LONDON – This past Saturday at The SSE in London, combat sports legend Melvin Manhoef got back to the win column with a unanimous decision win over Kent Kauppinen.
And while the 43-year-old Dutchman may only have one or two fights left, he has set his sights on two fellow combat sports legends: Wanderlei Silva and Fedor Emelianenko, two fighters he looked up to growing up.
“When I was starting, I was watching Wanderlei Silva, I was watching Fedor,” Manhoef said in a post-fight media scrum after Bellator London. “If they can bring me Wanderlei or Fedor, I don’t mind. I just want to take some guy who’s really a legend. I think that was my legend. If that could be done, I would do it.”
Manhoef (31-14-1 MMA, 3-3 BMMA), showed he is still dangerous. He was able to hurt and outpoint Kauppinen en route to a decision. He was dropped early in the fight, but then able to drop Kauppinen himself when the two went back and forth.
“I’m always happy to win,” Manhoef said. “I did everything I had to do to win this fight. I think in the first round, I did what I had to do and in the last round I was just moving away to keep the advantage.
“I was close to finishing him and I thought the ref could stop the fight because he was out.”
Manhoef has expressed interest in having his final fight in Amsterdam. Bellator hasn’t announced any official plans of heading to the Netherlands just yet, so Manhoef won’t hold his breath. He knows he doesn’t have long left.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take them to do Amsterdam because I can’t fight when I’m 50, you know what I’m saying?” Manhoef said. “Forty-three years old, but as you can see, age doesn’t count. I rocked him and I did what I had to do.”
When asked if his next bout will definitely be his last one, Manhoef said it would depend on his performance and the pay check.
“If I get that win and the check is good, then maybe I can do one more,” Manhoef said. “Maybe I can do one more.”
For more on Bellator London, check out the MMA Events section of the site.
