Could a Win at Bellator 145 Earn Bobby Lashley a Fight With Fedor?

Bobby Lashley and James Thompson first met in May of 2012, at Super Fight League 3, in New Delhi, India. On that night, Thompson came out on top with a unanimous decision triumph. Lashley, however, did not agree with the result, disputing it on the basis that he had done more damage to his opponent than he'd received. And though the former pro-wrestler probably would have jumped at the opportunity for an immediate rematch with the frequent Pride competitor, their rivalry quickly dissipated from our consciousness. The fight game moved on.

Fast forward to 2015, however, and Bellator has put a good deal of energy into giving the two heavyweights a chance to settle their score. The organization has already made two attempts to schedule their rematch this year, first in February and later in June, with both bouts unfortunately being scrapped by injuries. Luckily, third time appears to be the charm in this case, as Lashley and Thompson are now just days away from their elusive rematch, which will bolster the main card of Bellator 145 in St. Louis, Missouri this Friday. Yes, more than three years later, and some 7727 miles from New Delhi, the two big men are poised finally for another scrap. Of course, this fight is far more than a chance to settle a longstanding gripe. For both men, it represents a chance to steam ahead of the pack in Bellator's heavyweight division.

This is especially true for Lashley, who has the wind of 6-straight victories in his sails—three of which have occurred under the Bellator banner. If he's able to score a big win over Thompson on Friday, he'll move to a perfect 7-0 in his last 7, which is far-and-away better than the recent records of his more noteworthy peers—men like Cheick Kongo, Alexander Volkov, and Tony Johnson. Really, a win on Friday, when combined with his reasonable celebrity, could well be enough to earn the former pro-wrestler a shot at Bellator heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov. Of course, Bellator fights with the undefeated Russian are surprisingly difficult to come by these days.

Minakov, after all, has not defended his Bellator crown since he routed Kongo in April of 2014. Granted, he's scored two wins outside Bellator in that timeframe, but when it comes to performing as the organization's heavyweight ruler, he's been a ghost. This of course, leaves the rest of the Bellator heavyweight division in a tough spot, as they're forced to squabble amongst each other for a shot at a champion who is nowhere to be found.

As Lashley recently divulged in an interview with Steve Juon of MMAMania.com, however, he's got alternate plans in the event that he snuffs Thompson this Friday.

It's no secret that with Jaideep Singh out of the equation, Japan's Rizin Fighting Federation is currently combing the fight game for an opponent for Fedor Emelianenko's comeback. Should he find success this Friday, Lashley says he would love to be the man to welcome Fedor back.

Now, Fedor vs. Lashley still undoubtedly pales in comparison to Fedor vs. any elite heavyweight inside the UFC, but given the circumstances—namely Fedor signing with Rizin—such a matchup is actually not a bad choice. Under the magnifying glass, it doesn't look especially unlikely either. Lashley, after all, would be a strong 14-2 with a win over Thompson. Furthermore, he packs the name-value that Rizin acknowledged Jaideep Singh lacks. And finally, given Bellator and Rizin's close relationship, Lashley's making a cross-promotional trip to The Land of the Rising Sun is not so far-fetched an idea. Fedor vs. Lashley could happen.

Of course, Lashley is not the only fighter with his name in the hat. We know that Shawn Jordan, who was recently released by the UFC, has also called for a bout with the heavyweight legend. And more recently, it's come to light that KSW co-founder Martin Lewandowski would consider shipping former strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski to Japan for a bout with Fedor.

If Lashley is able to topple Thompson this weekend, however, he may well be deemed the man for the job. Of course, the emphasis here is on the first word of this paragraph—if. Lashley may be one bout removed from the biggest fight of his MMA career, but it all depends on his performance against James Thompson at Bellator 145 this Friday.