UNCASVILLE, Conn. – If Fedor Emelianenko wants a rematch against Fabricio Werdum, Bellator president Scott Coker says he’ll get one.
Over the past few months, MMA Junkie has discussed that possibility with Emelianenko (39-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), Werdum (24-9-1), and Coker – an idea that seemed to pick up steam when Werdum fought out the final fight of his UFC deal in July.
Wednesday, Coker told MMA Junkie he recently met with Werdum’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, in San Jose, Calif. to discuss a handful of Abdelaziz’s clients, former UFC heavyweight champion Werdum among them. According to Coker, Emelianenko will fight two more times before he retires. If he wants a rematch against Werdum to be one of them, Coker says he will make it happen.
“Fedor is, I think, 50/50 on it,” Coker said. “It’s not the burning desire that maybe Fabricio wants it to be, but we’re gonna keep talking to Fedor and see if he wants to do it. And if Fedor wants to do it, then we will definitely do it, because that might be a fight that he fights in Moscow or someplace on one of his last two fights.”
Only six men have defeated Emelianenko – and Werdum (24-9-1) is one of them. In 2010, Werdum scored a shocking upset of “The Last Emperor” on a Strikeforce show in San Jose. For Emelianenko, the defeat ended a 29-fight loss-less stretch (28-0 with one no contest).
Both fighters are coming off victories. Last December, Emelianenko finished Quinton Jackson with punches at 2:44 of Round 1. In July, Werdum submitted former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson in seconds via armbar. That was Werdum’s final fight on his UFC contract, after which he signed with Bellator.
In the video above, check out Bellator president Scott Coker’s comments on Werdum vs. Emelianenko 2, Cris Cyborg’s Bellator 249 title defense, the potential resumption of fight cards in front of live audiences, and more.