Last week, the American defended his title by defeating Cheick Kongo by unanimous decision.
- How do you like the fight between Ryan Bader and Cheick Kongo?
— Ryan worked in his own way. Confidently scored points. If the opponent does not give him a fight or cannot resist him, then all Bader's fights are similar. Ryan doesn't excel in punching technique, but he has a set punch that he hits from a certain distance, with a certain clumsiness. There is no such thing for him to break or choke. It could be assumed that this fight would be just that.
— Glad that Bader won?
- Yes, I'm glad. I hope that I will get a rematch with him.
— Are there already talks about you having a fight for the title with Bader?
— We talked with Scott Cocker. But for now, he said, "Let's wait for this fight [between Bader and Kongo] to be over, because it's already scheduled." Although we discussed revenge before. I hope that Scott will agree to give me the last fight for the title of champion. In addition, the Bellator rating allows. I think it will be an expected fight.
- Will this fight be the last in your career?
- To be honest, I still feel the strength in myself. But not the same as before. I see how youth radiates in my young guys. Somewhere they lack technology, knowledge and something else, but they cover it with their pressure. On the other hand, I have experience, speed, endurance does not fail. Injuries, however, climb, there are still some gaps. I think to eliminate them.
Recall that Bader and Emelianenko have already met in a cage. In January 2019, the American won by knockout in the first round.