position the fight ends up in. If there wasn’t enough pressure on Davlatmurodov to perform to his full potential against Tokov, who’s already a tough matchup, Davlatmurodov will be fighting in Tokov’s home country while simultaneously making his Bellator MMA debut. I think all the odds are against Davlatmurodov for this one. I heavily lean towards Tokov to get the win and to dominate.
Selection: Tokov via Unanimous Decision
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