Bellator’s first event in Japan will have two legends headline the card – Fedor vs Jackson in Tokyo .
Bellator is heading to Japan with a main event straight out of the days of PRIDE FC. The promotion announced a Dec. 29 event to be held at Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo will be headlined by a fight between Fedor Emelianenko vs Quinton Jackson.
Both Jackson (38-13) and Emelianenko (38-6) made their names fighting in PRIDE, but Fedor was a heavyweight while Jackson competed at 205 pounds. More than a decade later, with both men nearing the ends of their respective careers, they’re finally set to meet in a fight that once would have been one of the biggest in the world.
After suffering back-to-back losses in the Bellator cage, Jackson bounced back with a TKO of longtime rival Wanderlei Silva in his most recent bout. He is 2-2 in his most recent stint in the Bellator cage and 5-2 in the promotion over his career.
Emelianenko has not competed since being knocked out in just 35 seconds by Ryan Bader in the final of the Heavyweight Grand Prix. Prior to the loss, he had knocked out Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen, both in the first round.
The event is being co-promoted by Japanese promotion Rizin and Bellator president Scott Coker said the event will also feature a trio of Bellator vs Rizin fights.
“Bellator will host its first event in Japan on December 29 and I’m very happy to help Bellator and Scott Coker to make this happen,” Sakakibara told the gathered media through a translator.
“I do believe that Dec. 29 will be a history-changing event and Bellator will be able to make that happen. I’m very happy that they will be able to work together, along with RIZIN, and we are pleased to be the witness of this historical event.”
The event will be headlined by two of the most popular fighters to ever square off in Japan, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Fedor Emelianenko, as the two PRIDE legends face off for the first time ever at Bellator Japan Fedor vs Jackson, powered by RIZIN.
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