Fedor signs ... with Strikeforce?

[Admin]

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/fedor-signs-with-strikeforce-18883

Fedor Emelianenko has signed a multi-fight agreement that will see the world’s No. 1-ranked heavyweight compete for Strikeforce, the promotion announced Monday.

Emelianenko, who became a free agent after Affliction Entertainment canceled its Aug. 1 event two weeks ago, will make his debut on Showtime under a co-promoted Strikeforce/M-1 Global production this fall. Emelianenko was to have faced Josh Barnett at Affliction “Trilogy” on Aug. 1, but Barnett failed a pre-fight test for an anabolic steroid and was refused licensure by the California State Athletic Commission.

"Strikeforce is a top fight promotion that houses some of the greatest fighters in the world," said Emelianenko in a press release. "I am prepared to fight any of them."

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told Sherdog.com last week that he plans to match the stoic Russian against the likes of Brett Rogers, Fabricio Werdum and the promotion’s heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem.

“I feel pretty confident that we could give him four or five opponents that would make sense for him,” Coker told Sherdog.com in an exclusive video interview.

Emelianenko, along with his promoters and management team at M-1 Global, had negotiated with the UFC last week, but could not come to an agreement over co-promotion.

"Fedor is a f---ing joke," UFC President Dana White responded Monday after learning that Emelianenko had signed with Strikeforce. “He turns down a huge deal and the opportunity to face the best in the world to fight nobodies for no money!"

White also addressed fans: "I feel sorry for the real fight fans. I wanted to make the deal, but it takes two and it is very obvious Fedor doesn't want to fight the best, and doesn't give a sh-t about the fans!"

[Admin]

Now I can see why Dana would be pissed but Dana is a moron for calling the best heavyweight fighter in the world an f'n joke as there is probably zero chance that Fedor would ever consider the UFC again. He should have just said that he was disappointed but hoped that he could get Fedor signed after his deal with Strikeforce was up and he realized that there isn't the level of competition that there would be in the UFC and maybe team Fedor would consider giving up the co-promotion portion of the agreement.

It's really disappointing though that Fedor went with Strikeforce.

[Admin]

This was posted on Friday about it ... http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/white-on-fedor-we-tried-everything-18850

On the morning of negotiations with M-1 Global and Fedor Emelianenko, Dana White didn’t just wake with a good feeling. The UFC president says he knew he was going to sign the top-ranked heavyweight in the world.

“This is going to happen,” White said he told UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta. “It’s going to happen today. We’re going to make this thing happen.”

Days later, however, Emelianenko is back in Russia and still outside the UFC. White was adamant during a media conference call Friday that the fault belongs to M-1 Global.

“I was f---ing miserable, miserable … because we couldn’t make this deal,” White said. “I was so confident we were going to get this done because we were willing to do it. We were willing to make a deal at almost any cost.”

The “almost” involves co-promoting. White said he won’t do a deal that includes co-promotion, and M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelstein has said he won’t do one that excludes it.

“We built this business, this entire freaking industry,” White said. “How are they going to come in and help us co-promote? It’s basically them coming and saying, ‘We’ve got this guy and some people say he might be the best heavyweight in the world. So for that, we want half your business.’ Yeah, OK. That sh-t probably works in Russia. Not here.”

White added that the Fertittas’ gaming license would hinder co-promoting with M-1.

“People from other countries just don’t walk in and jump in business with the Fertitta brothers,” he said. “There has to be full background checks and all kinds of crazy sh-t. It doesn’t work that way. It’s impossible; it will never happen.”

Other than co-promotion, White said he had relented on previous sticking points such as allowing Emelianenko to compete in sambo tournaments. He characterized himself as “the nicest Dana ever” during negotiations and described his offer to Emelianenko as “amazing.” No figures were discussed, but White guaranteed the Russian would not be offered a better deal.

“He got offered a f---ing assload of money,” White said. “A ton of money, everything he wanted. He can go fight in sambo every f---ing Thursday night if he wants to. He can do everything he wanted to. We showed them nothing but respect.”

White sounded equal parts angry and exasperated Friday. He had said he didn’t want to discuss Emelianenko but then did numerous times over the hour-long call.

“It’s insanity to turn down a deal like this,” White said. “To turn down a deal like this, you don’t care about proving you’re the best in the world. You don’t want to fight the best in the world. You don’t care about money. How do you deal with something like that?”

Several times White reiterated that the door to a deal was still open, then he kind of closed it by saying he was over the deal and didn’t want to discuss Emelianenko anymore, then he opened it again by saying M-1 could call him right then and they could reach an agreement if they’d budge on co-promoting.

By the call’s end White was back to questioning Emelianenko’s status as the best in the world and wondering why the media cares so much about a heavyweight who will not challenge himself in the sport’s top promotion.

In that way, the UFC wagons have circled. Might as well. M-1’s are going round and round, too, and against everything Dana White was certain of when he woke one morning this week, Fedor Emelianenko is still not in the UFC.

[codyatl]

What a complete joke. I dont know the real story behind M-1 but if it is as I think, Fedor is a co-owner and wants to build that brand. Well, thats fine but please tell me Mr Fedor.....WHAT THE HELL DOES M-1 OFFER? To use a wrestling analogy, its not like you are ECW going to WCW or WWE and saying hey lets do a co-promotion where we bring these guys and you some guys. No, its 1 freaking guy....Fedor. Basically you want the UFC, the freaking UFC, to allow you to attach the name(and thats truly all it is) M-1 Global to any event you are on and receive a big chunk of revenue? What a joke!

Friend of mine had a great suggestion. When Lesnar destroys his next opponent, either Carwin or Velasquez, he should stand up and immediately walk to the nearest camera and calmly say......"Thats why Fedor is in Strikeforce"

[BigDirty]

Meh, it's not like the UFC has a great heavyweight division, the only UFC Fedor fight I would've wanted to see would be against Brock (hmm, maybe Brock will join Strikeforce when his contracts ends.......ok maybe not). I'd say the UFC HW division and the non-UFC HW division are pretty even.

[Admin]

What a complete joke. I dont know the real story behind M-1 but if it is as I think, Fedor is a co-owner and wants to build that brand. Well, thats fine but please tell me Mr Fedor.....WHAT THE HELL DOES M-1 OFFER? To use a wrestling analogy, its not like you are ECW going to WCW or WWE and saying hey lets do a co-promotion where we bring these guys and you some guys. No, its 1 freaking guy....Fedor. Basically you want the UFC, the freaking UFC, to allow you to attach the name(and thats truly all it is) M-1 Global to any event you are on and receive a big chunk of revenue? What a joke!

Friend of mine had a great suggestion. When Lesnar destroys his next opponent, either Carwin or Velasquez, he should stand up and immediately walk to the nearest camera and calmly say......"Thats why Fedor is in Strikeforce"

If only Brock were capable of walking to the camera and calmly saying anything after the match LOL.

I don't blame Dana for saying hell no to this but I think he should have been more tactful about it. Like him or not he's recognized as the best heavyweight in the world and I'd bet there is zero chance that he'd ever consider the UFC again after the way that Dana talked about him.

[Admin]

Meh, it's not like the UFC has a great heavyweight division, the only UFC Fedor fight I would've wanted to see would be against Brock (hmm, maybe Brock will join Strikeforce when his contracts ends.......ok maybe not). I'd say the UFC HW division and the non-UFC HW division are pretty even.

I can't wait to see Fedor fight Bret "The Grim" Rogers, that and the fact that Strikeforce is free on Showtime are the only reasons why I'm happy that Fedor is signing with Strikeforce.

And speaking of Strikeforce it's almost time for Carano vs Cyborg ... damn I can't wait for that, it might be the fight of the year.

[codyatl]

Meh, it's not like the UFC has a great heavyweight division, the only UFC Fedor fight I would've wanted to see would be against Brock (hmm, maybe Brock will join Strikeforce when his contracts ends.......ok maybe not). I'd say the UFC HW division and the non-UFC HW division are pretty even.

I think in a yr we wont even care that Fedor didnt sign w/ UFC. I believe he will lose soon. Possibly to Overeem. Overeem is a K-1 star and just the type guy that I think can beat Fedor. Arlovski was well on his way to beating him until his brain fart. Personally, I am looking forward to GSP vs. Silva, if it ever gets done, that will be the fight for title of P4P best. My money is on GSP. He is twice the fighter Fedor is in my opinion.

[Admin]

I think in a yr we wont even care that Fedor didnt sign w/ UFC. I believe he will lose soon. Possibly to Overeem. Overeem is a K-1 star and just the type guy that I think can beat Fedor. Arlovski was well on his way to beating him until his brain fart. Personally, I am looking forward to GSP vs. Silva, if it ever gets done, that will be the fight for title of P4P best. My money is on GSP. He is twice the fighter Fedor is in my opinion.

I think there are several 185 / 205 fighters that are better than Fedor. The heavyweight division is pretty weak in comparison.

I'd definitely take that bet if you're putting money on GSP over Silva. If those 2 ever hook up it would sure be an amazing fight but I'd have to give the edge to Silva although depending on how far he has to come down in weight it could be enough of a difference to impact the outcome of the fight. I doubt that they'll ever fight though.

[exodus]

i don't blame Dana for ripping Fedor a new one. He was negotiating in good faith and Fedor's camp wasn't. They wanted to co-promote when they knew wouldn't happen.

[Admin]

i don't blame Dana for ripping Fedor a new one. He was negotiating in good faith and Fedor's camp wasn't. They wanted to co-promote when they knew wouldn't happen.

I don't know that it's necessarily a smart thing that White is doing by refusing co-promotions. From what I hear from the Strikeforce CEO the highest rated fights for Strikeforce have been co-promotions.

Either way it was an extremely unprofessional and childish reaction from an owner of such a major company. Can you imagine the owner of any other company (or team) publicly trashing someone like that? Not that Fedor is innocent in all this but I don't expect him to act as professional as I'd expect Dana White to act.