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Fedor Emelianenko, a Russian MMA legend, beat Tim Johnson at Bellator 269 Moscow
Below is a detailed report on what took place at Bellator 269. The entire event can be viewed again on BBC iPlayer (UK only).
Russian MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko defeated Tim Johnson, the number two heavyweight in his division, in the main event at Bellator 269.
Emelianenko (45), was making his first home-based competitive appearance in five years. However, he proved that, despite his plans for retirement, he is still a threat to Bellator's top heavyweights.
Both men started the bout by sizing up each other and testing their range. But Emelianenko, also known as 'The last Emperor', was the one who started the action in earnest.
Johnson was pushing forward to apply pressure. Emelianenko unleashed an impressive three-punch combination. The final shot sent Johnson, 36, to the floor for a stunning knockout.
Emelianenko's win over Johnson brought his total career wins to 40. 31 of those victories were within the distance.
During his legendary nine-year, undefeated, 27-fight run, Emelianenko held Emelianenko's heavyweight title in the now-defunct Japanese promotion Pride Fighting Championships, for 1,663 consecutive days.
This victory puts Emelianenko in an ideal position to challenge for the championship gold once more before he retires.
He said that it was a big event for him to fight in his country. It's been quite some time since I last fought in Russia so it's a big deal and I'm happy we were able to succeed."
Dislocated finger ends Minakov's hopes
Vitaly Minakov holds his dislocated thumb in his co-main bout with American Said Sowma
Vitaly Minakov, a former Bellator heavyweight champion, was disappointed when he sustained a fatal fight-ending injury during his co-main bout with American Said Sowma.
Minakov, 36 years old, made his debut since August 2019. He used his heavy-handed striking skills to force Sowma onto the back foot.
In round two, Sowma, 28 changed tactics and focused on Minakov's lead leg using a series punishing calf kicks. This clearly upset the former champion.
Minakov broke a finger in the final round when he caught Sowma's top with a punch. Bryan Miner, the referee, stopped the fight and called the doctor to reset the digit.
Minakov was keen to continue, but the fight had been abandoned, so Sowma won the TKO win.
After an easy win, Nurmagomedov demands top-10 opposition
Unbeaten lightweight Usman Nurmagomedov dominated Finland's Patrik Pitila to increase his professional record to 14-0. He then called upon Bellator's matchmakers for a bout against a top 10 ranked opponent.
The 23-year old hurt Pietila by kicking him in the calf and quickly took his opponent to the ground with his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov fought the Finn on the mat with ground strikes, before finally locking up a rear-naked choke for his fourth career victory.
Nurmagomedov, speaking through a translator after his fight, said: "I'm asking Bellator for someone from the top 10, because the number of haters is increasing."
Usman Nurmagomedov celebrates victory over Finland's Patrik Pitila - with Khabib Nurmagomedov (ex-UFC lightweight champion) on the right
Tokov calls for title shot after hard-earned win
Anatoly Tokov, a middleweight contender, was challenged by Sharaf Davlatmuradov, her former training partner. It was a three-round fight that was extremely hard.
31-year-old Tokov was knocked to the floor by the rangy Davlatmurodov's opening punch, but the Russian fighter bounced back and settled down.
They traded back and forth but Tokov's power, wrestling, and strength gave him the advantage at key moments. He won a decision victory with scores 29-28 and 29-28.
Tokov's win extended his winning streak at MMA to six more and brought him the 30th win in his professional MMA career.
The Russian star is now in the mix to fight for the Dutch middleweight title. Gegard Mousasi was the former ACB champion. He said that he believes he deserves a title shot. However, he couldn't prove all of his abilities in this fight.
Lee demands swift submission
The opening fight of the evening saw Aiden Lee, a Birmingham featherweight, win an impressive victory over Alexander Osetrov in the first round.
Lee was trying to rebound from his June submission loss to Aaron Pico, a hot prospect, so he won his third victory under the Bellator banner.
Lee declared, after he had finished his rear-naked choke: "I'm not just a good striker. I'm also a world-class striker."
"I was comfortable on my feet, but I knew that I had a huge advantage on the ground against him."
However, it wasn't as memorable for Brian Moore of Ireland and Rab Truesdale from Scotland.
After his preliminary bout for bantamweight with Nikita Mikhailov, Moore (34), was defeated 29-28 and 29-28, respectively, on the scorecards.
Truesdale, aged 35, was present in the main preliminary card bout. However, Kirill Sidelnikov, a Russian heavyweight, won via ground-and-pound knockout.
