Fedor Emelianenko, his opponent Ryan Bader and Bellator president Scott Coker weigh in on the legacy of “The Last Emperor.”

LOS ANGELES – With the turn of the century came a new era of mixed martial arts. Beyond the Octagon-shaped cage of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where names like Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie, and others had laid claims to glory in the 1990s, were foreign shores riddled with talent unseen by most American eyes.

Fedor Emelianenko began his career in his home country of Russia in mid-2000, launching what many consider to be the greatest run in MMA history. Apart from a loss due to a doctor stoppage in late December of that year, Emelianenko blasted through opponents time and time again, going consecutive years as a dominant force in heavyweight fighting.

“He just has a certain X factor that I think a lot of fighters, especially heavyweights, don’t have,” Bellator CEO Scott Coker tells FanSided.com.

It’s that kind of special something, some say, that kept the fighter on top of his game for the better part of a decade. This combined with his relentless combinations, savage ground-and-pound, and the highest level of combat sambo produced one of the most memorable streaks in the sport.

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Wins against fighters such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, both of whom faced Emelianenko in their primes, further established the Russian fighter as arguably the best in the world. It was then the attention of American eyes began to focus on this heavyweight juggernaut and the question was thrown out there.

How would Fedor do in the UFC?

That question remains, however. After various meetings, sitdowns, and conversations, Emelianenko and UFC brass have never locked down a deal to see him fight in the Octagon. It’s a subject some have brought up when arguing the fighter’s legacy and where he stands among the greatest of all time. Some question whether you can include him in the discussion since he never fought for Dana White’s promotion.

If you ask Emelianenko about it, he’ll explain that it doesn’t matter. The awe of competing in the UFC is an imaginary concept.

“Absolutely no regret,” Emelianenko tells FanSided.com through an interpreter. “I don’t have any wish or desire to fight in the UFC. I like Bellator and love my relationship with Scott Coker. “First of all, for me, the fame of UFC is more, like, made up. As for Bellator, they have great relationships with their fighters. They treat their fighters very well.”

The counter argument to Emelianenko’s lack of Octagon experience is one that lists former UFC champions who stepped out of White’s cage and faced the Russian elsewhere. Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, and most recently Frank Mir, all of whom held UFC belts during Emelianenko’s prime, fought him in other promotions. Each of their fights ended in similar fashion — finishes on the losing end.

Even his impending opponent recognizes the resume and how Emelianenko’s 19-year career has cemented a legacy beyond worthy of praise. Ryan Bader, who will fight Emelianenko in the finals of the Bellator World Heavyweight Grand Prix on Saturday, expects no less than the heavy-handed Fedor who has made a reputation as one of the best ever.

“I look at Fedor and he’s been dropped three of the last four fights,” Bader explains to FanSided.com, adding, “but at the same time he’s looked great. He’s gone out there and destroyed two great fighters in the first round.

“I want to approach this fight like he’s the best Fedor ever, go in there and live up to my potential then get it done.”

Saturday’s main event might be Emelianenko’s last fight of his career. It’s one that could end with a heavyweight championship around his waist or be a loss at the hands of a younger, well-tuned opponent. If he wins, Bader could argue that he retired Emelianenko, but he’ll do no such thing because he holds his opponent with the highest regard and finds those who use the “I retired him” angle as disrespectful. He even scoffs at the question when asked.

At this stage, Bader and Coker both agree Emelianenko has done enough to establish himself among the greats of this sport. He can lose on Saturday and it wouldn’t do anything to the legacy, regardless of what the but-he-never-fought-in-the-UFC crowd tweets. In fact, if Fedor called it a career years ago, just as he did from 2012 to 2015, Coker believes he would still be considered the best.

“When I sat down with Fedor 14 months ago, 15 months ago, I told him about what we were doing and he was all about it and he wanted to come compete,” the Bellator boss says. “But if he had said no to me he would still be the greatest fighter of all time. If you could win this, especially against a fighter like Ryan, I think it cements his legacy in the sport. He’s already done it all and he could have retired three, four, five years ago.”

Bader is the favorite to win on Saturday. Much of this comes from the fact Emelianenko is 42 years old and his dominant run came to close in 2010, the beginning of a three-fight losing streak, the longest of his career. Bader is seven years younger than the Russian and has a heavy right hand notorious for putting people to sleep. This kind of mix echoes concern from some, but not the promoter.

Coker has sold bouts with older fighters before, and there’s no indication he’ll stop doing so. In the case of Emelianenko, Coker doesn’t share the concern from those who think the fighter is competing past his peak. He uses the fighter’s most recent Bellator outings as evidence to show the competitor is more than capable of holding his own in his early 40s.

“A fighter should not fight passed the time he supposed to stop,” he says. “And really that’s between us, the promoters, the trainer, and the fighter himself. But from what I saw in his last fights, he looked pretty good to me. His twitch speed looked better than I’d seen it in a long time.”

All parties involved see Emelianenko as being in prime form, from the fighter himself to his opponent to the promotor cashing in on the contest. The legacy, already set in stone as a story to be told for generations of MMA followers, may have its final chapter written this weekend. In the end, Emelianenko will go out on his sword, regardless of doubters’ and agists’ opinions of him.

Bellator 214 will be a pinnacle for everyone involved, and legacies will be in play.

“This is a huge fight,” Bader exclaims. “It’s one of those things where it’s a pinnacle fight in my career. I come over and I’m the light heavyweight champ, first fight. Now I go through this heavyweight tournament, fight Fedor, [and I have the] potential to be a two-division champion. It doesn’t get any bigger so I got to take advantage of it. My time is right now.

“Going out there and beating Fedor is every fighter’s dream and it cements my legacy.”

The Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix takes place on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019, live from the Los Angeles Forum in Inglewood, CA. Follow along with FanSided throughout the night for all your live results and highlights. We’ll be in attendance for the first Bellator card of 2019, so watch for exclusive content during fight night.