Fedor call highlights
By Jim Murphy July 29th, 2009We’ll post highlights of the Fedor Emelianenko conference call as we get them:
–Fedor will be the cover fighter of the forthcoming EA Sports videogame. Gegard Mousasi and Renato “Babalu” Sobral will also be in the game.
–Fedor says that the videogame won’t effect his negotiations with the UFC despite what The Dana has said about it. So much for Fedor grabbing his ankles for Dana.
–Fedor’s attorney makes a vague suggestion of potential legal action over the Affliction: Trilogy cancellation
–Fedor non comittial when asked if he’ll meet with Dana personally. Dana White’s ‘clapping seals’ will interpret this as Fedor “punking” Dana.
–M1 has offered a co-promotion for Fedor to fight in the UFC. As adamant as The Dana is about not doing co-promotions note that the UFC co-promoted with PRIDE. Dana’s ‘clapping seals’ will suggest that M1 is being ‘unreasonable’ in their desire for co-operation.
–Fedor is also negotiating with other companies including Strikeforce which we reported days ago.
–UFC made Fedor an offer, he countered and the UFC ‘very quietly’ countered the counter
–M1 suggests that competition is good for MMA. Dana’s ‘clapping seals’ will respond that these crazy Russians need to realize that competition is un-American.
That’s about it. No bending over for the UFC, no wavering on co-promotion. That sound your hearing is the frenzied typing of the Dana White clapping seals condemning the Russians for their anti-American preoccupation with competition, free agency and self determination.
July 29th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
do you remember what happened when the UFC co-promoted with DREAM? This is the main reason they won’t ever co-promote an event again. M-1 wants publicity really, and there are ways to do that without co-promotion. Clap on seal head-
July 29th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
‘It was the song that never ends…’
July 29th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
The UFC never co-promoted with DREAM. If you want a job with the UFC just send Dana your resume. My understanding is that he doesn’t like ‘yes men’. He’s got most of the mainstream and MMA media for that.
And your right that M1 wants publicity. They also want to make money. That’s exactly what the UFC wants.
July 29th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
HAHA… I guess he meant PRIDE, but still…
July 29th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
ya ya, i said DREAM, meant PRIDE, ya ya…. anyway, PRIDE basically used the UFC, and now the UFC is against co-promotion. I don’t see why it has to be co-promotion. I think that M-1 can become a sponsor or the UFC can mention them in the broadcast, it’s not like they are going to offer any help or benefit into the promotion or publicity of a UFC event anyway. And if Fedor isn’t in the UFC then it says a lot about him and M-1. The best fights for him are in the UFC and not fighting the best will lead him to become “not the best.” In a year outside the UFC, he won’t be close to the best heavyweight in the world-
July 29th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Seriously. I wish I could wrap my head around how these Dana White nuthuggers think. When Dana gets publicity that’s good. When other people want publicity that’s bad. When Dana makes money that’s good. When other people want to make money that’s bad. Business–MMA or otherwise–isn’t a zero sum world. If the UFC has the best product they can deal with the competition. If they don’t, they won’t. Why Dana’s seals think this law of marketplace dynamics is somehow invalid in MMA is beyond me.
I’m glad that the UFC is doing well and making money. But the more successful they are the more competition they’ll generate. It shows that there is a thriving market, and the fight game’s barriers to entry are too low for competition to not manifest itself. Why some people take personal offense at this reality? You tell me.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Beyond Lesnar which is an intriguing fight I have to respectfully disagree. Couture maybe, but if he beat Randy at this point what would that prove? The reality is that there’s not *that* many top notch heavyweights anywhere, which is why the Barnett fight was originally so intriguing. I’ll agree that PRIDE didn’t really hold up their end in the deal with the UFC, though that was more of a ‘talent exchange’ than a co-promotion. I really don’t blame the UFC for *not* wanting to do a co-promotion with M1, but at the same time I don’t blame M1 for insisting on one. M1 has a valuable commodity, Fedor has a financial stake in M1 so he’s got a lot more invested in the situation than his fighting career.
Net net, competition is good for the sport. It’ll force the UFC to put on better fights, and force other promotions to raise the bar to compete.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Maybe you’re right about Fedor’s lack of competitive options, but its not like the UFC is overflowing with top heavyweights. Don’t know if you follow boxing but that same question has been asked there in recent years–why *aren’t* there more top level heavyweights? One theory is that athletes of that size that were once drawn to fight sports now have better paying options in other sports where the don’t get hit. In the US, a guy who’s 6′3′ 250 with the athletic ability to be a pro fighter has plenty of other options to make a lot of money. Beyond Lesnar and Couture I don’t see a lot of compelling fights for Fedor in the UFC. In Strikeforce, Brett Rogers is interesting but again once you get past him there’s not a lot of high level heavyweights. Maybe Fedor’s thinking is that he doesn’t have anything left to prove–whether you agree with it or not–and that at his point he’s more concerned about maximizing his financial upside.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Clapping seals my ass, M-1 has nothing to offer the UFC. M-1 is like walmart brand and UFC is Nike get real. Im the biggest Fedor fan ever but UFC has all the leverage.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Maybe in the US you’re correct but Internationally its more like the UFC is NASCAR–in much of the world F1 is “the” auto racing brand and they could care less about NASCAR. In much of the world–including Japan, the world’s #2 MMA market–the playing field is still wide open and in some instances the UFC is playing catch up. Fedor is in a position where he can likely make more money elsewhere. Maybe he should be more interested in finding the best competitive situation, but its his life. If he thinks its in his longer term best interest to stick with M1 where he has an equity stake that’s his call. I’ve yet to hear anything that’s convinced me that signing with the UFC is overwhelmingly in Fedor’s best interest. It’s probably in the UFC’s best interest, but long term they can do fine without Fedor Fights with Lesnar and Couture would be huge, but in terms of his bottom line Fedor himself might see more money fighting in Japan.
Here’s my hunch–Fedor thinks he doesn’t have anything left to prove in the sport competitively. You may not agree–and I’m a huge Fedor fan and I don’t agree–but that could very well be his mindset. Assuming he’s of the opinion that he’s no longer got any significant competitive challenges (again, I don’t necessarily agree) his interest at this point is financial. He could very well make more money with deals like the EA Sports video game, fighting in Japan, fighting on M1 promoted cards, etc. than fighting in the UFC. As a fan, Fedor fighting in the UFC would be great and I’d love to see it. From a business perspective, however, I can understand what he’s thinking and what M1 is thinking. Are they right or wrong? Without knowing what the UFC is offering Fedor and what he gets from M1 its impossible to say.
And it still doesn’t invalidate the fundamental concept that competition is good for the sport.
July 31st, 2009 at 9:41 pm
considering the possible Russian Mafia ties with M-1 I don’t blame the UFC for not wanting to be a part of that.
If Fedor wants to prove he’s the best he needs to fight the best and honesly, Fedor hasn’t fought a real opponent in years.