Yahoo Sports Bellator 290 referee, judges selected for Fedor Emelianenko retirement bout
LOS ANGELES – Fedor Emelianenko has one more walk to the cage left in him.
When Emelianenko (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) steps foot on the canvas for the final time, Ryan Bader (30-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) will soon after join him. The two heavyweights headline Bellator 290, which takes place Saturday at Kia Forum. The main card marks the promotion’s debut on CBS after prelims on MMA Junkie.
On Wednesday, the California State Athletic Commission finalized its referee and judge assignments for the entire 14-fight card. Below, check out who will officiate the event.
Referee
Herb Dean
The third man joining Fedor Emelianenko and Ryan Bader in the cage will be seasoned referee Herb Dean, who will also officiate Ali Isaev vs. Steve Mowry, and Isaiah Hokit vs. Peter Ishiguro.
Judges
Michael Bell, Sal D’Amato, and Wade Vierra will be the three judges scoring Bader vs. Emelianenko from cageside.
Other assignments
Referee Frank Trigg will officiate middleweight champion Johnny Eblen vs. Anatoly Tokov, Jaylon Bates vs. Jornel Lugo, and Chris Gonzalez vs. Max Rohskopf.
Referee Blake Grice will officiate Sabah Homasi vs. Brennan Ward, Neiman Gracie vs. Dante Schiro, and Karl Albrektsson vs. Alejandra Lara.
Referee Raphael Davis will officiate Mukhamed Berkhamov vs. Lorenz Larkin and Darrion Caldwell vs. Nikita Mikhailov.
Referee Jonathan Romero will officiate Diana Avsaragova vs. Alejandra Lara, Henry Corrales vs. Akhmed Magomedov, and Ethan Hughes vs. Yusuf Karakava.
Additional judges for Bellator 290 include: Hadi Mohamed Ali, Chris Crail, Eliot Kelly, Chris Leben, John Marigliano, Ron McCarthy, and Felicia Oh.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 290.
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