Fedor_240 A long-awaited agreement between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the man considered the world's best mixed martial arts fighter, Fedor Emelianenko, is expected to be announced by UFC President Dana White on Friday, a source with information about the negotiations told The Times today.
The source, who asked not to be identified because he's not authorized to speak publicly about the dealings, called negotiations between the UFC and Fedor "very civil" just days after Fedor's scheduled Affliction Trilogy fight Saturday against Josh Barnett was canceled.
Affliction wound up folding its MMA promotion activities and announced an apparel deal to sponsor UFC.
Now, Fedor, who has previously fought in organizations including PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan, Bodog Fight and Affliction, is crossing over to the world's most successful MMA fighting organization, as well.
With a 30-1 record that includes victories over former UFC heavyweight champions Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Emelianenko would likely get an immediate shot at reigning UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar.
Fedor signs with Strikeforce
Fedor Emelianenko, M-1 sign co-promotional deal with Strikeforce.
With rumors and speculation surrounding Fedor Emelianenko reaching a fever pitch since the recent cancellation of Affliction “Trilogy” and the subsequent disintegration of the company’s promotional arm, Fedor and his management team at M-1 Global on Wednesday held a press conference to make a few announcements and clarify the status of the No. 1 ranked heavyweight’s future.
Vadim Finkelchtein, the president of M-1 Global, expressed appreciation for the UFC’s latest attempt to sign Fedor, but also stressed that it is thus far not acceptable and the two sides are far from closing a deal. “If we had such an offer two years ago, such as we got yesterday, maybe we would agree, but not in today’s situation. We would not accept that offer.”
The sticking point is still the UFC’s refusal to agree to a co-promotion, while M-1 Global remains steadfast that co-promotion is a must.
“I am not a person who came into the business two years ago and started working it because I saw that was good business. I started in MMA in 1997. I invested a lot of money and a lot of effort and energy into the development of that sport,” said Finkelchtein.
“Today we’ve got enough energy and finance to be able to develop that sport. That’s why I cannot understand the policy of the UFC. The UFC won’t be able to control the whole world. Let’s work together.”
Fedor and his management also announced his participation in the upcoming EA Sports mixed martial arts video game and that he will grace the cover of the game, as well as addressing such topics as Josh Barnett’s alleged positive drug test result for steroids, UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and more.
-MMA Tracker is the Source..
According to Carmichael Dave (via Bloody Elbow), here's what the UFC was offering Fedor to sign with them:
- The UFC offered Fedor a 6 fight, 30 million dollar contract. That's 5 mil a fight
- The UFC offered Fedor an immediate title shot
- Lesnar/Fedor would be the biggest PPV in MMA history (we assume), and the UFC offered M-1 Global a cut of the PPV on top of Fedor's purse.
- Fedor was free to wear as many M-1 logoed items as he wished.
- The UFC also relented on allowing Fedor to compete in combat sambo.
Apparently, for good or bad, M-1 refuses to sign a deal unless the UFC agrees to co-promote.
Can someone explain that last point about sambo? I googled it but all it said is that sambo is a fighting style of some sort. Why wouldn't the UFC want hime to "compete in combat sambo"?
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Originally Posted by flip
Can someone explain that last point about sambo? I googled it but all it said is that sambo is a fighting style of some sort. Why wouldn't the UFC want hime to "compete in combat sambo"?
The problem is that he wants to compete in Sambo events outside of the UFC.
They don't want him doing that becasue he could get hurt, and they want to be the only guys around who have him on the ticket.
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I don't follow MMA as closely as most, but I enjoy a good bout. Why does this Fedor guy get some many accolades. Sounds like he fights in a tier 2 promotion against tier 2 fighters, it's like being the best player in the KHL.
I want thim to come to the UFC so he can get his ass cranked and everyone will realize that aside from the co-promotion angle, he would just rather be viewed as the best heavyweight instead of proving it against the best.
I don't follow MMA as closely as most, but I enjoy a good bout. Why does this Fedor guy get some many accolades. Sounds like he fights in a tier 2 promotion against tier 2 fighters, it's like being the best player in the KHL.
I want thim to come to the UFC so he can get his ass cranked and everyone will realize that aside from the co-promotion angle, he would just rather be viewed as the best heavyweight instead of proving it against the best.
He is possibly the best fighter alive in professional fighting. He has had arguments with UFC for years, thus not participating with them, but PRIDE and the other leagues have high quality fighters, most of them are in the UFC system now.
When I was young we had old school pirated satellite and we would always watch Fedor, Kieth Herring, and Crocop fight. Fedor is a dangerous guy, stone cold and calm at all times, reigning a 30-1 record against all tier fighters.
You can look at the list of competitors, doesn't seem like a KHL to me.
Still, why not fight the best and prove it? His last two wins were against guys who can't cut it in the UFC anymore. And who would bother fighting Hong Man Choi?
Just cuz people are in the UFC doesn't make them the best. Case: Fedor is not in the UFC.
He fights anyone that has been worked out in contracts and such. It's not like he's saying "No i wont fight those big UFC guys, they are too good for me", he does not agree with the UFC contracts, so he won't fight under them.
I hope we get to see him vs Lesner, I can't think of a better fight to ever see.
He is possibly the best fighter alive in professional fighting. He has had arguments with UFC for years, thus not participating with them, but PRIDE and the other leagues have high quality fighters, most of them are in the UFC system now.
When I was young we had old school pirated satellite and we would always watch Fedor, Kieth Herring, and Crocop fight. Fedor is a dangerous guy, stone cold and calm at all times, reigning a 30-1 record against all tier fighters.
You can look at the list of competitors, doesn't seem like a KHL to me.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fedor_Emelianenko
I don't normally pick on typo's but this one made me chuckle. It's Heath Herring, and man was he fun to watch in the Pride days. Did you see when he headbutted that guy in the staredown because the guy kissed him. oh man.
And just to add to the Fedor stuff, his only loss was due to a cut from what I believe was an illegal strike. I still consider him undefeated. It would be so great to get him in the UFC and face Lesnar. Too bad M-1 is going to ruin that for him.
I don't normally pick on typo's but this one made me chuckle. It's Heath Herring, and man was he fun to watch in the Pride days. Did you see when he headbutted that guy in the staredown because the guy kissed him. oh man.
And just to add to the Fedor stuff, his only loss was due to a cut from what I believe was an illegal strike. I still consider him undefeated. It would be so great to get him in the UFC and face Lesnar. Too bad M-1 is going to ruin that for him.
Hah, yea Heath Herring always messes me up, one of those names that seems like it cant be right. The headbutt was awesome, that asian guy kisses him and gets smoked for it. Fedor and Herring had a fight that went to the cards if i remember correctly, that's pretty impressive for Herring.
Yea i think Fedor got cut over the eye on a bad strike, called a loss cuz he could not continue.
Is it 100% now that he won't be fighting Lesner? or still a back and forth battle
Just cuz people are in the UFC doesn't make them the best. Case: Fedor is not in the UFC.
Haha, i hope this was tongue and cheek, because surely you see how your logic fails.
Anyway, it seems the only reason he won't fight lesnar is because of the co-promotion thing, from what I understand, Dana White isn't asking him for a 7 fight deal (if he is then I stand corrected).
Just prove you're the best, and walk away if you don't want to fight in the UFC.
Just prove you're the best, and walk away if you don't want to fight in the UFC.
I agree. Even if he only signs a three fight deal and goes Lesnar, Couture, Mir (or someone else). If he wins those three, then he's got Dana by the balls.
Smart a$$ aside, it sounds like there has been ongoing problems with money primarily, these guys are professionals and should be allowed to deal with it their way.
Dana White and co take in a steady flow of millions, then they pay their fighters off similar to a salary, and not very much. There has been commotion over the years about how boxers would fight for multi-million dollar purses at a time, then some people involved would get a cut, and the promoters would work their way in. Lots of fighters complain about Dana's system, but he is paying them and the UFC is becoming the premier fighting league internationally, who are swallowing up other MMA leagues. So most fighters have been absorbed into the UFC, and there isn't anything better for them. Fedor seems to be showing that he does not need the UFC, so he is not being so quick to sign up.
I think he is the most dangerous fighter right now, and hope that it works out so that we can see more of it.
Fedor does needs the UFC. Fedor is only popular to people who follow MMA even a bit. My friends who are super casual fans know GSP, Couture, Lesnar, Liddell but they have no idea who Fedor is. Maybe he isn't concerned about expanding his brand, but UFC is definitely the way to do that.
Fedor does needs the UFC. Fedor is only popular to people who follow MMA even a bit. My friends who are super casual fans know GSP, Couture, Lesnar, Liddell but they have no idea who Fedor is. Maybe he isn't concerned about expanding his brand, but UFC is definitely the way to do that.
UFC 100 with Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir did 1,700,000 PPV buys and a $5.16 million gate.
Affliction: Day of Reckoning with Fedor vs. Andrei Arlovski did 100,000 buys.
For anyone to PAY Fedor what he likes to be paid, they have to do UFC-like numbers.
Fedor signed a deal to do the EA Sports MMA game and Dana White has publicly stated that anyone who signs with EA will NEVER fight in the UFC...
that being said, if he could work a deal with Fedor I cant see him not doing it - i mean all that talk about tito ortiz will never fight in the ufc again? well hes back...unfortunately
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