PHOENIX – Fedor Emelianenko may be one of the greatest heavyweights of mixed martial arts history. But how does he do in one-on-one matches?
The 45-year old Pride FC legend showed off his skills as a basketball player on Thursday, when he shot hoops on the Footprint Center (the home court for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns) before Bellator 273’s Open Workouts. Emelianenko, who is in town to help corner Bellator interim heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavsky for Saturday’s title unification bout against current Bellator beltholder Ryan Bader, was one of several fighters who couldn’t resist throwing up a few quick shots once they hit the hardwood.
Bader, Moldavsky, and former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson also joined in the fun with Emelianenko, as did a few others — although some fighters were certainly more familiar with the game than others.
Watch Bellator’s stars attempt to shoot hoops above ahead of Bellator 273, which takes place January 29 and is headlined by Bader vs. Moldavsky.
