Fedor Emelianenko vs. Matt Mitrione Bellator 172 Fight Canceled

Bellator 172 has a new main event because the anticipated heavyweight showdown between Matt Mitrione and Fedor Emelianenkoin San Jose, California, at SAP Center has been canceled. Bellator President Scott Coker announcedSaturdayhours before the eventthat an illness forcedMitrioneto pull out of the fight. The lightweight matchup between Josh Thomson and Patricky "Pitbull" Freire originally scheduled as the co-main event has been pushed up to the headliner.Per John Morgan of MMAjunkie, kidney stones caused Mitrione to pull out of the fight. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden confirmed they were the culprit.Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, citing California State Athletic Commission executive officer Andy Foster, reported fans can get refunds for their tickets before the event begins. Helwani also reported Bellator was unsuccessful in trying to find a replacement for Mitrione. Helwani also reported Chael Sonnen volunteered to fightEmelianenko and that Bellator had interest, "but it didn't come together."This event had the potential to be one of the biggest in Bellator history. Emelianenko was making his first appearance with the promotion after signing a multi-fight deal in November. Mitrione has been fantastic in his first two Bellator fights, with two stoppage wins over Carl Seumanutafa and Oli Thompson.At 40 years old, Emelianenko is no longer the best heavyweight mixed martial artist on the planet like he was for most of the decade from 2000 to 2009. He even retired from the sport for roughly three years before returning in 2015, when he competed for Rizin Fighting Federation. According to a Bellator press release (h/tMookie Alexander of SB Nation's Bloody Elbow), the promotion "will look to reschedule the fight at a later date."
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