6 Takeaways From Bellator NYC
2. We Almost Had A Double Knockout
The result of Fedor Emilianenko vs. Matt Mitrione was something many people feared. But the path to the finish was something altogether entirely unpredictable.
There was a very cagey opening with Fedor taking the centre and barely moving as Mitrione circled on the balls of his feet. It looked like pavement dancing early, but both men eventually made their move. At the same time.
Both men threw big right hands, and both connected at exactly the same time. After the run of crazy fights leading into this, it would have been somewhat poetic for this one to end in a double knockout. With both men down, Mitrione recovered first, and pounded out Fedor for the win. The image of Fedor looking dazed and confused while Mitrione celebrated was a sad image in a legendary career. Proof that father time spares no-one in this game.
The Last Emperor should really call it a day. The writing is on the wall, and it's entirely reasonable to believe this is his future if he carries on. Apparently he wants to keep on fighting, but a definite step down in competition is needed if he does fight again.
But the night belonged to Mitrione, who donned his New York Giants jersey in MSG as a throwback to his short time in the NFL. He cut a promo on Donald Trump and broke down the fight in a very entertaining way on the mic. He also plugged Tim Hague's GoFundMe page which was a very nice touch.