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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12224427" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fedor-emelianenko" source="Orion">Fedor Emelianenko</keyword> should retire from fighting and finish his career on a high.</li><li>That's according to <keyword id="12425245" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="dan-cormier" source="Orion">Dan Cormier</keyword>, who is impressed the heavyweight is still winning at 45 years old.</li></ul>ABU DHABI - <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/fedor-emelianenko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fedor Emelianenko</a> should retire from <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mixed martial arts</a> because he would end his career on a high.That's according to the former two-weight <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a> champion <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/dan-cormier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dan Cormier</a>, who spoke to media at a press conference Insider attended before Saturday's <keyword id="11922275" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ufc" source="Orion">UFC</keyword> 267 show in Abu Dhabi.A 45-year-old veteran of 47 pro <keyword id="11922276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma" source="Orion">MMA</keyword> matches, Emelianenko is renowned for his prowess in combat <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword> organizations like RINGS, PRIDE, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/bellator-mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator MMA</a>.Over the past two decades, Emelianenko has scored wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Hunt, Andrei Arlovski, Frank Mir, Chael Sonnen, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and, most recently Timothy Johnson - a homecoming fight in Russia earlier this month.For Cormier, there is no greater time to hang up the gloves than the present, because if he continues to fight into his late 40s, there might come a time when he ends up in his back, beaten, and unconscious."When I started fighting, Fedor was everything," Cormier said. "He was the man. He was a man who didn't look like a bodybuilder. He was fast. He could knock people out, and I took it as a privilege," to be compared to him, he said.<h2>Fedor is a heavyweight GOAT, Cormier says</h2><div type="image" title="Dan Cormier is a UFC commentator and former two-weight UFC champion." height="1000" width="2000" msid="87398109" hostid="261"></div>Cormier continued: "To see this dude doing what he's doing now is crazy. Fedor is 45 years old and knocking people out. Fedor should stop now, though."He added: "It's like the fairytale to go into Moscow and get a knockout in the way that he did. Just walk away, man, because otherwise, this shit is going to get bad."Cormier said combat sports history is filled with great champions who don't get the "storybook ending as they end up beaten, humiliated, by much younger men."On the legacy that Emelianenko leaves, Cormier said: "I think he's the best heavyweight of all time."Some of the wins he had back in PRIDE. When he won like 29 fights in a row how could you question what that man did?"He finished by remarking that, out of everybody, it is Emelianenko and the former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic who have "separated themselves from the rest of the pack at heavyweight."Cormier will be performing commentary duties for UFC 267, which takes place Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and will be broadcast on ESPN+ in the US, and BT Sport 2 in the UK.

Fedor Emelianenko should finally retire from MMA, according to former UFC champion Dan Cormier

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12118724" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bellator-mma" source="Orion">Bellator MMA</keyword> has three events in five weeks in Europe.</li><li>It has received a big reaction from fans in multiple European cities, but is excited to head to Russia.</li><li>Russia is a hotbed for fighting, and the presence of <keyword id="12224427" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fedor-emelianenko" source="Orion">Fedor Emelianenko</keyword> is a boon for the brand.</li></ul>LONDON - <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/bellator-mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator MMA</a> is using Fedor Emelianenko's wild popularity to break further ground in its European strongholds.Emelianenko's celebrity status in Russia is so high that cardboard cutouts of his 6-foot-1, 235-pound frame appear behind the windows of banks, as advertising for credit cards.That's according to head of Bellator Europe, <keyword id="12224428" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-green" source="Orion">David Green</keyword>, who has been tasked with bringing the Los Angeles-based company back to London, to Dublin, and to enter new territory with a show in Moscow.Here are Bellator's upcoming event dates in Europe:<ul><li>Friday, October 1 - Bellator 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 - London, England</li><li>Saturday, October 23 - Bellator 269: Fedor vs. Johnson - Moscow, Russia</li><li>Friday, November 5 - Bellator 270: Gallagher vs. Mix - Dublin, Ireland</li></ul>Insider has reported previously from its London and Dublin shows, and both are home runs for the promotion - particularly in Ireland, where fervent crowds provide unforgettable atmospheres.But after speaking to numerous people at Bellator this week, it is clear that the company is excited about entering the Russian market.It is a chance to have Emelianenko not only compete under the company's banner, but provide an ambassadorial role for the promotion in a country where <keyword id="11922276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma" source="Orion">MMA</keyword> is life."The plan is to do European shows, and more of them, under the Bellator name," Green told us earlier this week, ahead of an MMA event that will opens its doors for a maximum capacity."We've been waiting for so long, and now we've got three events in five weeks. We're happy to be back in London, to be back in Dublin, but we've been trying to break Moscow for a long time. It's a great market for us."The stars have been aligning for some time. Bellator, via Green, struck a TV deal with Russia's Okko Sport in 2020.The Bellator MMA President <keyword id="12224429" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="scott-coker" source="Orion">Scott Coker</keyword> confirmed to Insider earlier this year that a show in Russia would happen in 2021.And, over recent years, the promotion has signed numerous talents from the region."Okko is a big and ambitious company, which is key to getting a foothold in the country," said Green."When you look at that, combined with the roster we've signed, well, the Russian roster is one of the strongest nations we've got on the Bellator roster."With Fedor at the top and his guys, and then the new guns coming out there, it makes sense to have an event when we could."And so we pulled the trigger on this one about three months ago, and it's probably the best MMA card somebody's put on in Russia, when you look down that list."Here are some of Bellator's notable athletes from Russia:<ul><li>Fedor Emelianenko, heavyweight</li><li>Valentin Moldavsky, heavyweight</li><li>Vadim Nemkov, light heavyweight</li><li>Usman Nurmagomedov, lightweight</li><li>Islam Mamedov, lightweight</li></ul><h2>Bellator is trying to replicate its Irish success in Russia</h2><div type="image" title="Usman Nurmagomedov Bellator MMA" height="1370" width="2000" msid="86686660" hostid="261"></div>In 2019, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bellator-exploiting-market-seemingly-neglected-by-the-ufc-2019-7?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider reported about Bellator's continued plans to exploit a market in Ireland that had otherwise been neglected by the UFC</a>.The Straight Blast Gym owner and coach John Kavanagh, famed for training Conor McGregor, is routinely praised by those at Bellator, and has been regarded as integral to Bellator's growth in that region.Speaking to Insider this week, Green said that his plans in Russia are similar to how Bellator approached the boon of the sport in Dublin."To go into a market and really try and build the traction there, you have to have a few things in your armory," said Green."We have that in Ireland. We have a full house at the 3Arena, a great card, and great fans. I'm hoping for the same thing in Russia."Fedor's a talisman for MMA in Russia, and it's not until you go there when you realize how big the guy is. He's out there on the windows of banks advertising credit cards! Where would that happen in the world? He is a true legend over there."So, to have him on our books, for him to lead a strong gym," where he mentors Nemkov, who "has dominated our light heavyweight division - he just looks great, is a great ambassador for us over there, and represents the next-gen."The baton, Green said, is being passed from Fedor to Nemkov, but they're not the only high-caliber Russians competing for the fight firm."We also have the guys coming out of Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, like his cousin Usman. There's a younger generation coming through."We're in a really good spot, over there. And it's nice for me because it means it's less US focused, and we've got a more global look in our roster."<h2>Bellator wants to get rid of its reputation as a place for old men</h2><div type="image" title="Nemkov beats Bader, Bellator MMA" height="844" width="1500" msid="86686662" hostid="261"></div>Bellator's recent strategy has been curious, as its focus on A.J. McKee, 26 - an American who has only ever fought for Bellator - and 28-year-old Yaroslav Amosov, a Ukrainian who is unbeaten in pro MMA, are both champions in the featherweight and welterweight divisions.There's then other homegrown up-and-comers like Aaron Pico, 25, in America, and Usman Nurmagomedov, 23, from Russia.Bellator has consciously been trying to move away from its stereotype as an old man's league that willingly signs fighters cut from the UFC."The turnaround in the last four to five years has been really interesting," Green said. "And it's been a big part of Scott's plan to get behind that, and build it upwards."What has happened is, we've got great scouts around the world. But, also, the MMA world has gotten a lot smaller over the years."Talented guys in Russia go to train in America, and very quickly people will get to know about them. It's a small community."I also think fans are more accepting of pure talent now. And people don't talk about that."We're maturing as a sport. People might have wanted to see the same guys, which made it hard from a promotional point of view, because, to build a guy is expensive and takes time."But people now really understand MMA, and are well-versed in MMA. So you can truly get these new gems coming through, and get fans who are interested to see how they get on."<h2>Bellator will hold events in key European cities, as well as new ones, in 2022</h2><div type="image" title="Scott Coker and David Green, Bellator MMA" height="938" width="1250" msid="86686663" hostid="261"></div>Bellator is not only focused on the UK, Ireland, and Russia, though.It held a hat-trick of events in Milan during the pandemic, was one of the first organizations to hold an event in Paris after France backtracked on the sport's ban in 2020, and it is trying to develop MMA in Germany, where "the sport is in its infancy," according to Green.Though planning events is tricky while COVID-19 continues to circulate, and restrictions can be imposed at short notice, Bellator will plan more events in 2022."We'll get these three events out the way in 2021, and I'm more confident of booking more events in 2022," Green confirmed."I think when we're trying to build, it's important to go back to where you've had success," he said, indicating where fight fans can expect Bellator MMA shows to take place."Friday will be our best London event, headed by a fantastic card. Ireland is always brilliant. And Russia is very strong, as we've got the roster to play with over there."I'd like to see us back there, but also add a few new cities to the Bellator world tour."Friday's Bellator show will be broadcast on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and Showtime in the US.

Bellator MMA is using Fedor Emelianenko's wild popularity to break further ground in its European strongholds

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6150626" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bellator-mma">Bellator MMA</keyword> restarted its live event business on April 2 and continues with another show on April 9.</li><li>On Friday, the company's highly-anticipated light heavyweight tournament begins.</li><li>Bellator boss <keyword id="3395273" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Scott-Coker">Scott Coker</keyword> went through the bracket with Insider correspondent Alan Dawson.</li></ul><keyword id="9815973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vadim-nemkov">Vadim Nemkov</keyword> is the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/bellator-mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator MMA</a> light heavyweight tournament favorite, according to the Hollywood-based <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> firm's president Scott Coker.After a four-month hiatus, Bellator restarted its live events business on April 2 with a headline bout between <a href="https://www.insider.com/pitbull-freire-is-the-bellator-goat-according-to-scott-coker-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patricio "Pitbull" Freire</a> and Emmanuel Sanchez.Pitbull won the fight with <a href="https://www.insider.com/bellator-mma-patricio-pitbull-chokes-emmanuel-sanchez-unconscious-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a smash-and-grab first-round submission</a> and advanced to the company's featherweight Grand Prix final against A.J. McKee, which <a href="https://www.insider.com/pitbull-freire-vs-aj-mckee-will-happen-scott-coker-says-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coker told Insider would take place in two to three months</a>.On Friday, another Grand Prix tournament gets underway as Coker put together an eight-man competition for the company's 205-pound competitors.Though Coker regards Nemkov as the king until he's dethroned, he highlighted a competitive field that showcases much of his firm's top talent in the division.These are the dates and matches for the four quarterfinals:<ul><li>Bellator 256: <keyword id="9815974" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ryan-bader">Ryan Bader</keyword> vs. Lyoto Machida - April 9</li><li>Bellator 257: Vadim Nemkov vs. Phil Davis - April 16</li><li>Bellator 257: Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov - April 16</li><li>Bellator 258: Anthony Johnson vs. Yoel Romero - May 7</li></ul><h2>A Bellator MMA light heavyweight tournament was a no-brainer for company execs</h2><div type="image" title="Scott Coker, Bellator MMA boss" height="1000" width="2000" msid="81940294" hostid="261"></div>An influx of top-tier talent at the 205-pound weight class prompted decision-makers at Bellator to propose a change of plans to Showtime, its new broadcast partner in the US.Originally, Bellator wanted to push a women's flyweight tournament. However, when they signed fighters like Anthony "Rumble" Johnson and Yoel Romero from the UFC, a light heavyweight bracket became the priority."What happened was, we had Ryan Bader, who was a champion at 205," Coker told us. "We had Machida. Then we signed Corey Anderson. Then we signed Rumble Johnson and Yoel Romero."Really, the thought was to do the 125-pound female tournament with Liz Carmouche, Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, Juliana Velasquez - it would be our very first female tournament."But then we started signing all these killers at light heavyweight, and we thought that's it. We had Nemkov, a killer, and Phil Davis, a killer."Coker then hailed his light heavyweight division as the best 205-pound weight class on the planet - superior even to the UFC's, which Jan Blachowicz currently dominates."So I said, 'This has to be our tournament, guys.' They all agreed, said it's a no-brainer. I called up Showtime because I knew we were making the jump to Showtime, and I said, 'There's been a change of plans. We want to head in this direction,' and they loved it."It's going to be an amazing light heavyweight tournament. It's got the old guard, the OG's, as I call them, and the young kid from Russia [Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov] who has had an intense record."I've seen him fight on film, but not in person, and I'm expecting him to be dangerous."And Nemkov, I'm telling you right now … until someone dethrones this kid, he's the best in the world."<h2>Many storylines are developing, and the tournament hasn't even started</h2><div type="image" title="Bellator MMA light heavyweight bracket" height="844" width="1500" msid="81940298" hostid="261"></div>All four quarterfinals will be contested within the next month, with the first match taking place Friday.Though it features the Bellator heavyweight champion in Bader, and a former UFC star Lyoto Machida, it is the May 7 quarterfinal between Johnson and Romero that has captivated the attention of fight fans.The matchup pairs two former UFC studs in a fight that never materialized for the Las Vegas-based promotion, despite fan demand.Johnson vs. Romero could have headlined a tournament final by itself, which begs the question of why it's taking place in the first round, not the last."I learned a lot from my first big tournament - the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament [in 2012]," Coker told us."We had Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Silva, [and Dan Cormier]. We had a great, eight-man tournament."And the thought process was to put Alistair and Fedor on opposite sides [of the bracket] because that's the fight people wanted to see at the time - and they'll eventually fight [in the final]."But the problem was they never got down there, and they never fought for various reasons."Coker was reminded of his disappointment in not being able to book Overeem vs. Emelianenko in the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix when he was creating the Bellator light heavyweight bracket."The thought process here was to do it backward. You take the fight that people want to see and make that first."If they got down to the finals, they'd have to fight each other anyway. You're going to have to fight him sooner or later. So why not do it first when it matters the most, and then you have tremendous interest, eyeballs, the launch with Showtime - a new genesis for Bellator MMA."If you put them on opposite ends of the bracket and somebody gets hurt, injured, somebody loses, you have to wait a year to put the fight together."People are really excited about that match-up, and I learned a lot from the first time around with the Strikeforce tournament."<h2>Bader's inclusion in the tournament is a personal one</h2>Coker told us Bader has "a personal vendetta" to settle after losing Bellator's light heavyweight title to Nemkov in August 2020.He lauded the American fighter as "one of the best" he's ever seen, who possesses "a complete game."Coker said: "We offered to move him up to heavyweight or stay at light heavyweight. But he said he wanted to get this guy because 'Nemkov is getting on my nerves. I need to fight this guy.'"He wanted to stay there so he could fight Nemkov again and win this thing. He has a goal in mind: To beat Nemkov, knock him out or sub him, and win the tournament. He entered the tournament because he has a personal vendetta."Standing in his way is Machida on April 9, and the winner of an April 16 match between Anderson and Yagshimuradov, before he can even get to Nemkov, who has his own gauntlet run of opponents to get through.Coker, though, has high praise for Nemkov. "The way Nemkov dismantled Ryan … maybe Ryan had a bad night, I don't know. But any fighter who could do what he did to Ryan, the way he did it, it's a very big accomplishment."Ryan is no joke. But Nemkov was quicker, had good footwork, and when it came time to connect with the speed, he was there first. To me, that's where I see the difference."Ryan is a great wrestler. And he had a hard time taking him down and keeping him down. Nemkov has been training with Fedor Emelianenko - the greatest heavyweight of all time - that's Nemkov's mentor!"Coker singled out Yagshimuradov as "the dark horse in the tournament" but said the favorite, on form, has to be Nemkov."He's young, fast, explosive, can kick, avoid takedowns, and can take you down. He's a complete fighter. He's the guy to beat, he's the guy, and he's our current champ. He's the king until he gets de-throned."

Vadim Nemkov is the Bellator MMA light heavyweight tournament favorite, according to Scott Coker, but the most anticipated bout will be in the first round

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6150626" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bellator-mma">Bellator MMA</keyword> returns Friday with its second event of the year.</li><li>The company's president <keyword id="3395273" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Scott-Coker">Scott Coker</keyword> recently told Insider about its April shows.</li><li>He told us that his firm is in the healthiest position its ever been in.</li></ul>The <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/bellator-mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator MMA</a> roster is in the healthiest state it has ever been in, company boss Scott Coker said, as he marveled over recent signings including <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/khabib-nurmagomedov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khabib Nurmagomedov</a>'s cousin Usman.The Hollywood-headquartered combat <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> promotion restarted its live events business April 2 with <a href="https://www.insider.com/bellator-mma-patricio-pitbull-chokes-emmanuel-sanchez-unconscious-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a thumping performance</a> from its <a href="https://www.insider.com/pitbull-freire-is-the-bellator-goat-according-to-scott-coker-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GOAT fighter Patricio "Pitbull" Freire</a>.Pitbull advanced to the fight firm's featherweight final and will meet A.J. McKee in the coming months for a $1 million fight likely to be one of the biggest in the company's history.Bellator, meanwhile, has another event Friday as a light heavyweight grand prix gets underway.Ahead of this, Coker told Insider about the four-month pause in its live event schedule, the ever-growing roster of athletes, and scoring premium broadcaster partners like Showtime in the US and BBC iPlayer in the UK.Regarding the reasoning behind the hiatus, Coker said: "It was really scheduling with TV on the Bellator side.""We needed time to get our companies [Bellator and Showtime] in the same alignment and the same page. We were on Fite TV, CBS, Paramount, and having Viacom as the ownership group is a great thing because they have many different platforms they can offer you."Coker has been on Showtime before with his previous firm Strikeforce, which was sold in 2011 to Zuffa - the parent company of the UFC. Strikeforce fighters then became UFC fighters."I felt really good about the conversation when they [Viacom] said: 'You're going to Showtime,' because that's where I built Strikeforce."The same people who were there in 2009, 2010, 2011, are still there today. Senior executive producer, the SVP of marketing, communications department … I don't think anybody's ever left Showtime."So this is the second opportunity for myself to be back with a company like Showtime that really know how to promote <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword>, and the quality fights they've put on in the past."In 1986, I was watching Mike Tyson on Showtime. Recently, Floyd Mayweather - that whole run. When it comes to television, marketing, story-telling, what an amazing network to be with."<h2>Bellator's roster has improved drastically since Coker took over in 2014</h2><div type="image" title="Usman Nurmagomedov Bellator MMA" height="1370" width="2000" msid="81968903" hostid="261"></div>Zuffa retained Coker for a contracted period of three years when it acquired Strikeforce in 2011.Months after that period lapsed in 2014, Coker replaced Bjorn Rebney as the boss of Bellator and asked American Kickboxing Academy coach Bob Cook for his take on the quality of the roster at the time."When I came to Bellator, I'll never forget … I sat down with Bob Cook from AKA and I said: 'Here's our roster, what do you think?'"And he said: 'You don't have much here. It's kind of thin.' So I said: 'Okay. Let's go sign some new guys. Who do we sign?'"He recommended Aaron Pico and gave us a load of athletes to go after with development deals. As we're doing that and nurturing him, we signed Phil Davis, Ryan Bader, Fedor Emelianenko - people that are the free agents."The strategy of building fighters like Pico and McKee, while signing free agents, built the quality of Bellator's roster year on year.In 2020, Coker made further additions. Insider asked him who has gotten him most excited."I think Magomed Magomedov," he said. "That guy is a beast - a killer - and he'll give our guys a lot of headaches."I'm really excited about Usman [Nurmagomedov]. There's also Pico who is a guy we've invested in, backed for a long time."Joey Davis is another kid I'm confident about."Now, we've got the greatest roster in the history of this company. But this roster took six years to this point."This was always the game plan, Coker told us."One thing I learned from Strikeforce - you have to build from the bottom up. And you have to buy free agents from the top down."But free agents alone aren't going to make your business. They'll come and go. The health of your company is about the fighters you build."I knew that at Strikeforce with Tyron Woodley, Ronda Rousey, Daniel Cormier, and Luke Rockhold - the list goes on and on." All four athletes Coker named were champions in the UFC after it absorbed Strikeforce."You have to have your base. And that's the part that stuck. Sometimes it takes five to six years to see fighters get to a world class level where they could fight anybody."This is the healthiest and greatest fight roster we've ever had in this company," he said.<h2>Bellator has big broadcast partners</h2><div type="image" title="Nemkov beats Bader, Bellator MMA" height="844" width="1500" msid="81968906" hostid="261"></div>As well as the partnership with Showtime in the US, Bellator events are being broadcast on the BBC iPlayer in the UK. This, Coker said, is a testament to the mainstreaming of MMA."Right now we're in the process of sealing a lot of international deals," Coker said. "But we're excited about the BBC iPlayer deal. To have the BBC put a stamp of approval on MMA is not only a victory for our company, but for the sport."It wasn't that long ago, 10 years ago, when there was no MMA on CBS, or Fox, or ESPN. It wasn't on major television like it is today."Now, you've seen mixed martial artists become accepted in mainstream America."The first show I did in 2006, a guy asked me if it was like human cockfighting. They have no idea what it is. So this is good for the industry as a whole, this BBC deal."Bellator returns Friday with Bellator 256, an event broadcast on Showtime and BBC iPlayer from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.The main event features Ryan Bader against Lyoto Machida in a light heavyweight tournament quarterfinal. Further down the card, Liz Carmouche fights Vanessa Porto.

The Bellator MMA roster right now is the healthiest it has ever been, company president Scott Coker says

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/philippine-boxing-icon-manny-pacquiao-trains-at-a-boxing-news-photo/1065634660">Photo by TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty Images</a>Manny Pacquiao.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/manny-pacquiao" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Manny Pacquiao</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/manny-pacquiao-signs-rizin-contract-months-after-mocking-floyd-mayweather-2019-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed a mystery contract</a> earlier this week with the fledgling Japanese mixed martial arts firm Rizin.</li><li>Rizin is the events organizer that promoted <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/floyd-mayweather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Floyd Mayweather</a>'s bizarre <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/floyd-mayweathers-fight-against-tenshin-nasukawa-was-fake-brendan-schaub-says-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one round knockout win</a> over the up-and-coming kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa.</li><li>Pacquiao will be at an upcoming show in Yokohama to lend his support to a Filipino fighter who is challenging Nasukawa to a kickboxing fight.</li><li>Rizin executives are reportedly eager to commit Pacquiao to an actual fight in the future, and want to match him against an experienced martial artist called Takanori Gomi.</li></ul>We're learning more about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/manny-pacquiao" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Manny Pacquiao</a>'s deal with Rizin, just days after the eight-weight <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/manny-pacquiao-signs-rizin-contract-months-after-mocking-floyd-mayweather-2019-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world champion boxer signed a mystery contract with the the Japanese mixed martial arts firm</a> earlier this week.A fledgling combat sports events organizer founded in 2015, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/floyd-mayweathers-fight-against-tenshin-nasukawa-was-fake-brendan-schaub-says-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rizin piqued the interest of the global media</a> when it promoted separate fights involving elite fighters like the decorated heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, the 6-foot-2 jiujitsu expert Gabrielle Garcia, and the retired unbeaten boxer <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/floyd-mayweather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Floyd Mayweather</a>.Now Rizin is hoping to keep its name in the media by luring Pacquiao to Rizin 15, an upcoming festival of fights on April 21 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.Rizin CEO Nobuyuki <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/manny-pacquiao-signs-rizin-contract-months-after-mocking-floyd-mayweather-2019-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sakakibara confirmed the news on Sunday when he tweeted that Pacquiao is following Mayweather</a> into the company. "Following Mayweather, Rizin 15 will make a new gimmick with this guy," he said, in a tweet supported by two photographs which appeared to show Pacquiao signing a contract.Now, we're learning what Pacquiao's contract which actually involve.<h2>Here are the most important points:</h2><ol><li>Pacquiao will be at Rizin 15 to support a Filipino fighter.</li><li>The fighter, Fritz Aldin Biagtan, is challenging Mayweather's former opponent Tenshin Nasukawa.</li><li>The bout will use kickboxing rules and will be fought at a catchweight of 59 kilograms.</li><li>Pacquiao will not be fighting at all at Rizin 15.</li><li>Nobuyuki could be looking to tie Pacquiao down to a further contract that could see him fight an experienced mixed martial artist called Takanori Gomi in the future.</li></ol>Rizin's current deal with Pacquiao does not include a fight - boxing rules or otherwise. "This is not a fight contract," Sakakibara said, <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/4/9/18301898/rizin-manny-pacquiao-tenshin-nasukawas-return" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to MMAFighting.com</a>. "This agreement was made based off of Manny Pacquiao supporting the young Filipino fighter who will be fighting Tenshin Nasukawa."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKkh6k9IQZg">YouTube / RIZIN FIGHTING FEDERATION Official</a>Nobuyuki Sakakibara (middle) with Floyd Mayweather and Tenshin Nasukawa.</div></div></div>MMAFighting reports that the deal was struck with the view that Pacquiao's support for the Filipino fighters on its roster will see those athletes get bigger opportunities in the near future.With Pacquiao and Rizin executives in Yokohama this month, a second contract could be discussed as Sakakibara is eager to match the veteran fighter against Takanori Gomi, the iconic Japanese martial artist who engaged Nick Diaz in an all-time classic fight at Pride 33 in 2007.Gomi, a former Pride lightweight champion, has since challenged for regional titles and remains an active fighter in the Rizin organization. Gomi most recently competed at Rizin 11 when he knocked out Melvin Guillard in the first round of a Saitama show in July last year.Pacquiao, meanwhile, is enjoying a late career surge as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-won-manny-pacquiao-adrien-broner-fight-result-ko-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the 40-year-old rolled back the years to demolish Adrien Broner on points in January</a>, six months after stopping Lucas Matthysse in Malaysia. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ncaa-college-athletes-march-madness-basketball-football-sports-not-paid-2019-3">The NCAA brings in $1 billion a year - here's why it refuses to pay its college athletes</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

We're learning more about Manny Pacquiao's mystery Rizin contract, a deal that doesn't even include a fight

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6164007" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Khabib-Nurmagomedov">Khabib Nurmagomedov</keyword> announced a shock retirement moments after submitting Justin Gaethje and weeping in the <keyword id="992778" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="UFC">UFC</keyword> Octagon at <keyword id="9060271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fight-island">Fight Island</keyword> last month.</li><li>In recent weeks, though, it has become increasingly apparent that Nurmagomedov could un-retire and compete in the UFC one more time.</li><li>While a number of opponents have been suggested, the best way to pick Nurmagomedov's next opponent is with an eight-man tournament featuring the best of UFC's stacked lightweight division.</li><li>Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler, and others could face off over the course of several months to determine the best challenger for the Russian.</li><li>Nurmagomedov would then fight the tournament's winner in a retirement bout for the ages.</li></ul>Khabib Nurmagomedov slept Justin Gaethje in <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/fight-island" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC's Fight Island</a> finale in October, <a href="https://www.insider.com/ufc-254-khabib-nurmagomedov-sent-gaethje-to-sleep-cried-retired-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wept in the middle of the Octagon as he mourned the death of his father, and then stunned onlookers</a> as he announced an abrupt retirement.This would be the last we saw of Nurmagomedov, as the wrestler did not attend his post-event press conference at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi.The UFC President Dana White told media that company executives were all shocked at Nurmagomedov's retirement speech, <a href="https://www.insider.com/dana-white-reacts-to-khabib-nurmagomedov-ufc254-win-retirement-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying all they could do was "just stand around [and] listen."</a>White then added that he personally believed we'd never see the 32-year-old compete again.Nurmagomedov had advanced his unbeaten pro MMA record to 29 wins (eight knockouts, 11 submissions, 10 decisions), and would never fight again.<h2>It was all over … for three weeks.</h2><a href="https://www.insider.com/khabib-nurmagomedov-will-likely-return-to-ufc-for-one-fight-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">It is becoming increasingly apparent that Nurmagomedov will un-retire</a> and return to the UFC to fight once again.Here's why:<ol><li>His head trainer <a href="https://www.insider.com/time-will-tell-if-khabib-nurmagomedov-stays-retired-javier-mendez-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Javier Mendez said the fighter was emotionally "all over the place"</a> on Fight Island, and that he could fight one more time providing he got permission from his mother.</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/khabib-nurmagomedov-might-fight-again-in-ufc-dana-white-said-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White has changed his mind, saying "there's a good chance"</a> Nurmagomedov will make a sensational comeback and fight again.</li><li>Even Nurmagomedov's long-time manager Ali Abdelaziz posted a tweet saying there'll be a 30th bout.</li></ol><h2>Nurmagomedov's 30th fight is a landmark, and has to be special</h2><div type="image" title="Khabib Nurmagomedov" height="1438" width="1917" msid="79264273" hostid="261"></div>Khabib Nurmagomedov is the world's No.1-ranked mixed martial artist and a staple feature in conversations regarding the greatest ultimate fighter in history alongside Georges St. Pierre, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and perhaps Demetrious Johnson and Fedor Emelianenko.Before Nurmagomedov beat Gaethje, he wasn't talking about retirement — he was talking about the future options and his legacy."We have a couple of options we gonna think about after this fight," Nurmagomedov said at a virtual press conference."Dana told me after this fight he has something special for me … he said he have very big things after this fight for me."Standalone bouts against long-time rival Tony Ferguson, a rematch against his former foe Conor McGregor, and a mega-match with St. Pierre — a bout between the best of the modern era against the best from the previous era — have all been mooted.However, when it comes to storyline-development and generating exponential interest, the UFC could create something far more significant than this, and take inspiration from boxing.<h2>Here's how they could do it</h2>The World Boxing Super Series, formed by the boxing promoter Kalle Sauerland, looks at the many weight classes in boxing, pulls together the champions and contenders in one division, and makes eight of them fight until only one man is left standing.It is a concept that has created current pound-for-pound maestros in the Scottish super lightweight ruler Josh Taylor, Japan's "Monster" bantamweight Naoya Inoue, and Ukraine's former cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk — <a href="https://www.insider.com/who-are-the-best-pound-for-pound-boxers-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all of whom feature prominently on Insider's ranking of the world's best boxers today</a>.The tournament structure is one familiar to the UFC as it was founded using a similar format, albeit one crammed into a single night."The Ultimate Fighting Championship," later rebranded "UFC 1: The Beginning," was an eight-man tournament that brought together athletes from single disciplines like boxing, sumo, and taekwondo.Royce Gracie, a Brazilian jiu jitsu master, won submission after submission until he became the tournament winner and the ultimate fighter in one evening November 1993.UFC 9 in 1996 was the first production to abandon the tournament structure of the event, but it was not until UFC 24 in 2000 when the company began consistently adhering to the multi-bout, standalone fight cards like we're familiar with today.<h2>A last-man-standing, eight-man tournament could decide Nurmagomedov's ultimate challenger</h2><div type="image" title="UFC boss Dana White at UFC 254" height="560" width="1000" msid="79264276" hostid="261"></div>The UFC's biggest signing of the year <a href="https://twitter.com/btsportufc/status/1320297089025380353" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Chandler</a>, and the combat <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> websites <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/10/26/21533881/ufc-254-aftermath-where-do-we-go-from-here-making-the-case-for-a-lightweight-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA Fighting</a> and <a href="https://thebodylockmma.com/videos/now-is-the-time-for-a-ufc-lightweight-tournament/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Body Lock MMA</a>, floated in October the idea of a tournament structure to determine what happens in a post-Nurmagomedov landscape.Why not use the same idea in the Nurmagomedov-era itself. Pit the top fighters from the UFC's stacked lightweight division against one another over the next 12 months to determine an interim lightweight champion, who would also be dubbed the Ultimate Lightweight FighterThe winner could then go on to face Nurmagomedov in his final fight.With three big wins in the space of a year, the tournament winner would have great momentum heading into Nurmagomedov's retirement bout — and Nurmagomedov himself would have another great challenge.<h2>Here's who could compete in the 155-pound competition:</h2><div type="image" title="UFC lightweight tournament" height="1000" width="2000" msid="79264277" hostid="261"></div>Rather than fight on the same night, like UFC 1, the "Ultimate Lightweight Fighter" would be spread through nine months of competitions, similar to, but shorter than, the World Boxing Super Series — in theory.The quarter-finals, including current UFC rankings at 155-pounds, could include:<ol><li>Tony Ferguson (No.3) vs. Michael Chandler (New entrant) — <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/11/14/21565453/video-tony-ferguson-calls-for-michael-chandler-fight-at-ufc-256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">December 12, unconfirmed</a></li><li>Conor McGregor (No.4) vs. Dustin Poirier (No.2) — <a href="https://www.insider.com/conor-mcgregor-vs-dustin-poirier-heading-to-fight-island-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 23, unconfirmed</a></li><li>Justin Gaethje (No.1) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (Returning entrant)</li><li>Dan Hooker (No.5) vs. Drew Dober (No.14)</li></ol>Gaethje, Poirier, Ferguson, McGregor, and Hooker are the top-five lightweight contenders in the UFC's own ranking system, after the champion Nurmagomedov.Chandler is a former Bellator MMA champion in the same division, signed to the UFC earlier this year, and will likely be given a baptism of fire in the coming weeks.Dos Anjos is a former UFC lightweight champion, <a href="https://www.insider.com/watch-dos-anjos-bloody-felders-face-then-challenge-conor-mcgregor-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently sliced Paul Felder's face open</a>, and yearns for a 155-pound test.Dober's there because, since a submission loss in 2019, he has returned a hat-trick of knockout victories — many of them savage — and could thrive with a step-up in opposition-level.The semi-finals could look like this …<ol><li>The winner of Ferguson and Chandler vs. the winner of Hooker and Dober</li><li>The winner of Gaethje and dos Anjos vs. the winner of McGregor and Poirier</li></ol>The semi-finals could take place at the same event on Fight Island, the UFC's home-away-from-home for international events.The final could then take place at a fresh Fight Island festival scheduled later in the year, with Abu Dhabi fan-favorite Nurmagomedov sitting Octagonside, ready to step into the cage and formally challenge the winner.Much would ride on the "Ultimate Lightweight Fighter" and the UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov's match.For the reigning titleholder at 155-pounds, a new challenger has been created who would have run through a lightweight gauntlet, taking with him momentum and fan and media acclaim into the championship fight.For the tournament winner, victory over Nurmagomedov, after having already beaten three of the division's other top competitors, would represent a wipeout of 155-pound fighters.The creation of an eight-man tournament, therefore, would make Nurmagomedov's seemingly inevitable comeback the biggest, baddest thing in all MMA in 2021.Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/floyd-mayweather-announces-boxing-exhibition-on-february-28-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Floyd Mayweather announces a return to the ring for a boxing exhibition on February 28</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/khaos-williams-warns-his-division-nobody-is-bulletproof-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One of the UFC's scariest knockout artists has warned nobody is 'bulletproof,' and says he'll KO everyone in his weight class</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/frank-warren-mike-tyson-vs-roy-jones-jr-exhibition-is-sad-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One of Britain's top promoters called the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. exhibition 'sad' because 'boxing is a young man's game'</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/watch-uly-diaz-score-fastest-bkfc-history-ko-3-seconds-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A bare-knuckle boxer scored a 3-second knockout Friday and set a new record for the fastest KO in BKFC history</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/watch-aaron-pico-add-frightening-ko-to-his-highlight-reel-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A 24-year-old American scored a frightening KO with an awesome power punch, then trash-talked over his opponent's body</a>

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Fedor Emelianenko should finally retire from MMA, according to former UFC champion Dan Cormier

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We're learning more about Manny Pacquiao's mystery Rizin contract, a deal that doesn't even include a fight

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