M-1 Global holding Strikeforce to ransom over Fedor’s contract

Those crazy Russians seem to be at it again with news emerging that M-1 Global are holding Strikeforce to ransom over the contract of WAMMA heavyweight champion, Fedor Emelianenko, so much so that the proposed fight in May against Fabricio Werdum might not happen.

A recent report on BloodyElbow.com reads:

“Fedor Emelianenko, the world’s No. 1-ranked heavyweight, will not appear on the April [CBS] card. Emelianenko’s proposed bout with Fabricio Werdum has been pushed to May [on Showtime]. However, multiple sources are indicating that the stoic Russian could be absent from both events as his management attempts to re-tool terms of Emelianenko’s existing contract with Strikeforce.”

The fight was originally thought to be happening in April in Nashville, Tennessee, although it became apparent this week that May seemed more likely. One reason for the delay now appears to be these contract talks between Strikeforce and M-1, something that hardly comes as a surprise to be honest.

Fedor may be a curse for MMA orgs. To think people actually blamed the UFC for him not getting signed. M-1 may be Fedor's downfall. I hope SF stays strong knowing they have the only real HW competition outside the UFC and nobody else will pay him what the UFC will. This would force him to suck it up and sign without M-1 being the controller of everything Fedor does.

This is pathetic.

Quote :

Fedor may be a curse for MMA orgs. To think people actually blamed the UFC for him not getting signed. M-1 may be Fedor's downfall. I hope SF stays strong knowing they have the only real HW competition outside the UFC and nobody else will pay him what the UFC will. This would force him to suck it up and sign without M-1 being the controller of everything Fedor does.

Fedor wasn't a curse to Affliction or Bodog, those guys had no idea how to promote MMA and only got in the business to promote Fedor.

The real takeaway from that BloodyElbow offer is the hints about the real reason SF is negotiating again w/ Strikeforce. It appears Fedor is in talks with the UFC.

Your just making an assumption Wolf. Why negotiate now with the UFC after one fight with Rogers with strikeforce. I am sure Dana will not ever let M-1 control Fedor's contract if he is signed with them. Your right that Affliction and Bodog ONLY got in the business to promote Fedor but they wasted their efforts on just one man and it failed them. Affliction overpaid everyone of course. Name one Org Fedor was in of any relevance that survived. Hey it may be superstitious but it may just be a curse lol. SF does not need Fedor and should not cave in.

Fedor is M-1, he's part owner of the company.

Name one org that would not have collapsed without Fedor's involvement?

Affliction and Bodog would have gone under anyway, and Pride's issues were reflective of the entire industry collapsing in Japan under the weight of corruption and lack of public interest. Rings going down also had nothing to do with Fedor.

You're taking unrelated coincidences that coincide with Fedor never fighting in the UFC to make it look like it is somehow "his fault" these companies don't make money.

Do you realize how stupid you sound? Not only is that premise childish and outlandishly unrealistic enough so that only the staunchest of teenage TUF-produced UFC fanboys actually believe it, it is also only believable to anyone who doesn't know dick about any of those organizations or how the fight game really works.


That said, Fedor's team these days seems hell bent on making that myth about Fedor a reality.

As for assumptions - from the same article quoted in the topic.

Quote :

Fedor and M-1 may be killing their "promotional partner" by leaving them with no ratings draw for the April CBS card. They must be thinking that there will be another CBS card or equally well-paying opportunity.

Or maybe they're negotiating with someone else. And there's really only one other entity that can put together a bigger fight than DREAM in March, CBS in April or Showtime in May. And that's an entity that could offer a title fight on PPV in June or July against the biggest draw in the sport.

I'll make another assumption, you didn't read this article did you?

I know prymetyme that's why it always bewilders(yeah thats right i said bewilders) me when people excuse Fedor for M-1's actions as if he is not to blame himself and is just a puppet to what they want. Let's face it, Fedor is still not a big draw in the states and he should be known to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time. SF was formed as a small west coast MMA org for up and coming fighters(thats where Cain got his start) and are now growing. They have the right formula with growing slowly while growing their talent along with the organization. I hope they do not sell their souls to M-1.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Name one org that would not have collapsed without Fedor's involvement?

Affliction and Bodog would have gone under anyway, and Pride's issues were reflective of the entire industry collapsing in Japan under the weight of corruption and lack of public interest. Rings going down also had nothing to do with Fedor.

You're taking unrelated coincidences that coincide with Fedor never fighting in the UFC to make it look like it is somehow "his fault" these companies don't make money.

Do you realize how stupid you sound? Not only is that premise childish and outlandishly unrealistic enough so that only the staunchest of teenage TUF-produced UFC fanboys actually believe it, it is also only believable to anyone who doesn't know dick about any of those organizations or how the fight game really works.


That said, Fedor's team these days seems hell bent on making that myth about Fedor a reality.

As for assumptions - from the same article quoted in the topic.

Quote :

Fedor and M-1 may be killing their "promotional partner" by leaving them with no ratings draw for the April CBS card. They must be thinking that there will be another CBS card or equally well-paying opportunity.

Or maybe they're negotiating with someone else. And there's really only one other entity that can put together a bigger fight than DREAM in March, CBS in April or Showtime in May. And that's an entity that could offer a title fight on PPV in June or July against the biggest draw in the sport.

I'll make another assumption, you didn't read this article did you?

First wolf I am not a TUF fanboy but your good at assuming so I will leave that alone.

Second the article which you quoted and I DID read says "OR MAYBE" which is an obvious assumption that media make in order to get people talking.

Third I know all the reasoning why those orgs collapsed and yes it is a coincidence that he was part of them. Now he had nothing to do at all with prides collapse. Bodog and Affliction put too many of their chips on one guy who was not as big in the states as they had planned. Yes they had many other problems but Fedor/M-1 added to them. I am not a UFC nuthugger I will always be a pride fan boy first then a MMA fan. Let go of Fedors Nuts.

So is Fedor our Mayweather? Hopefully the fight works out, but it's always something with these guys.

boomer sooner wrote:

So is Fedor our Mayweather? Hopefully the fight works out, but it's always something with these guys.

No way! I would never compare the 2. Mayweather is a pompous guy who ducks certain fighters.

The personalities aren't the same, but the results are pretty similar -- never gives us the fights we want. There's always something with him or his team.

Muay you can't have it both ways. Fedor had nothing to do with any organizational collapse. Those promotions would have died anyway. How many buys does Affliction or Bodog do without Fedor I wonder.


Fedor and his team are certainly talking with Dana. Dana has been soft on Fedor lately, respectul and has said he has been talking to M-1 and wants Fedor in the UFC. If there were no relations between the two sides, Fedor would be a fraud not worthy of a third fight with Mark Coleman as far as Dana is concerned. The writing is on the wall.

boomer sooner wrote:

The personalities aren't the same, but the results are pretty similar -- never gives us the fights we want. There's always something with him or his team.

Ya, those fights with Sylvia and Arlovski when they were both top 5 never went down, and that fight with Barnett collapsing, that was his fault too right?

Yo, knock it off.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

boomer sooner wrote:

The personalities aren't the same, but the results are pretty similar -- never gives us the fights we want. There's always something with him or his team.

Ya, those fights with Sylvia and Arlovski when they were both top 5 never went down, and that fight with Barnett collapsing, that was his fault too right?

Yo, knock it off.

Sorry to offend your man-crush. You know what else was great? When he didn't sign with the UFC not once, but twice blocking fights with Couture and then Lesnar. Also when he threw a monkey-wrench into the Werdum fight, a pretty leigitimate top ten HW. Love his fights, but his timelines frustrate the life out of me.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Muay you can't have it both ways. Fedor had nothing to do with any organizational collapse. Those promotions would have died anyway. How many buys does Affliction or Bodog do without Fedor I wonder.


Fedor and his team are certainly talking with Dana. Dana has been soft on Fedor lately, respectul and has said he has been talking to M-1 and wants Fedor in the UFC. If there were no relations between the two sides, Fedor would be a fraud not worthy of a third fight with Mark Coleman as far as Dana is concerned. The writing is on the wall.

If this happens I will recant my statement and you can say I told you all you want. I will believe it when Dana comes out and says we have signed Fedor. With the Fedor curse thing I can have it both ways because all 3 have one thing in common and thats Fedor. Do I believe in curses, no not actually, its just ironic and I like putting some satire to the whole situation. Affliction did very well because they had decent promoters with more then just one well known fighter. Not just because of Fedor. I hate to say it but more people probably knew Tim Sylvia and AA then Fedor at that time.

I just hope he signs with UFC. I am so tired of waiting. I think Fedor is well known here in the USA also. That may have been different a few years ago. I have tto some casual MMA fans and it seems like more people know of him now. They just can't remember his name or say he is the guy that ducks the UFC. I tto one of my friends who seems to know alot about the UFC and not much bout MMA as a whole. He told me Fedor has beaten "has beens from the UFC" and couldn't beat the big five in the UFC. Of course I jumped all over him, and for the life of me he just wasn't buying that Fedor is the top HW in the world. Fedor needs to get with Zuffa and work something out as far as I am concerned. If not he will be doubted in the long run and that is just a cold hard fact.

The UFC shit wasn't his fault entirely and you know this.

This shit here is though.

boomer sooner wrote:

Wolfgangsta wrote:

boomer sooner wrote:

The personalities aren't the same, but the results are pretty similar -- never gives us the fights we want. There's always something with him or his team.

Ya, those fights with Sylvia and Arlovski when they were both top 5 never went down, and that fight with Barnett collapsing, that was his fault too right?

Yo, knock it off.

Sorry to offend your man-crush. You know what else was great? When he didn't sign with the UFC not once, but twice blocking fights with Couture and then Lesnar. Also when he threw a monkey-wrench into the Werdum fight, a pretty leigitimate top ten HW. Love his fights, but his timelines frustrate the life out of me.

Uh Oh I am about to side with Wolf. You can't use the previous attempts with the UFC as ammo to your argument. We all know Fedor does not enjoy being exclusive and participated in combat sambo for his country (which he no longer does due to corruption in their org). Werdum is not dangerous enough to duck. As far as actual fights go I don't ever think Fedor would ever say NO to any fight he has no reason to and would crush most people. BUT I do think his business views are whack.

I think it was his managements fault more than the UFC's fault. After seeing that interview it made me think different. Wolf I want to be with you on this, but it just doesn't seem right that the best HW doesn't WILL NOT fight for an organization who is the top dog and who can pay him the most $$. We know Sambo isn't the reason now, so what gives?

How awesome would it be if on the same card brock fights Mir and co main event cain fights fedor.

muayjitsu wrote:

How awesome would it be if on the same card brock fights Mir and co main event cain fights fedor.

I would give a kidney to see that.

It all boiled down to M-1 wanting a stake in teh UFC because it managed Fedor.

boomer sooner wrote:

It all boiled down to M-1 wanting a stake in teh UFC because it managed Fedor.

If that is the case then Fedor is telling them to ask that because he doesn't want to fight there. That is absurd to think that Fedor or M1 deserves rights to any prt of the UFC. I hope that isn't the truth. I wish I was involved. Not to sound cocky but I could get the deal done. Serious! I just don't understand how this hasn't been worked out? Somewhere in this deal is an evil troll who is being greedy and he needs to be thrown out of the deal. I don't think it is DW either.