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He’s got to be telling a joke right? The supposed “pound for pound best fighter in the world,” Fedor Emelianenko, has decided not to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and instead has chosen a 3 fight contract with Strikeforce. That’s funny stuff. Oh, but it’s serious…and you wonder why so many people have a hard time accepting that this guy really is the best. I know why I don’t…because he hasn’t fought the best!
Dana White was quite outspoken when talking to MMA Weekly on Monday, and I don’t blame him. “Fedor is a (expletive) joke, he turns down a huge deal and the opportunity to face the best in the world to fight nobodies for no money!” was what Dana told the website. “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 (expletive) about the fans.”
Lets face facts here…Fedor is damn good and no one is going to deny it. He has an extremely impressive skill set and has shown it off numerous times in wins over notable names like Tim Sylvia, Kevin Randleman and Mirko Cro-Cop. But why won’t this guy man up and fight the best heavyweight fighters there are in the world? Is the money? Well, apparently Dana and the UFC offered him a very lucrative offer, so that can’t be it. Is it power? Apparently, his management team (affiliated with M-1 Global) wanted to co-promote the fight with the UFC. That seems like a really lousy excuse to back out of a fight. So what could it be?
Well to me, it’s not Fedor being a coward. The dude isn’t afraid of anyone, you can tell by his 100% non-chalant attitude. Nope, I don’t believe he’s scared to come to the UFC and fight Brock Lesnar or Frank Mir or whoever it might be. I believe it comes down to pure indifference. From what I’ve been able to gather, it just seems like the guy doesn’t really care all that much about who he fights, just as long as it’s going to be easy street for him. And that means easy street everywhere, not just inside the ring.With the UFC he’d have to fight a monster in Brock Lesnar, and that would clearly be no walk in the park. But under the right conditions, I believe Fedor would fight him. It’s all the other stuff that goes with signing a UFC contract. He’d have to be at a promo event here, a meet and greet there, a Q & A session over there, and it would be non stop. With Strikeforce, he’ll fight Brett Rogers or Alistair Overeem, but I don’t think that had a whole lot to do with his decision. Nope, it’s more that Fedor can head back to Russia, train, do what he wants and then come back state side whenever HE feels it’s best. He’ll do some stuff to promote the fight, but it’s all on his terms and he can just breeze his way into the fight, win the fight (most likely), and then disappear until his next contracted bout. Oh, and lets not forget, he’ll be making some all right money in the deal. If you’re just fighting because it’s a pay cheque…what option are you going to take?
That’s the difference between this man and other fighters. Most, if not all, of the fighters employed by the UFC fight because they love to fight, becuase they have a passion for their sport. Due to that fact, they stay with the organization because they get the best competition there. Just ask Chuck Liddell. He’s made enough money he never has to fight again and the money keeps pouring in. Compared to his endorsments, he’s not making a ton in terms of a fight purse, and the endorsments aren’t going anywhere regardless of if he fights or not. He fights because he love it…the same way Randy Couture does, coming out of retirement and still fighting at 46.
I’m not judging the choices Fedor has made, he can do whatever he wants! Is Strikeforce going to hit the big time with this move? No chance in hell, this will probably move them closer to folding. But they get a few headline fights out of it. But for the man many anoint the best in the world, it’s another in a long line of things that make you debunk that theory. I’m sorry, but as the great Ric Flair always said: “to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man,” and that holds true here. Hell, in this case, “to be the man, you’ve got to fight the man,” even works. I just don’t think we’ll ever see it happen.
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Hey Pat,
I’ll say it then. Fedor is a coward. A coward backs down from challenges and takes the easy way out, and that is exactly what Fedor is doing. How can Fedor, suposedly the top heavyweight on the planet, sign with an inferior organization in Strikeforce and continue to call himself the top dog when he’s only beating hacks? In my mind, you can only be THE best if you face and beat THE best competition, and Fedor is not going to find it in Strikeforce. Fedor needs to grow some balls and step up to the UFC plate against guys like Shane Carwin and ultimately Brock Lesnar. If he doesn’t, then Fedor’s reputation as the top heavyweight on the planet is nothing but a false legacy.
PS: I hear what you’re saying Blaine, and I know there is a lot of truth in it. But I just don’t know if it’s Fedor being a COWARD so much as it is him taking the easy road because, well…it’s easier. He just seems less like a guy who is afraid and more like a guy who doesn’t care about his legacy as long as he gets paid.
- Blainemaybe I’m wrong, but I bet a big part of Fedor’s decision is the fact that he doesn’t want to be under contract to Dana White. Dana has a reputation as a vindictive, controlling individual who reminds me of Don King in so many ways. Why is it required that Fedor sign with UFC to fight UFC guys? If you look at the boxing analogy, WBC champions could fight WBA champions and IBO champs could fight IBF champs. Basically, all the fighters were free agents. Not in Dana’s world; you sign with UFC or you don’t fight our guys. Maybe Fedor just isn’t into being Dana’s next dancing pony…
PS: You make an interesting point Tim…I have a feeling you’re probably on an accurate path. Dane White can turn a lot of people off, and maybe he has done so to Fedor’s camp. I never thought of it that way.
- TIM O'NEILTim does make an interesting point, but I also find it interesting that Fedor himself said that if the deal that was offered him this time was offered to him two years ago, he would have taken it back then. I have seen what the “alleged” deal he was offered was, and from an outsiders standpoint, it looked pretty good. Six fight contract at $5 million per fight, a percentage of the PPV buys for the cards on which he fights, he could compete in any sambo event he wanted and could also wear his own brand of gear. The only thing that was not on the table was the co-promoting of events. Again, is this deal that bad, or does he really (A) not not want to work with Dana White and ZUFFA or (B) does he really not want to face the best competition in world? In my opinion, Fedor will never truly be the top heavyweight in the world until (B) happens. And you’re right Pat, it appears he doesn’t care about his legacy and just wants to get paid.
- Blaine