Ryan Bader Says Fedor Emelianenko vs. Chael Sonnen is a Tossup

Ryan Bader believes predicting the outcome of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Chael Sonnen is tough.

Emelianenko recently earned his spot on the semi-finals of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix. He knocked out Frank Mir in 48 seconds and will now meet Sonnen later this year. Sonnen moved on to the semi-finals when he defeated Quinton Jackson via unanimous decision.

Bader is in the tournament as well and will be facing Muhammed Lawal on May 12 in the main event of Bellator 199. The winner will advance to take on Matt Mitrione. During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Bader said Emelianenko vs. Sonnen is a tough fight to call:

“I think it’s a toss-up, ‘cause people always underestimate Chael. He’ll talk a lot and do all that, but he does have the tools to win. Look back to his fights with guys like Shogun, where he does have a good guillotine also and he can take people down. He has decent striking where he can keep you at distance like he did with Rampage, and then pick his shots where he can take you down.”

Emelianenko has gone 6-1 in his last seven outings. His Bellator debut was disastrous as he was knocked out by Mitrione in the first round following a double knockdown. With his first Bellator win out of the way, perhaps it is the spark that “The Last Emperor” needed.

As far as Sonnen is concerned, his Bellator debut certainly didn’t go any better. He was submitted by Tito Ortiz in the first round. Sonnen rebounded with unanimous decision victories over Wanderlei Silva and “Rampage” Jackson.

It’s important to note that an alternate Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix bout is in place. Mirko Cro Cop will take on Roy Nelson at Bellator 200. The winner will serve as an alternate in case a fighter in the tournament cannot compete.