Can Cuban produce Fedor vs. Couture?
Some news surfaced today that Mark Cuban had confirmed that he was in discussions regarding a possible business deal with the M-1 MixFight Championship, the promotion that signed Fedor Emelianenko earlier this week. Many fans are taking this news as an indication that he is the possible purchaser of the M-1 MixFight promotion from the news that an “American Entertainment Company” had purchased the company. Other sources around the Internet are claiming that Mark Cuban is not the purchaser of the company. To be perfectly honest, Cuban is more than likely not going to be pushing his stake into MMA this quickly, especially when HDNet Fights just held its first event in the history of the promotion. What interests me the most is the possible business deal that could come from Cuban’s end. Will Cuban be able to produce some kind of co-promotional events with M-1? Will HDNet Fights become an international partner with M-1 and help M-1 step into the U.S. Market? More importantly, can HDNet and M-1 bring Josh Barnett and Randy Couture in to create two of the most anticipated matchups in the history of MMA? Let’s find out.
Major players looking to help each other?
There isn’t much known about M-1 MixFight at this point. We know that there will be an announcement regarding Fedor Emelianenko’s contract on October 23rd in New York City. We don’t know if the buyers will be revealed, but there are rumors circulating that the new purchasers have hired a notable MMA name to help promote the organization and be the face of the organization. For the new owners, there are a number of promotions that will be looking to strike deals with them because of the legacy of Fedor. A lot of fans may not agree, but people will still buy pay-per-views to see arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the world.
What potential is there for a deal that will bring M-1 some U.S. market exposure and another promotion some international flavor that will not only increase their talent pool, but will also help in grabbing up MMA fans to see the event? Since the reports have been that a major backer is in the mix with M-1, my feeling is that M-1 is looking to begin a major push internationally. Being based in Russia also has many perks. M-1 has access to some of the better talent coming out of Asia and the eastern block countries. Also having a presence in an area that has some ties to some big MMA crowds such as that in Japan is a major plus. Russian MMA is only in its infancy though. Fedor’s status in the MMA world will help promote MMA in Russia and hopefully bring some respectful status to it as the Russian public has not accepted MMA like the U.S. has.
With that said, a possible co-promotion with a U.S. based promotion seems to be a brilliant move by M-1. They will not only get their name in the spotlight, something they have been wanting for a long time, but will also be able to show that their fighters can compete in with U.S. fighters. This was the debate with PRIDE vs. UFC, could those fighters compete with the UFC? The bigger picture will be the financial benefits.
Fedor Emelianenko has been said to be a non-drawing fighter in the past. The BodogFIGHT card featuring Fedor vs. Lindland didn’t draw much more than a normal card. Bodog hasn’t been successful in selling their cards very well though. In a U.S. market, MMA is a bit bigger and a good marketing strategy could potentially make some record sales.
The main organization in line right now is HDNet Fights. The article mentioned above states that Cuban is trying to work a deal. They are a brand new organization looking to draw fans to watch their fights, looking to expand HDNet and add more subscribers, and also wanting to be significant in the MMA market. What a better deal than to bring Fedor to the United States in a co-promotional event. Along with bringing Fedor, we will see some of the better Russian prospects in MMA up against some solid American fighters in a cage. It benefits their MMA program, exposure, and legitimizes HDNet Fights as an organization to be reckoned with.
Will someone else be able to produce?
The bigger question in a HDNet and M-1 partnership will be whether or not M-1 management can lure some of the free agent heavyweights that the world of MMA has long been wanting to see fight Fedor Emelianenko. Josh Barnett has been out of action since December 31st of last year, when he lost a decision to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Barnett only has 5 losses to his record, 3 of those to Mirko “Crocop” Filipovic. His catch wrestling is world renowned as some of the best grappling skills by anyone in his weight class… except for possibly Fedor Emelianenko. The much anticipated battle between these two competitors will be a big draw for hardcore MMA fans and could be promoted well enough to bring in some casual fans.
The fight that everyone has been wanting to see for quite some time pits the legendary UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture against Fedor Emelianenko. We won’t get into details about styles and who would eventually win the bout, that’s for another time. We will get into the fact that this fight is the most anticipated fight in MMA right now. Amazingly, Couture wants this fight so badly that he ended up leaving the UFC because Dana White was unable to swing a deal to bring Fedor to the UFC. With Couture heading into free agency after 9 more months, could Cuban work a deal and bring him to HDNet and eventually set up the battle between the two legends?
The answer is Yes. Finances aren’t even an issue. In a previous article, I chronicled Mark Cuban’s rise to riches and the amount of money he has to bankroll that kind of deal is nothing compared to the net worth he has accumulated. Mark Cuban also will have the knowledge of what Dana White did wrong when dealing with Fedor’s representation. He could throw money into a co-promotion, help get both HDNet and M-1’s name exposure, and only sign Fedor and Barnett to one fight deals. That would enable those fighters to do what they want, something that was argued over during Fedor’s negotiations. With that said, Cuban is in an unique position to give the fans what they want in a small amount of time of being in the market of MMA. It could be a very exciting year in 2008.
Tags: Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture
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Cuban is the man. Love for the mavs
Fedor vs Randy would make so much. That is the most promotable fight ever. Internationally.
It’s very promotable in an Asian market. The old PRIDE fans in Japan adored Fedor during his reign in the PRIDE Heavyweight Division. Obviously, Russian MMA fans will also be wanting to see him, along with any Eastern block fans, South Asia, it goes on and on. Add in hardcore MMA fans in general all over the world, you have a very promotable international star. In the States, Randy Couture reigns. Hype up Fedor, show what he can do, and you could see unbelievable numbers.
i hope the fight happens it dont matter where.and i hope randy can sign out with his biggest win.
International PPV numbers would go off the scale. I would (like I have said in the past) like to see Randy go into Russia and beat Fedor. I think the fight will (I hope) take place here in the US because they would make more in ticket sales here than anywhere else. Imagine Madison Square Gardens sold out with a CAGE in the middle. OMG I am salivating at the thought of this fight. Barnett deserves his shot too, but Randy first. I would like to see a Barnett/Couture rematch also. M1 and HDNet better be readily avalible in the US.
To be honest, I’ve never bought into the hype that Couture could control Fedor and beat him. Transitionally, Fedor is off the scale and on a whole different level. But… exploiting the whole Rocky sequence of events to bring Randy to Russia would be the best marketing scheme imaginable. Hell, ink a deal with ABC, NBC, ESPN and make it into a modern day Rocky production and you could sell to fans who don’t even watch MMA.
I doubt it would ever happen, but it’s wishful thinking. Barnett deserves a shot, but with Couture looking to fight Fedor and be done in MMA, I’d love to see that fight happen first. Barnett and Fedor are also very good friends, even though they’ve said they would fight each other.
randy would f*** fedor up…thats all im saying
i hope so ravine.
Like I said before, I just can’t bring myself to believing it. I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened though.
well judging from how randy always upsets the favorites that he fights….i cant bring myself to beleive anything less then a win to end randys career….we wont see it till late next year if it does happen and ofcourse cuban’s gonna try to sign randy to a one fight deal jus to end his legacy on a good note….i wish randy all the best with his acting career
I actually picked him beating Sylvia due to the fact I’ve never been impressed with Miletich fighters in general. Hughes is an anomaly because he is so powerful on the ground, but many of them just don’t have the talent.
Gonzaga, I didn’t believe he could get Couture down. Fedor, on the other hand, doesn’t really look to go to the ground unless he’s in danger, which is rare. Coleman tried to Greco-Roman Fedor and was initially doing ok, except he put his hand past his head for about half a second and Fedor transitioned to the armbar in no time. Impressive to say the least. Many people claim that since Coleman is so old and aggressive, he isn’t anything like Couture. You could definitely make that case, but Coleman is more decorated as a wrestler, placing 7th in the ‘92 Olympics whereas Couture didn’t make the squad. Minor details I suppose.
Fedor’s transition game is unparalleled. I’ve actually seen Couture caught in the same exact armbar that Coleman was caught in twice. To be honest, I can’t see anyone avoiding it unless you just try to knock Fedor out. It’ll be a great clinch battle though, and I’d pay big money to see it. Cuban needs to get it done.
agreed…this fight needs to happen….fedor definetly is one of the best out there…but who better to knock him off the top then randy…even though he didnt make the olympic squad have u ever seen anyone who can use the Greco-roman better then randy can….two things randy can use to win in his advantage…the clinch and his dirty boxing…cant exactly slam him seeing how kevin randleman couldnt even rattle fedor with that huge slam…but then again u talk about that transition….it didnt take long for the kimura to happen in that fight…randy’s a strong bastard and a stubborn one too….i cant see him being submitted but i can see him being pounded out from the mount or half gaurd…i still will never doubt randy in a fight though hes proven us all wrong when it comes to that
It doesn’t matter who produces a Fedor vs. Couture fight, as long as we get to see it. After Couture’s UFC contract expires; hopefully there is a promoter at M-1 working on a Fedor vs. Couture fight.
that i still dont understand….dana white says he still has randy under contract but i read on this site somewhere that his contract was a fight by fight basis…i hope it was the ufc is the pinnacle of the sport but someone else needs another promotion to come out into the limelight and battle the ufc for supremacy…tired of waiting months on end jus to see a good fight
Couture’s Greco-Roman is very good, and he works the dirty boxing in better than anyone. I think clinching into slams may be a bad idea, but the cage may work into his advantage, although Fedor never used the ropes in PRIDE to hide under when in trouble. He has the ability to posture up pretty easily. Fedor’s Sambo is such a dangerous skill though. EVERYBODY overlooks his transition game, but it is the single most overpowering MMA skill you can have. You could be the weakest fighter in the standup area of your game, but having a quick transition game will win you a lot of fights.
Doubting Randy is tough considering I think he’s an unbelievable clinch fighter, I just can’t bet on him against the “Last Emperor”.
Red,
It does matter who produces it because nobody else can really do it besides maybe ProElite. M-1 has strained relations with BodogFIGHT due to the Clash of Nations event. HCF is becoming a force, but won’t be able to afford him. Cuban has the money. Hell, he’d probably wipe his ass with the money he’d pay Fedor to fight Couture.
I have never personally ordered a mma fight card but would right away if cuban put this fight together.
F%$K dana white, he’s a goof!
I see what you’re saying Leland Roling. What I meant was that I just want to see the fight. I am a lyoal UFC fan and order their PPV’s all the time, but I also consider myself a fan of MMA and I would have no hesitation in ordering a non-UFC PPV. There are MMA fans that only order UFC PPV’s and if an event is not UFC related; they don’t want to see the event or PPV. I am saying that I would order this fight whether it is UFC or Bodog or ProElite, etc. Let’s all hope this fight does happen. I appreciate the insight Leland Roling.
I would order a Fedor vs. Couture fight no matter what organization produced it.
i will admit that it would be a great fight, hell probably one of the best heavyweight fights in history but i don’t think mark cuban is going to be the guy to produce it, i would also kinda be shocked if that fight even happend in the first place
Oh, I’m sure the fight will happen, hell, Randy might even pay the fee to Fedor just to get the fight. I just hpoe the fight is readily avalible to everyone (at least me!!) in the US, and other markets. That is the main concern about the fight being in a new organization. The UFC has already established itself in PPV, and its production value is top notch. It takes a lot to get a big production off the ground, and a ton more to keep it rolling smoothly when it does. The UFC (Zuffa particularly) are very experienced and have become experts at giving the world an MMA “EXPERIENCE”. Some of the shows competing with them just don’t put on the same quality of show (though Elite XC is learning and doing well) that Zuffa has worked hard to do. Hopefully they have a plan and make M1 or any other big competition to the UFC to make these big fights avalible.
Same here Leland. I would cover and order that fight because like a lot of fans I care about the quality of the fight more than what organization it is in. I have no bitterness over Couture leaving and while it would have been nice to see Randy v. Fedor in the octagon an MMA fight of that caliber is great no matter the organization.
I doubt we will see it in the Octagon. The interesting part is, will Randy sacrifice the cage to fight Fedor? It may possibly be in a ring, Fedor’s world.
Though I’m a big Couture fan, I still take Fedor to win a bout against The Natural. Outside of the UFC Cage, outside of American soil, Couture will be even more outside of his world, and inside Fedor’s. Keep in mind Randy hasn’t fought outside of the UFC octagon in over six years. I speculate Randy will not return to fighting and will ultimately retire officially. While he is likely confident in facing Fedor, going out with a big loss might scare him enough despite a big pay day. I don’t like to say it, but I think Fedor-Barnett is as close as we are going to get regarding “huge” match ups. I’m not saying Couture will “cop-out” in the end, but I think he may have just had his fill of professional fighting. Perhaps the MMA world should let go of the Couture legacy for now and embrace the future legends of the sport, as I’m sure there will be many. Remember, Mixed Martial Arts will go on with or without Randy Couture.
Eric- Randy fought in the world submission championships about a year, maybe year and a half ago. I agree that Fedor is a monster, freak if you will. Randy is a freak of sorts too. He looks better now than ever, and I think he has his best shot at beating Fedor the sooner they fight. For whatever reason, Randy is at his athletic peak at 44, and he knows it. He wants to fight the very best, while he is at his very best.
Scotchydow, when I said that Randy hasn’t fought outside the octagon in six years I meant in an MMA fight. But I probably should have stated that specifically, so I apologize. That fight in the world submission championships was indeed outside the cage, but it was a pure grappling match and did not carry a fraction of the significance an MMA bout does.
I’m sorry, I was just being anal. The submission fight that Randy took part in had a great deal of weighing the decision for his return to MMA. He felt like he was in good shape, then proved it to himself.
That’s true, I’m sure it was important for Randy to see if he could still hack it. He performed well against Jacare though it ended in a draw.
Submission grappling isn’t the problem when you pit Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko. If you watch many of Fedor’s battles, he usually takes aggressors to the ground. He stands with guys that try to stand with him until he feels he needs to end the fight. He basically controls you no matter what is happening, even when you are controlling him. Jacare not submitted Couture shows that Couture can avoid a submission, but Jacare isn’t the quickest transition fighter in the game.
Fedor is definitely one of the fastest transition fighters that has ever stepped into a ring in MMA. That’s the X factor. All sites talk about is standup and submissions. Moreover, many people doubt his standup skills. Fedor throws huge power bombs that land because he’s quick with the overhand. His standup is very good. His submission skills are obviously great, but his transitions are what make those submissions move to another level.
Transitional MMA is what he excels in, and I don’t think Couture can beat it. Couture has succumbed to faster transitioning fighters before, although it was long ago. He hasn’t seen someone as fast as Fedor is at the weight Fedor is at. We’re talking about a heavyweight who can shift his weight on a dime and defeat you inside two seconds on one mistake. It’s just unheard of in the heavyweight division.
Fedor’s transition game is the X Factor as much as Randy’s smarts are a Y and Z. Randy is one of (if not the) best fighting strategists ever to fight. I think if he fights Fedor in 2008, he will shock the the world. Like I said, for whatever reason he is in his prime at 44 years old. I don’t think if it takes longer, say the fight doesn’t happen ’til 2009, that he will win.
I would agree that Randy has become an elite strategist at his old age. I think he probably had to do that in order to be effective, which is smart for any fighter. To be fair, I think Fedor is equally smart in his preparation, although Randy has shown his skills more because he fought guys who were much bigger than him and he’s been considered an underdog in so many fights.
Randy takes it, Fedors biggest wins came from Nog who lost to henderson and has looked like crap recently. Pride<UFC.
Heres a list of the top 10 heavies:
1. Randy
2. Fedor
3. Sylvia
4. Gonzaga
5. Nog
6. Barnett
7. Andrea
8. Vera
9. Wedrum
10. Monson
^ BTW, I put Fedor behind Randy due to his inactivity, plus Randys win over Tim, Gonzo put him over Fedor imo. Fedors lackluster win over a true middleweight in lindland also dropped him a bit. And Colemen aint ****, either is mirko, hunt wasnt even top 10, randlman (who randy already put a clinic on as well)
Randy beat Sylvia who beat vera who was the next big thing. And Gonzaga who killed crocop who until just recently was thought to be the number 2 hw ever. Shamone!!!
Fedor is totally over-rated. If he had any guts he would have signed to fight Randy. He is like Mike Tyson in that he will keep putting himself up against half-rate opponents. Every fight Randy Couture fights he is the underdog and no one expects him to win but he just keeps on suprising people. Randy would dominate and punish Fedor and expose him for the HACK that he is.