UFC, M-1 In Talks To Bring Fedor Emelianenko to UFC
The UFC and M-1 Global have recently resumed discussions to bring top-ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko to the UFC, UFC President Dana White confirmed at Saturday’s post-UFC 108 without offering details on the latest round of talks.
Negotiations between the world’s largest promotion and Emelianenko’s management broke down in July over co-promotion issues, but despite Emelianenko’s contract with rival Strikeforce, talks have apparently resumed between the companies.
“There’s a million different ways to cut deals,” said White in a post-UFC 108 interview with Sherdog. “I want Fedor more than the people that are yapping that they want him in the UFC. I want him more than they do. I like [Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard] Mousasi too. I would love to have them both in the UFC and there’s a lot of different ways to cut a deal.”
Terms of Emelianenko’s current contract with Strikeforce, which was announced in August as a “historic, multi-fight deal,” are unknown. “The Last Emperor” is set to return to action against Fabricio Werdum at an April Strikeforce event on CBS.
For updates on Fedor Emelianenko, M-1 Global, and the UFC, as well as the latest MMA news and MMA rumors, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Fedor Emelianenko
Tags: Dana White, Fedor Emelianenko
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Eff Finkledinkle.
it is F~finkledinkle, isn’t it?
Maybe (maybe) when Fedor finishes his contract with Strikeforce, but to be honest, I just don’t see it happening. In my opinion, Fedor wants too much freedom and Dana wants too much control.
yeah i agree. It’s one of those things that “never happened”. And if it did happen, it probably won’t be soon enough so when and if he ever came, and got his ass kicked, the whole world would say “oh but he wasn’t in his prime when he went to the ufc”.
Who would “kick his ass”? Yeah, he may lose, it’s mma, anyone can lose…but who’s going to ‘kick his ass”?
wow
I still think fedor is the most “talented” HW in the world though. :D
…but if Dana wants to put Strikeforce out of major competition (out of business at this point would be more difficult)…how much will Dana bend?
Its not going to be Dana thats bending.
My guess would be that if this deal happens at all, that M-1 Fecal will be cut a check equal to what they would have made in a co-promoted card, but there is no way we’re ever going to see sh!t like “M-1 Global Presents:UFC 125 / Lesnar versus Fedor”…
agree….Dana will cut a check…but still would be a change to his stance before regarding M-1
Oh dear Lord please no not again.
We just put this sh!t to bed over the summer.
If Dana decides Fedor is worth cutting him and his handlers checks equal to what they’d get in a co-promote situation, then thats his business.
Fedor fighting in the UFC, I’m interested in.
Fedor bringing all of his dogsh!t “Eastern Promises” 30 man posse with him, I have ZERO interest in.
To date, Fedor and his handlers have seemed connected at the hip, and I can’t imagine Dana Fu<king White tolerating what seems like an never-ending torrential flood of M-1 Fecal effluvient.
I also suppose that the less kind would point out how "timely" it seems that Fedor's handlers are NOW interested in him fighting in the UFC now that Brock Lesnar is on the shelf for an extended period of time, but I'll leave that for the Fedor-haters and Lesnar-maniacs.
Finally, where does this leave Strikeforce?
Just when they score a network TV deal and are gaining some mainstream traction, their "partner" M-1 Fecal is talking to the UFC?
WTF?
I bet if or when “M-1 Fecal” and “Dana Fu<king White" get a deal on the table signed and Fedor is actually in the octagon, you will be content just enough to flip flop from bashing men who are doing business to applauding them for bringing him to the States…
or maybe you are important enough to know them personally??…nah
ouch, let’s not start the sh#t slinging just yet. It would be beautiful to see Fedor enter the UFC octagon sans M-1 Global strings, but I don’t see anything happening until Fedor fights twice more with Strikeforce. One side likes to collect money, and one side likes to hold onto money.
Time will tell, but I won’t be holding my breath.
*Holding breath…
Dont hold it for too long
you will go blue like Jorge Masvidal!
^being sarcastic :)
And losing Mousasi to the UFC wouldn’t exactly make Scott Coker’s day either…
fedor is a great fighter, but not the best. It would be good to see him fight top fighters for a change. Find out who the best really is
Just as an FYI, when you don’t acknowledge Fedor as either the best MMA fighter in the world, and/or the best HW MMA fighter in the world, you open yourself up to certain “criticisms” from his vast fanbase…
;)
who the hell is fedor?
I hope that’s sarcasm.
It is.
Southcakalak and I have discussed Fedor previously…
:)
this is about as surprising as seeing that Rampage would be coming back… it only makes sense business wise…
Maybe M1-global realized that fedor is not that big of a draw and want to make payday by signing a deal before he’s done with the Strikeforce one before promoters relize he’s not worth it or before he losses to someone who had an unsuccesfull run in the UFC.
OR maybe he has read the comments on the internet and relize people dont belive that he is the best Fighter in the world, or even the best Heavyweight in the world. OR maybe we wants to give the fans what they want (doubt it though)
You might be on to something on the first point.
It bears remembering that almost every bit of information Fedor receives is thru the “filter” of M-1 Global, so I highly doubt anything of a critical nature ever reaches him…
I’m not sure if I smell hype or BS, they smell the same to me.
I’m glad to see Dana saying he wants Fedor bad but I think he underestimates some of the Fedor peanut huggers lurking about.
At this point, I dont care. The dangling carrot only remains interesting for so long.
Completely agree. I can’t continue to take a Louisville Slugger to this dead horse.
i really hope they get him…off topic:
some friends of mine that know the Carwins just sent out word that he’ll be fighting for the interim belt against Mir at 11 (same card as GSP/Hardy which would be awesome).
thats 111, not 11.
just saw it was already posted on the rumors section…guess im not so cool LOL
I feel bad for Strikeforce here. Lesnar’s out indefinately and Dana needed a big name HW 3 months ago. And if Dana wants Fedor that bad, he’ll get him. I don’t like how Dana’s going on record to say he wants Fedor and Gegard, but it’s all business I guess. Though Fedor in the UFC would be the greatest aquisition, like ever.
And remember guys, Fedor is Russian. Russians do things differently than we do in the West. Take it from someone who’s spent a considerable amount of time with Russians, studying Russia (the place, not the language). People can say what they want about conspiracy theories and like but the fact of the matter is that crazy mob sh!t is a way of life in Russia.
I’m also wondering if Fedor and Mousasi have standard Strikeforce contracts that seemingly allow their fighters to fight anywhere, or did Scott Coker wise up and lock down some of his stars with real contracts that keep them in San Jose?
Or is this another feature of “co-promoting” with M-1 Global??
I would hope Coker did that, but I don’t think it’s the case. Fedor can still do Sambo and Gegard just did Dynamite!, so it would be a safe guess to say their contracts are quite open. I’m sure though that there’s a clause about doing North American shows, but lawyers these days can do some tricky sh!t.
It’s probably like you said, something to do with “co-promoting” with M-1 Global. However, I don’t see Dana co-promoting with anyone openly (what deals they make behind closed doors we’ll never know), maybe UFC 125: Lesnar vs “M-1′s” Fedor.
Considering Mousasi “fought” Gary Goodridge at Dynamite!! I’m thinking that Coker did not lock him down.Beat me to it, Eldiablo.
My bad, guys.
I should have realized that on my own…
:)
And Pride did have ties to Yakuza which forced them to sell to the UFC in the first place, so you never know….
I’m kind of hoping that fr702 posts something a bit more definitive on the Strikeforce POV of this Fedor/UFC thing…
Josh Gross of SI via his twitter account
just attempting to find some other news on this “situation” for the FrenZy
Much obliged, boss…
Has anyone tried to contact coker on his POV of the situation. I’m sure he’ll say something along the line of not knowing of any contact between the UFC and M1
AND HERE WE GO AGAIN
Man, this stuff just never ends. This is going to cause another uproar of arguements over Fedor. Just watch.
Im a huge fan of Fedor, and I truly do believe hes the best HW in the world. But I honestly think he is never going to fight in the UFC.
Nothing matches up. Fedor, his management, etc…its just not the UFC’s style and as people have already said, I doubt Dana White would tolerate it.
Ill be watching closely over the next few weeks. But at this point in time…I dont think anything will come of this.
Guys, I think this is a rumor that has blown up, based on an interview that Dana did after the Ufc 108, saying that we would like to have Fedor (and Mousassi) in the UFC. The twitter account is fake, so all this ordeal seems nothing but vapor to me.
I found it weird that Dana wasn’t taking s*** about Fedor after 108. As you may remember, Dana’s last stance over this issue was that Fedor was afraid to go in the UFC, and that he didn’t want to compete with the best.
Today, this “news” comes out of nowhere, saying that Dana is crazy about him, and he will do anything to get him there.
1. Fedor has not much say in this. His manager does. If the UFC doesn’t co-promote the show with M-1, and split the winnings, Fedor will not go to the UFC. Dana will never co-promote with M-1 after all the effort he has put to build the brand.
2. Although he can fight in Sambo as much as he wants, and there’s some sort of cooperation between Strikeforce and Dream, Coker will never let Fedor fight in the UFC while he’s still under contract with him. It’s just a matter of principle, not just business.
3. And lastly, if Fedor somehows makes it to the UFC, I doubt that he will make it his house. I like Fedor, I think he’s one of the greatest of all time, but he’s not the same fighter he was 5 years ago. I think of it as when Wanderlei Silva signed with the UFC. There was so much hype that he was going to demolish the 205 division, but so far he’s 1-3 in his latest run. They new breed is coming up (Velasquez, Carwin, Dos Santos) and I doubt that Fedor will ever rule the HW div in the UFC. He can reign in Strikeforce though.
fedor vs dos santos
Maybe its a trade off …… Strikeforce throws Fedor and his contract to the UFC for a few names for mousasi .With all of the guys waiting for machida – rua 2 its getting jammed up so why not divert some of the talent elsewhere for a big name heavyweight .I’m not talking 5 guys for one but 2 for 1 could be reasonable depending on who . Rich franklin and maybe a couple of AKA welterweights so they dont have to worry about fighting each other anymore .
this isnt the NHL trade deadline….
Not to mention personal service contracts don’t work like that in the first place.
I think Dos Santos is one of several marketable fights for Fedor which are winnable for him, which is of course a priority for M-1 Global.
Fedor’s skillset pretty much makes him a good match-up for any HW in the UFC, with the exception of Brock Lesnar.
Thats not to say that Fedor would beat all of the other UFC HWs, just that they would make for good fights.
Although we’ve seen enough of Fedor and BigNog, Fedor-Mir would be pretty technical IMO, and Fedor would have his hands full with the physical nature of some of the UFC HW young guns like Velasquez and Shane Carwin.
Carwin especially would press Fedor given his size, power, and amateur wrestling ability. If he works on polishing his stand-up, Octagon control and submission defense, I could see him winning a ref stoppage by gNp over Fedor, who barely weighs 235 soaking wet.
If the M-1 Global crowd can be managed and marginalized by Dana White and the Fertitas, Fedor can have a quality run in the UFC.
But at the end of the day he’s going to be locked into the Octagon with a returning and healthy Brock Lesnar, who probably is going to be in a worse-than-usual foul mood regarding someone challanging his MMA HW supremacy.
And thats not a good thing, regardless of how many SAMBO tournaments you breeze thru or PRIDE fights you’ve won…
He probably weighs 237 after a good pot of borscht.