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Strikeforce, not UFC, signs top heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko
After negotiations fell apart (again) with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, top-ranked heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko (30-1) has signed with the UFC’s biggest rival, Strikeforce.
Strikeforce today confirmed Emelianenko has been signed to a three-fight deal, though financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Emelianenko is expected to debut this fall, most likely in the main event of a Showtime-televised event in October.
Emelianenko, a former longtime champion of the popular but now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships, owns a 24-fight win streak and has beaten two former UFC champions (Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski) in his two most recent bouts.
Solely to blame for the UFC negotiations falling apart is Emelianenko’s manager’s demands that any UFC events featuring Emelianenko must be co-promoted with his own organization, M-1 Global. Vadim Finkelchtein, president and co-owner of M-1, and UFC President Dana White both said the UFC’s unwillingness to co-promote with the company ruined a potential deal.
In a July 31 media call, White cited many reasons no to co-promote, including the company’s unwillingness to let an unproven promotion piggyback off the UFC’s success. He also mentioned that UFC co-owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta hold gaming licenses in Nevada and have to be especially careful with whom they go into business.
However, the UFC this time relented on other demands that tripped up previous negotiations with the UFC, including giving permission for Emelianenko to compete in Sambo, a traditional martial art popular in Russia. But it wasn’t good enough.
Strikeforce, a California-based organization that’s one of the few financially successful MMA promotions besides the UFC, offered to co-promote with M-1, which secured the deal.
Emelianenko had been slotted to fight Josh Barnett on Aug. 1 at “Affliction: Trilogy.” However, after Barnett was denied a license due to a failed drug test (anabolic steroid), Affliction first canceled the show and then announced it was ceasing promotional operations altogether.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Fedor Emelianenko
Comments
By big dave
August 3, 2009 6:29 PM | Link to this
fedor is undoubtly one of the best and has beaten past ufc champs but they are out of the ufc for a reason right? maybe fighters on the decline? fighters that couldnt keep up with all the talent in the ufc? i for one would have liked fedor in the ufc and seen what he could have done against fighters like lesner, mir or up and coming vasquez or maybe “down” but not “out” randy couture. i was a big fan of fedor because of his acomplishments in mma but i too am calling him a “crazy russian” for passing up the ufc. stikeforce will never have the talent to give fedor any real comp but good luck fedor and best wishes fighting second rate fighters and past ufc champs that couldnt hang with the best.By Robfromnyc
August 3, 2009 8:30 PM | Link to this
Fedor needs to dictate policy as far as his career is concerened,Its clear Vadim does not have Fedors best interest in mind,but his own walletBy alex
August 3, 2009 8:37 PM | Link to this
I reckon Fedor is smart enough to know what he wants and needs at this point in his career etc,. I also know that he is extremely interested in training fighters, and as he owns part of M-1, it is in his interest to work with organization in the US which will co-promote and work fairly, for the future, for the time when he will be putting out his own Russian proteges etc,. For now though, Brett Rogers looks a bit more potent than Brock Lesnar.