Bellator 290 results, highlights: Ryan Bader bashes Fedor Emelianenko to retain title as beaten legend retires

The legendary career of Fedor Emelianenko came to a brutal end at the hands of Ryan Bader in the main event of Saturday's Bellator 290. Bader scored a first round TKO of Emelianenko to retain his heavyweight championship on the first mixed martial arts card aired on CBS since 2010.

There was little drama in the fight. Emelianenko tried to land an early right hand but had little success before getting dropped to the canvas by a Bader right hand. Once Bader was on top of Emelianenko, the fight was all but over.

Emelianenko was already bleeding from a cut on the bridge of his nose before the knockdown, but the bleeding intensified as Bader continued to drop elbows, hammerfists and punches. Eventually, Emelianenko was left with no choice but to cover up as Bader continued to fire away, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight at the 2:30 mark of Round 1.

The fight largely echoed Bader's win in the pair's first meeting in 2019, which saw Bader take less than a minute to score the win and capture the heavyweight title and win the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix.

"It was bittersweet," Bader said after the win. "I idolize him like every MMA fan and fighter coming up. He put the sport on his back. That is a legend right there and I'm so proud to be a part of his story. ... It's not even the wins. it's being able to compete against that man."

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Emelianenko, who became a legend during his incredible run in Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championship in the 2000s, showed no hesitation to follow through on his previously announced plans to retire after the rematch with Bader, win or lose.

"On one side, I'm sad because I didn't deliver in the fight like I wanted to," Emelianeko said through an interpreter. "On the other side, I'm so happy all these people are here hearing for me and all these veteran fighters that walked the path with me these 20 years are here. I'm so happy to see all of the fighters that are here to support me. I'm so happy to see you. Thank you very much."

Emelianenko ended the interview by laying his gloves down in the center of the cage, ending an era that saw him lay claim to being the greatest heavyweight fighter in the history of the sport.

Meanwhile in the co-main event, Johnny Eblen relied on his incredible cardio to dispatch of Anatoly Tokov and retain the middleweight title.

CBS Sports was with you the entire way on Saturday bringing you all the results and highlights from the Bellator 290 below. 

Bellator 290 card and results

• Ryan Bader (c) def. Fedor Emelianenko via first-round TKO (punches)
• Johnny Eblen (c) def. Anatoly Tokov via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
• Brennan Ward def. Sabah Homasi via second-round TKO (punches)
  
• Lorenz Larkin def. Mukhamed Berkhamov via first-round knockout (elbow)
  
• Henry Corrales def. Akhmed Magomedov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Steve Mowry vs. Ali Isaev ends in a draw (28-28, 28-28, 28-28)
• Chris Gonzalez def. Max Rohskopf via second-round TKO (punches)
• Grant Neal def. Karl Albrektsson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Diana Avsaragova def. Alejandra Lara via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Nikita Mikhailov def. Darrion Caldwell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Yusuf Karakaya def. Ethan Hughes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)*
• Isaiah Hokit def. Peter Ishiguro via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)*
  
• Jaylon Bates def. Jornel Lugo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)*
• Neiman Gracie def. Dante Schiro via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)*

*** Denote postlim bouts