ROSEMONT, Ill. – Fedor Emelianenko knows he has fans across the globe, but he admitted he was still a bit surprised by the reception he got at Saturday’s Bellator 198 event.

Emelianenko (37-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), the 41-year-old Ukrainian-born Russian and famed MMA heavyweight legend, took just 48 seconds to flatten former UFC champ Frank Mir (18-12 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in the Paramount-televised headliner at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

With the victory – his first under the Bellator banner and his first on U.S. soil since 2009 – Emelianenko advanced to a semifinal-round matchup with Chael Sonnen in Bellator’s yearlong heavyweight grand prix.

With his thunderous knockout win, Emelianenko ignited the Chicago-area crowd. The former PRIDE champion was a mega-star in Japan, and he’s headlined blockbuster cards in Russia. However, despite fighting an American in the U.S., Emelianenko appeared the crowd favorite at Bellator 198.

“We’ll see if it’s God’s will actually to give me the joy and happiness of the victory, but I really understand that’s not only me, but there are a lot of people who support me, who cheer for me, who pray for me, as well,” he said after the fight. “It’s not only Russian people. These are Greeks. These are Serbians. These are people in America, as well.

“I was really surprised how warm, loved and welcomed I was here, so that’s why I’m really happy and why I’d like to thank all my fans and everybody who’s for me.”

The fan reaction could be good news as Emelianenko prepares for his meeting with fellow vet and notorious pre-fight trash-talking All-American Sonnen, which is likely to come on the U.S. East Coast, according to Bellator President Scott Coker.

As for the performance, Emelianenko took some early shots. Was he in any real trouble before finishing off the wild sub-one-minute bout, though?

“Nothing hurt,” he said. “No.”

Now on a 6-1 run (the loss came to Matt Mitrione in Emelianenko’s 2017 Bellator debut), “The Last Emperor” continues adding to an already-legendary body of work. But where does a win over the 2018 version of Mir rank?

“I don’t know what to answer,” he said. “I’m sorry.

“Certaintly I need to say Frank is a great fighter. He’s a thinking fighter. He was on the very top, and he’s a very good and great fighter today, as well.”

For complete coverage of Bellator 198, check out the MMA Events section of the site.