Who will win the Bellator Grand Prix Finals between Ryan Bader and Fedor Emelianenko?
Frank Hyden, Columnist – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
I’m going with Fedor. I know I’m biased but I can’t go against him. I don’t think Bader has the punching power to one-shot Fedor so Fedor’s overall game will give him the edge. I think Fedor wins by TKO in the 2nd round in a very tense fight that will almost assuredly give us one of the top MMA moments for 2019. I think we’ll look back at this and remember this moment as being a feel-good moment where Fedor is able to turn back the clock just enough to pick up the win. Even if Bader wins, I still think it’ll be a big moment as we’ll see a dual division champion in Bellator and it’ll be someone who’s actually deserving of such an achievement.
Sean Covington, Columnist – Covington’s Corner
I got Bader outpacing Fedor for an easy win. Fedor is on the decline; despite fighting for his country and what he believes in there isn’t much left for him to do. Fedor may still want to do this but after a while you gotta know when to hold them and when to fold them. Fedor is still winning and his time has yet come but life comes at you fast. Bader is going on to clean out the heavyweight division, maybe making a UFC return and retiring as one of the greatest.
Gary Meigs, MMATorch Contributor
I’m going out on a limb here and picking Ryan Bader. If for no reason then I’ve seen him fight and is seven years younger. I see Bader winning within two rounds.
David McGrath, Host – MMATorch Today Podcast
I’m not betting against the GOAT Fedor. However he should lose, Bader is stronger and faster. I expect it to be fun, and for Fedor to have his moments but the younger Bader prevails in the end.
Christian Moore, MMATorch Contributor
Bader wins and it won’t take long. In both of their primes, Fedor kills Bader. However, Fedor seems to be a shell of his old self, with Bader in the middle of the peak of his career. If Bader loses this fight, I would be beyond shocked. That said, I’m still pulling for Fedor.
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Michael Hiscoe, MMATorch Managing Editor
There have been some rumblings that Fedor could be hurt heading into this fight. If that’s the case, then that’s not good at all for the Russian. Before the Mitrione fight, I said that Bader may not be able to utilize his wrestling as effectively as he would like against these bigger heavyweights. I was so wrong about that as Bader went on to ragdoll Mitrione en route to an easy decision win. I expect much of the same when Bader meets Emelianenko tonight. Look for Ryan Bader to play it safe and cruise to a decision win to become Bellator heavyweight champion.
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