Fedor, a multiple-time Sambo gold medalist, turned professional in 2000. The Russian is a PRIDE heavyweight champion and a RINGS 2001 Absolute Class Tournament winner. Fedor had a 28-fight unbeaten streak from 2001 to 2009, defeating Semmy Schilt, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Miro Cro Cop, Mark Hunt, and Andrei Arlovski. Fedor joined Bellator in 2017 after never fighting in the UFC. He has a 4-2 record in the promotion and is currently on a two-fight winning streak. Fedor’s most recent fight was a 2021 knockout victory over Timothy Johnson.
- Watch Bellator 290– Bader vs Fedor fight on FitePass
Bader has three Pac-10 Championship gold medals. He debuted professionally in 2007 and won The Ultimate Fighter 8 in 2008. Bader had a 15-5 record with the UFC. He won the Bellator light heavyweight title against Phil Davis after joining the company in 2017. Bader became a double champion in 2019 after winning the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix and defeating Fedor.
How to watch Bellator MMA 290: Bader vs. Fedor 2 full fight tonight!
- Date: Feb. 4
- Location: Kia Forum — Inglewood, California
- Start time: 9 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: CBS
- Live Stream anywhere: FightPass
Bellator MMA 290 Start Time
Bellator 290 takes place on February 4th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California. The arena has a capacity of 17,500 people. The prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 9 p.m. ET. Depending on how long the undercard fights last, Bader and Fedor should arrive at the cage around midnight. ET.
Bader and Emlianenko have similar fighting styles. Both prefer to grapple, but if necessary, both have powerful hands. This is truer for Emelianenko than Bader. However, Bader has shown to have a tougher chin these days, whereas the Russian has been put down quickly with a good shot to the chin. Emelianenko may be able to pull off the upset if he can show off his deceptive speed one more time and press Bader against the cage. He still has fast hands and is a lethal knockout artist, and as fellow Fedor Team member Vadim Nemkov demonstrated, the best way to beat Bader is to pressure him with a flurry of strikes.
Bader, however, is not going to just let people hit him. He’s among the greatest wrestlers in heavyweight history and will use that to his advantage. For Bader, it’s not just about winning either, he stands to go 3-1 against Fedor Team, giving him an almost Kasushi Sakaraba-like aura about him. The battle between the two champions will be forever remembered and an exciting journey for the fans.
Bellator MMA 290 full fight card
- Ryan Bader (c) -330 vs. Fedor Emelianenko +260, heavyweight championship
- Johnny Eblen (c) -260 vs. Anatoly Tokov +210, middleweight championship
- Sabah Homasi -190 vs.Brennan Ward +160, welterweight
- Neiman Gracie -280 vs. Dante Schiro +230, welterweight
- Mukhamed Berkhamov -220 vs. Lorenz Larkin +180, welterweight
- Akhmed Magomedov -500 vs. Henry Corrales +380, featherweight
- Steve Mowry -130 vs. Ali Isaev +110, heavyweight
- Chris Gonzalez -195 vs. Max Rohskopf +165, lightweight
- Karl Albrektsson -150 vs. Grant Neal +125, light heavyweight
- Alejandra Lara -120 vs. Diana Avsaragova +100, women’s flyweight
- Nikita Mikhailov -160 vs. Darrion Caldwell +135, bantamweight
- Jornel Lugo -330 vs. Jaylon Bates +260, bantamweight
- Isaiah Hokit -450 vs. Peter Ishiguro +350, featherweight
- Yusuf Karakaya -140 vs. Ethan Hughes +120, welterweight
Bellator MMA 290 picks, and predictions via CBSSPorts
| Campbell | Brookhouse | Mahjouri | Wise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bader (c) vs. Emelianenko | Bader | Bader | Bader | Bader |
| Eblen (c) vs. Tokov | Tokov | Eblen | Eblen | Tokov |
| Homasi vs. Ward | Homasi | Ward | Homasi | Ward |
