After an errant chunk of calcium scrapped this fight at Bellator 172, Matt Mitrione and Fedor Emelianenko finally threw down… and it didn’t last long.
Round one of their Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva co-main event showdown started with a typically stoic Emelianenko holding the centre of the cage while Mitrione stayed light on his feet, looking for an opening. Both men ended up pulling the trigger at the same time and – on a night of shocking finishes – we came agonizingly close to a rare double knock-out. Both men landed right hands at exactly the same time and each of them landed on the seat of their shorts.
However, it was Mitrione who shook off the cobwebs quickest. He made it to his feet and swarmed a still stunned Emelianenko. A couple of strikes later and the fight was waved off; after a minute and 14 seconds.
What was the highlight of the fight?
Even though the double knockdown really is MMA at its finest, the highlight of all this chaos has to Matt Mitrione’s post-fight comments. After a somewhat awkward Donald Trump shoutout, Meathead used his time to spread awareness of the tragic passing of former UFC heavyweight Tim Hague, which occurred in a boxing match in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada last week. Here’s the gofundme campaign Mitrione referenced: https://www.gofundme.com/tim-hague-memorial
Where do these two go from here?
This really should be the last time we see The Last Emperor. It’s hard to imagine how much of a draw the 40-year-old Pride legend will be after what has to be his most ignoble defeat to date. For Mitrione, he adds a decent feather to his cap, but he’s hardly singled himself out as a world beater. If Bellator ever brings back a heavyweight title, you’d expect him to figure in the race for the belt, maybe after rematches with fellow UFC castaways Cheick Kongo and Roy Nelson.
Watch now, later, or never?
Watch now (it’s only a minute and 14 seconds of your life). Bellator NYC was a real spectacle, but not the kind Coker et al had hoped for. Much of it – including this fight – requires being seen in order to be believed.