Fedor Returns At Bellator Moscow, Faces Timothy Johnson

We have known that Fedor Emelianenko’s next bout will take place at Bellator Moscow.

Now, we know the opponent.

The former heavyweight champion will take on Timothy Johnson on October 23 from the VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia.

The card will air live on Showtime with more matches to be announced in the coming weeks.

Emelianenko will be fighting for the first time since 2019 when he finished Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in the first round. Overall, the veteran is 39-6 with one no-contest.

A former PRIDE FC champion, Emelianenko will be competing in his home country of Russia for the first time in five years. 

Since taking a break in competing, he has created Team Fedor, which includes Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov and interim heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavsky. 

2020 was a huge year for Johnson, as the UFC vet notched three wins in as many fights with impressive first-round finishes over Matt Mitrione and Tyrell Fortune and a decision victory over Cheick Kongo during the historic, first-ever major MMA event in France. 

The Xtreme Couture-product showed that he’s got the skill and stamina for championship rounds as he went the full five with Team Fedor’s Modlavsky (11-1) this past June. Proudly hailing from North Dakota, Johnson is a current member of the United States National Guard who won two national championships while wrestling at Minnesota State University.