Fedor Emelianenko and Matt Mitrione will be competing in the co-main event of the upcoming Bellator 180 pay-per-view.
UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov is a huge fan of the fight that his fellow Russian will compete in.
“As for the new fight between Emelianenko and Mitrione, I think there is an excellent chance for Fedor. The Americans has good striking, a decent backhand, but it is not dangerous in the stalls. Therefore I wish Fedor buries him in the first round,” Nurmagomedov said during an open workout.
The two heavyweights were set to collide at Bellator 172, but Mitrione pulled out of the fight due to the effects of kidney stones.
Nurmagomedov also knows what Mitrione went through after he pulled out of a fight against Tony Ferguson at UFC 209.
“When I learned that Matt Mitrione withdrew from the fight due to kidney stones, I could not believe that this is possible! And then see what happened to me - the same thing. That is life,” Khabib explained. “Today, you can get sick. Tomorrow - die. Some things we can not change.”
Bellator 180 takes place on Saturday, June 24 from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York with Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva headlining. Fightful will be providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
