The Official MMA Discussion

[NateDizz]

All this brings up some interesting questions if you really think about it.

Brett Rogers was quoted as saying that he wanted 800k to fight Fedor. Tim Sylvia got that same amount of money. (and his entire bout fit into an Affliction TV ad) Does this mean that Barnett was on the hook for less than that? Fedor was praising the punching power and speed of Vitor....was he just slightly afraid of getting beat by the smaller man? I have a feeling that we arent getting the whole story here. I know Attencio said that it wasnt enough time to promote a change in fighters, its entirely possible that it could have worked. In fact, wasnt the point of some of their adverts "Fedor is coming..." and "Fedor will return..."?

I agree that it absolutely could have worked out (and I wish it did) but my understanding is that it was out of Affliction's hands. The cancellation of the event all came down to Showtime. Affliction, Vitor, and Fedor were ready to go but Showtime wouldn't allow it. Same thing with Brett Rogers. Affliction were ready to throw in a number of different guys and let the show go on but Showtime wasn't happy enough with any of the competition they could produce and felt there wasn't enough time to promote the new headlining bout. Josh Barnett was the catalyst but the end of the show really all came down to Showtime and not Affliction and/or Fedor. If your ppv provider says that they won't air the show, what else are you supposed to do?

Fedor would have fought anybody. I really doubt that he fears any man, let alone Vitor. Vitor has some of the best hands in the business but if Fedor was afraid to stand with anyone it would be Brett. Brett is the most dangerous replacement they could have got and that's exactly who Fedor wanted most as he stated in a press conference last Thursday.

Fedor was the main focus of the event but the actual bout between him and Josh was a huge deal as well. People have been waiting for this fight for years and Affliction basically ran their promotion around the idea that these two would eventually clash in a battle of the top two heavyweights in the world. Anything less really wasn't enough.



Just a sidenote - anyone else find it funny how Dana and the UFC had such a huge problem with Affliction and almost immediately after they went under the UFC allowed Affliction's clothing and logos back into the octagon? Just goes to show that it's all about business.

 

[NateDizz]

Wow. Maybe this means we will see Fedor fighting in the UFC after all. I would love to see a Brock vs Fedor fight.

As much as I'd love this to happen too, I think we're gonna have to keep on dreaming. There's been alot of speculation about this and now is probably the best opportunity the UFC has ever had to sign him but they're still no closer now than they ever have been. Fedor's manager and M-1 affiliate Vadim Finkelstein had this to say.

“We want to talk to the UFC about having Fedor compete against some of their fighters, but only within the framework of co-promotional efforts with M-1 Global.”

It's the same thing he's been saying since day one and it's never gonna change. Co-promotion is the only way it'll happen and the UFC will never go for that. It goes against their entire business model. Also, notice how he says "compete against some of their fighters" rather then something along the lines of Fedor actually becoming one of their fighters. He just wants Fedor to have the opportunity to fight some of the people in the UFC without actually being contracted to them exclusively so that he can come and go as he pleases.


Unless Strikeforce can set something up (which is a long shot), I'm almost certain Fedor will be going back to Japan. I'm not holding my breath but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[NateDizz]

You know what just hit me? With the UFC having the opportunity to acquire all these new fighter contracts....it means all the "superfights" that were being speculated have to be put on hold, at least for now. New blood in a division means more opponents to "clean out". Thank god for that. Now we wont have to worry about title fights being put on hold so the champ can "cement a legacy". I hate that almost as much as i hate when a division is put on hold for a season of TUF.

I really don't think the UFC is gonna sign as many people as you might think. With the exception of Vitor, who do you think they'll actually pick up?


It's almost a guarantee that Fedor and Barnett will end up back in Japan. Mousasi will probably end up back in Dream. Sobral is the Strikeforce champion and has a contract there already, plus the UFC will probably never let him come back due to his choke of David Heath which got him the boot in the first place. Santiago is the Sengoku champ and he'll end up back there. Jay Hieron is in talks right now to replace Joe Riggs and fight Nick Diaz at Strikeforce for the welterweight title. Ben Rothwell is hoping to return to M-1. Gomi isn't what he used to be anymore so he'll more than likely end up back in Japan.

Besides these guys, who really even matters?


Like you said though, the UFC displayed interest in bringing back Vitor again so I think that'll definitely happen, I just don't see who else they will be able to sign or even want to sign.

 

[burnedout]

Based on what I've been reading the last two days, I'd say there's a fairly decent chance Fedor will fight in the UFC, but it's definately not a lock. And I HOPE they pick up Mousasi, but we'll see.

 

[burnedout]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/07/fedor-emelianenko-ufc-finalizing-deal.html

 

[NateDizz]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/07/fedor-emelianenko-ufc-finalizing-deal.html

I wouldn't be too excited just yet. Here's word otherwise from M-1 officials.....

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/mma/07/28/Emelianenko.Octagon/index.html

Like I said before, if it doesn't come straight from the promotions, the fighters, their trainers, or their management - it's probably not something you should hold on to too tightly. There are way too many rumours in MMA and many of the sites out there love to print them as if they're almost certain.

"The source, who asked not to be identified because he's not authorized to speak publicly about the dealings." That's not a reliable source at all if you ask me. Some random unidentified source -vs- an actual M-1 representitive. Your call, but I'll stick with the M-1 rep. until we hear otherwise.


As for Mousasi - he's already signed to Strikeforce. Sobral (the current light-heavy title holder of Strikeforce) has also returned as well and their original bout for Affliction will go as planned. Hieron has also signed to Strikeforce too and will probably fight Diaz for the welterweight strap. Surprisingly (to me anyways) the UFC decided to pick up both Rothwell and Chase Gormley and their original scheduled fight for Affliction will probably take place at 104.

 

[Weedman Herb]

Rumor ... Vitor vs Franklin ... you heard it here first

 

[Moldy Dreads]

Franklin's going DOWN!

 

[w.wonka]

i wouldnt even want too see vitor rip up franklin.. like nate-d said there is no one other than vitor to bring to the ufc... mousasi will be there in a year or 2.... he has said that he likes where he is at for now and is in no hurry to go to the ufc... he is 24... glad to see he will be fighting sobral after all.. wanted to see nick give his loss back to riggs but that will have to be another time... penn / ken-flo should be a good fight.... ken flo has the tools to beat penn but i dont think its going to happen...

 

[NateDizz]

It's looking like negotiations are pretty much done between the UFC and Fedor / M-1 Global now.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/update-m-1-discusses-fedor-ufc-talks-18792

The forecast isn't sounding too promising.

 

[EvilRaven1031]

well if Fail-dor really turned down this one hes more of a bonehead than we all thought.

http://www.fightlinker.com/the-ufcs-offer-to-fedor.mma

 

[sackoweed]

red night's goin down, red night's goin down down down down... hehehe.. Jim Carrey rocks.. peace..

sack

 

[EvilRaven1031]

i mean seriously... $5 mil a fight, you get to do your sambo bullshit, AND wear as many M-1 logos as you can fit on an t-shirt??? Not to mention an immediate title shot...(Randy is gonna be miffed at that) All that shit is pretty much unheard of when it comes to a UFC contract. When you bring up the fact that M-1 will get a cut of the PPV it boggles minds. I understand that some fighters get a cut of the PPV revenue, but giving a slice of the pie to a competing company?!?!?!? They didnt offer an olive branch like that to PRIDE back when they were trying to get Wand to fight Chuck like 8 years ago.


My point here is what makes Fedor so fucking important? I get the fact that hes as close to undefeated as you can get without actually being undefeated. I also get the fact that he has always been "the one that got away" so to speak. (meaning Dana has been able to get a shitload of fighters but never Fedor) What i dont get is why, in this day and age, a fighter would allow his management to steer his career away from a history making contract signing. I know Fedor is fiercely loyal to M-1, but jesus-tapdancing-christ!!! For that matter, who the fuck is M-1?? Didnt we hear about their only major MMA project like three years into TUF? Remember "Fighting Fedor"? It was supposed to be a reality show created by M-1 to find a fighter to battle the mighty Fedor. The problem with that is....they were planning to use "up and coming" fighters. Here the public has been questioning the legitimacy of Fedor's opposition, and his "buddies" at M-1 were going to try and satiate them with a fight with an at most 3-1 fighter??

Just to make it clear as to how i feel.... M-1 is a bunch of nobodys. They only have Fedor, not even a fighter in their ranks willing to fight him. (for that matter do they have ANY other fighters?) They do not deserve to simply demand access to the near-mainstream popularity that the UFC has cultivated.

In closing, i am inspired by an unlikely source.....War Machine (the fighter formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver)

Fuck a Fedor.

 

[bens lab]

red night's goin down, red night's goin down down down down... hehehe.. Jim Carrey rocks.. peace..

sack

Dos thus have thou a mug of ale for me and me mate, for he hath been pitched in battle for a fortnight and has the king's thirst for the frosty brew dos thou might have for thus!

 

[Carl Spackler]

Fedor = #1

Dana White = The Greediest SOB to ever suck a breath...

 

[JoJoDancer]

M-1 and Fedor better try and strike while the iron is hot and get a big pay day. I think he'll get smashed like Cro-Cop all hyped up for the down stroke.

 

[w.wonka]

wow i cant believe fedor and m-1 turned that down... what a bunch of tit heads... i guess if fedor and his guys want to fight a bunch of no bodies and has beens like the last 4 years then so be it...

 

[NateDizz]

All this Fedor hate and UFC love lately is completely rediculous. Let's try looking at both sides for once instead of only the UFC's. Let's use McDonald's (UFC) and Burger King (M-1 Global and Fedor) to make this easy. Here's the two sides -

1. Burger King's most popular and important employee (Fedor) has been approached by McDonald's and has been offered an amazing job opportunity. This employee says he'd love the job but insists that the only way he'll take it is if he can still wear his Burger King uniform and Burger King gets to put a sign up outside right beside the golden arches as well for allowing this employee to join McDonald's. The location will no longer be a McDonald's, but it will be a McDonald's and Burger King joint operation.

Rediculous to ask for such things? Absolutely. There's no question about it. Burger King gets rediculed for even thinking it and this is the stance that people are taking right now. Burger King as a company and their main employee are fools for thinking this would even be possible. I agree with this

2. However, everyone ignores that fact that this main employee (Fedor) of Burger King owns part of the company he works for and is quite happy with his current job. Why should he have to join McDonald's if he's already got a stable job in which he owns part of the company? McDonald's approaches him with an even better job so he's obligated to take it and if he doesn't he's an idiot and everyone should hate him? Fuck no. You have to be delusional to think such a thing. Sadly, alot of MMA fans are exactly that right now.

Fedor is quite happy where he's at and he owns part of M-1. He was offered a whole lot of money to change sides and didn't so everybody redicules him for it? He should be praised for sticking to what he thinks is right and not selling out for a better paycheck.

Think about it. You work for a company that you love and have invested alot of money and your life into then a rival company offers you a job that pays more and you say no. You should be praised, not rediculed!

Everyone needs to get the UFC's dick out of their mouths and realize that Fedor and his management are not bad guys. They have their own company going on that they believe in whether others do or not (I don't, like Raven said 'who are M-1?' but it doesn't matter what we think) and they're sticking with what they've created for themselves. That's very respectable and Fedor should be getting alot of respect right now if anything.

I wanted Fedor to end up in the UFC just as much as anyone but it's disgusting to try and make it seem like he's a bad guy because it didn't happen. As much as you may hate to hear it, he needs to look out for himself before he worries about us fans. Why should he sell his life away to do whatever we want him to do even if it's not right for him personally? Fedor isn't the "tit head" or the one who is "fucking stupid," it's the MMA fans who who are disrespecting him. There's more to life than money (to some people anyways).



And also, what exactly are all these great fights the UFC has to offer him besides Lesnar if he were to join? One of the things I keep on hearing is that there's no one for him to fight outside of the UFC but I guarantee I can name just as many decent opponents for him outside of the UFC as there are in it. If some of you actually followed or knew anything about MMA outside of the UFC you would know this too.



Peace

 

[EvilRaven1031]

besides Lesnar, you have Randy, Big Nog, Mir, Cro-Cop, hell....even Shane Carwin and Dos Santos. Granted those last two need some work, but given the proper road they may turn out to be killer fights.

All those names equal a monstrous payday. (with the exception of the last two)

Nate, you and i see the same sides of things most of the time. Brother, im calling you dead wrong here. If a fighter has an agent, its the agents job to negotiate the best contract for their CLIENT, not the clients MANAGEMENT. When have you heard of the UFC giving (or at least offering) a cut of their pay-per-view (their bread and butter) cash to a RIVAL company? Its not just a slice of the pie, its the sweetest piece.

Think about this. How good is the UFC at pimping a fighter? How much interest could they possibly drum up over a Fedor fight? (versus ANYONE) IMO there isnt a better hype-machine in pro sports than the UFC.

Having rattled that around in your brain, what would the numbers on that PPV? Insane. Period. Fedor's boys get a cut of that.

Ive heard this said on many a MMA message board, and im really starting to believe it. Fedor needs the UFC more than the UFC needs Fedor.

Answer me this. What has M-1 accomplished in the MMA world to warrant the fans respect?

EDIT: Had to add this. Have you ever heard of "McDonald's presents the long awaited 'Whopper' now appearing." Kinda sounds like that statement needs to wear a helmet when it goes to the playground.

 

[dbuzz]

('It's quite simple, gentleman. All we require is a suitcase full of money, a crate of automatic rifles, twelve underaged prostitutes, and a helicopter to take us to the airport. Oh, and the helicopter must be painted with the M-1 Global logo. Do we have a deal?')