Boxing Emelianenko lost his final MMA bout on Saturday after Ryan Bader stopped him halfway through the first round

[Lupin]

Bader quickly pounced on Emelianenko and never let him up, steadily hammering his guard with dozens of punches until referee Herb Dean stopped the punishment 2:30 into the round.

"It was bittersweet," Bader said. "I idolised him like every MMA fan and fighter coming up. He put the sport on his back. That is a legend right there."

American Johnny Eblen retained his middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Russian Anatoly Tokov in the co-main event.