Bellator 198: Fedor vs. Mir Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

Bellator's heavyweight grand prix rolls on as the main event of Bellator 198 will see legend Fedor Emelianenko take on former UFC champion Frank Mir for the right to advance to the semifinals. 

Mir and Fedor is a quasi-senior division contest. The two are a combined 79 years old with 71 combined fights. But the name recognition the two have garnered over their decorated careers still makes this a fight that is sure to garner interest. 

The rest of the card has enough fights that are worthy of interest as well. Bellator featherweight mainstay Emmanuel Sanchez will take on UFC veteran Sam Sicilia, jiu-jitsu ace Rafael Lovato Jr. will meet Gerald Harris in middleweight action, and Conor McGregor training parter Dillon Danis will make his Bellator debut. 

Here's a look at the complete card and a closer look at the main event. 

Main Card (9 PM ET, Paramount Network)

• Fedor Emelianenko vs. Frank Mir
• Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Sam Sicilia
• Rafael Lovato Jr. vs. Gerald Harris
• Neiman Gracie vs. Javier Torres
• Dillon Danis vs. Kyle Walker

Preliminary Card (7 PM ET, Paramount Network Online)

• R'Mandel Cameron vs. P. J. Cajigas 
• Dan Stittgen vs. Mark Stoddard 
• Eric Wisely vs. Morgan Sickinger 
• Matt Paul vs. Brian Booth 
• Joey Diehl vs. Nate Williams 
• Tom Shoaff vs. Mike Budnik 
• James Bennett vs. Dustin Stusse 
• Asef Askar vs. Andrew Johnson
• Corey Jackson vs. Adil Benjilany 
• Tom Angeloff vs. Sultan Umar 
• Adam Maciejewski vs. Robert Morrow

Fedor vs. Mir

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Ten years ago, this fight would have been huge. Fedor's run that made him an MMA legend happened outside the UFC while Mir took turns as both the undisputed heavyweight champion and an interim titleholder. 

Had this fight happened then in an Octagon, it would have been massive. 

As it stands now, it's interesting in that we will still see the matchup play out stylistically, but with both fighters looking back on their primes, not experiencing them. 

That fall from glory has become apparent for both fighters. The Last Emperor has fought three times since 2015. A submission (by strikes) win over Jaideep Singh (kudos to you if you can name another opponent for him), a decision win over UFC retread Fabio Maldonado and a first-round TKO loss to Matt Mitrione in his Bellator debut.

In his prime, the stoic Russian was quiet outside the cage and a non-stop rush of violence inside it. Emelianenko has never been one to hype a fight, but he has spoken of what it would mean to him to add a Bellator heavyweight championship to his trophy case. 

"The main thing for me is that I would like be remembered by fans not as a fighter, but as a person—as a Russian Orthodox person," Emelianenko said, per USA Today (h/t Matt Erickson of MMA Junkie). "I don't think about what I haven't done yet. Certainly, I'd love to win the tournament, because that will add to the prestige of my country."

Mir hasn't fought since 2016 due to a suspension related to a USADA doping violation, but the man who fought two years ago didn't really look like the one who once wore UFC gold.

The 38-year-old finished his UFC run on a 2-6 record, with his two wins coming against Todd Duffee and Antonio Silva by first-round knockout. 

Still, he believes that Fedor's mystique and aura have helped him win fights, and he still has what it takes to knock the legend out of the tournament. 

"He has a lot of mystique around him. He's Russian, he doesn't talk a lot. There's a little bit of mysticism behind him," Mir said, per Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune. "But I'm a realist. I see good and bad. I see a guy who struggled with (Chicago native) Brett Rogers because he doesn't know how to fight in a cage properly."

Mir's cage comments are a reference to the fact that Fedor made his name in the Pride organization where fights took place in a ring instead of a cage. If Mir believes that he can use the cage to his advantage and back Fedor into a corner with his standup, he just might be right. 

Fedor's knockout loss to Mitrione is a perfect example of how his chin just isn't what it used to be. Mir may not be the most polished striker, but he did show that he still has pop in his hands and power is the last thing to go. 

Chael Sonnen awaits the winner in the tournament provided either man comes out healthy enough to continue in the Grand Prix. 

He might want to get his material ready for a showdown with Mir. With a two-year break giving him the opportunity to heal up and Mitrione recently knocking out Fedor, he's the more likely one to come away victorious. 

Prediction: Mir via first-round TKO