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Originally Published 10 months ago

Fedor Emelianenko: Lonely at the Top

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Posted By cormacraig User Rank 2 Other News
Fedor Emelianenko: Lonely at the Top

When former UFC light heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz , seeing whom clad in a well-tailored business suit is still a puzzling sight to most mixed martial arts fanatics, serving as a color commentator for the Affliction: Day of Reckoning event, has taken the microphone in his hand and stepped up to Fedor Emelianenko moments after he has knocked out former UFC heavyweight chamipon, Andrei "Pitbull" Arlovski for a post-fight interview, he could not maintain journalistic objectivity.

"You're the best in the world now," he said to the calm-as-ever Russian juggernaut, "everybody knows that". Fedor doggedly maintained his anti-celebrity attitude, refusing to break into extravagant victory remarks. He has only referred to Arlovski as "an excellent fighter", and thanked everybody who has prayed for him.

After decimating two former UFC heavyweight champions in a row (Arlovski was knocked out early into the 3rd minute of the 1st round; and less than half a year ago, he has submitted Tim Sylvia in 36 seconds, for the quickest loss in the latter's career - a "title" formerly reserved for him being submitted by Arlovski in 47 seconds at UFC 51, back in 2005), Emelianenko has further cemented his stature as the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and, obviously, also the best heavyweight fighter in the world. However, his status in the sport is still complicated, owing mostly to a lengthy tenuous relationship with the top MMA promotion in the world, the UFC.

The UFC, and its colorful managerial figure, Dana White, has long been interested in signing Emelianenko, with such prospects appearing in the news already in early 2007. Fedor was just becoming a name in the United States; at the time, he has been a veteran of the now-defunt Japanese MMA promotion, PRIDE, which has housed, alongside himself, such talents as Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira . However, attempts to lure "The Last Emperor", as he is nicknamed, over the the US promotion have repeatedly failed, with both sides expectedly bashing the other. White, while working on the original deal, probably hasn't earned any goodwill credit with Fedor's managerial team after quipping to the press that he has "no idea what those crazy Russians are going to do".

Vadim Finkelstein's, Emelianenko's manager, has admitted around that time that he has been discussing Fedor's future with various promotions and that the UFC contract has been the most tempting one, financially speaking. However, in his retelling of the story, the UFC's "our way or the highway" attitude regarding contracts has been the breaking point.

In addition to his MMA career, Emelianenko is also the Combat Sambo champion of the Russian Federation. Sambo, a martial art developed in the Soviet times, is a popular sport in Russia, and, along with Judo, serves as the primary training background for Fedor. Emelianenko competes regularly on a worldwide scale of the sport; for him it serves as much as the basis for his sports icon stature in Russia as his MMA competitions, if not more, and it also serves a basis for his friendly relations with former Russian president, Vladimir Putin. In any case, some of the clauses of the UFC's famously rough-necked fighter contracts were supposed to prohibit Fedor from participating in Sambo competitions; something that he and his management were not ready to do.

So Fedor has never appeared in the UFC. He has faced many fighters that have appeared in the UFC, before or after their appearances there; but he is yet to set foot in the Octagon. Back in the day, Dana White still had hopes that Emelianenko would fight in the World Combat Sambo Championship he has been preparing for, and then sign an exclusive contract with the UFC in early 2008. But instead, Emelianenko has surprised everyone when he has signed to M-1 Global (later known as Adrenaline MMA), a worldwide extension of his manager, Vadim Finkelstein's, own M-1 Mixfight, to a non-exclusive, six-fight deal (later in 2008, the contract has been mysteriously broken up, and an announcement was made that he was never really signed to the organization but would continue collaborating with it).

So Fedor was back to being a free agent. And Dana White couldn't have been more upset about it, apparently. Detractory voices refer to Fedor, despite of his clearly unique fighting skills, as content with being a big fish in a small pond, attributing his near-perfect record (30-1, 1 NC) to him competing against mostly has-beens. And while this is probably just the green-eyed monster speaking, one can't help but stop and wonder, what's next for Emelianenko?

Dana White's original plan, to have him face off Randy Couture , is already quite irrelevant. Couture has lost his title to surprising newcomer, Brock Lesnar, who has been suffering from bad reputation, both because of his former appearances in the WWE and because of him winning the title way too early in his career (only 3-1!). Some would also claim that he has won the fight against Couture only because of his huge size (6"3, 276 lb). Lesnar is now due to a rematch to avenge his loss to Frank Mir, which should settle the dispute about the UFC heavyweight belt, one way or another; had it not been for the lengthy conflict between the UFC and Fedor, it would be somewhat likely that he would face off the winner of that fight.

However, that is quite unlikely to happen. At this point, the UFC stepping down and letting Emelianenko fight one of their fighters on his terms would be a major blow to the organization's stand against their own fighters no matter the outcome. Remember, we're talking about a promotion that was ready to fire a popular fighter (Jon Fitch ) because he didn't want to sign away his likeness for a video game. If the UFC folds against Fedor and gives him better treatment than the other, it is likely that fighters signed to the UFC would start demanding more rights and less clauses. Furthermore, Emelianenko has now fought in the two first events staged by Affliction, which is trying to establish itself as competition for the UFC. If Emelianenko walks into the Octagon and lays waste to whatever contender thrown his way, it would be interpreted as Affliction bringing down the UFC, which sounds just like stuff from Dana White's nightmares.

But what else can Emelianenko do? Though yet unannounced, none would be surprised to see him fighting #2 heavyweight in the world, Josh Barnett , who has defeated Gilbert Yvel on the #2 fight on the Affliction: Day of Reckoning primary card (where Emelianenko-Arlovski was the top-ranked event). It is simple sense that the next Affliction event would feature Emelianenko-Barnett as the title fight (unless something unexpected happens).

It is also likely to assume that Barnett won't hold it against Fedor. The PRIDE veteran has faced, about at the same times as Fedor, two fighters that Fedor has defeated, even if not with ease - Rodrigo Nogueira and CroCop. And after taking Yvel (who was running on unbelievably low underdog odds against him) only by the skin of his teeth, it would seem that he's no match for the Russian. And what then? How would Affliction keep pumping interest into Fedor's fights if all that happens is another fighter thrown into the ring, can't hold his ground against the champion and gets eaten right in the first round?

This is a question that Fedor's management needs to start thinking about, and fast.

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  • Posted By Guest
    3 months ago

    vagina
    Reply »
  • Posted By Guest
    3 months ago

    penis
    Reply »
  • Posted By Bob
    7 months ago

    Dana white can go **** himself
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    8 months ago

    dude shutup!! if it wernt for dana ufc wouldnt be what it is today!!!! i think he deserves alot of credit
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    8 months ago

    "Dana White is fast becoming as destructive to MMA as Don King was to boxing, greedy , arrogant and selfish, tying fighters up in knots of red tape, not good for the sport or the fighters, but what does D.White care, to him they are just money, what a low life deuce bag. " Love watching the old vids of a shy, corporate Dana with hair who kept his mouth shut and still wanted what was best for the sport. Wlovever happened to that guy?
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    8 months ago

    "Man you guys couldn't be anymore wrong about Dana. He wants guys who are ready to be tested all the time. He is trying to avoid these oscar de la hoya type fights when it's all hype and no show." That's why he's signed Brock Lesnar and given him a easy route to the belt.... You're the kind of ignorant target audience they're aiming at - so knock down another beer, support the troops and shut the f*** up. It is you who are destroying the sport we love and have loved all throughout Fedor's rule.
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    8 months ago

    Man you guys couldn't be anymore wrong about Dana. He wants guys who are ready to be tested all the time. He is trying to avoid these oscar de la hoya type fights when it's all hype and no show. The richest guys in MMA are in the UFC so how are they getting screwed? Look at what happened with Kimbo slice and elite xc or wlovever that was. It was all smoke and mirrors and maybe Fedor is to-we'll probobly never know because he doesn't fight anyone relevant.
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    9 months ago


    Reply »
  • Posted By Bronson
    9 months ago

    Dana White is fast becoming as destructive to MMA as Don King was to boxing, greedy , arrogant and selfish, tying fighters up in knots of red tape, not good for the sport or the fighters, but what does D.White care, to him they are just money, what a low life deuce bag.
    Reply »
  • Posted By stickup si
    10 months ago
    Fedor might be #1
    but if he stays in wamma / affliction he will spend the next 5years beating up nobodies and ufc washouts.
    Reply »
  • Posted By Jeff
    10 months ago
    fedor
    I believe UFC will try to pitch a Lesnar vs Fedor fight and if Fedor wins then he will OWN the best MMA fighter title since he has fought in every MMA organization and has the belts to prove it
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago

    yea..fedor is the best..bartnett or shane carwin!! thats the only fighters left hahaha...i think brock MIGHT beat him..because of his massive size and strength..but we'll never know until it happens...
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago

    Fedor needs to fight better fighters piont blank. Silvia sucks big time and Arlovski is overrated and one dimensional, Cro Cop has been exposed and is very one dimensional.
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago

    I would like to see Mir v Fedor in the UFC, would be a great fight.
    Reply »
  • Posted By Mindreader
    10 months ago
    nothin to prove in UFC
    I totally agree with the author of this article. Lonely at the top precisely defines the status of Fedor now. He already beat all the heavyweights in their prime - Nogueira, Cro Cop, Hunt and 27 others. Right now there is simply no one worth fighting for Fedor. Assuming he defeats Barnett this August, who is next? An old veteran Couture or novice MMA giant Brock Lesnar are not a match for the Russian Champion.
    There is a match, which I consider would be ideal for the Last Emperor. Anderson Silva's contract with UFC finishes next year. He already expressed his wishes to fight Fedor.
    He mentioned that he would come to a fight weighting 220 pounds vs Fedor's 230, which
    seems very reasonable: 4.5 kg difference will not give a bid advantage to Fedor. However this match can only take after the expiration of Silva's contract. I wish it takes place and we will be able to see 2 of the best pound for pound fighters facing each other in the ring.
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago

    I want to see Fedor vs Dana White in a ladder match
    Reply »
  • Posted By Clint
    10 months ago


    Reply »
  • Posted By Clint
    10 months ago

    No question, Fedor is by far the best, but would benefit from signing with the UFC if for no other reason than to silence these idiots who have no idea of the MMA real deal, PRIDE FC. The UFC on the other hand would benefit from getting rid of that disgrace to the world of MMA, Dana White. This i think may tempt Fedor to the UFC
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago

    It just sucks that we can't see Fedor in his prime prove to the MMA that he is the BEST FIGHTER in the world! F***en politics.
    Steve E.
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago

    It really says something to have as many wins as fedor and nobody wanting a rematch! Theres a highlight clip of his where a lot of the guys hes fought agree he is in a league of his own.
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago

    THEY ARE REALLY AFRAID OF FEDOR...WHY?.....
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago

    FEDOR still the BEST fighter in the history of MMA around the WORLD..
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago

    Bring FEDOR to UFC....mr.Dana white give him a fight the best fighter ever...FEDOR is lonely on the TOP..
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago


    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago


    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago


    Reply »
  • Posted By The Dark Knight
    10 months ago
    Long Live Fedor
    I completely agree with anonymous' comments. It makes me admire Fedor even more. He's a real champion inside and outside the ring. He prefers to fight for honor over money. Every martial artist is supposed to know that.
    Reply »
  • Posted By Anonymous
    10 months ago

    Fedors management doesent need to "start thinking "anything. Dana White should start thinking how to get managed with fact that UFC doesent have a best fighter of the world. IMO money doesent matter that much to Fedor and he would propably never give up fighting in sambo tournaments to get UFC contract, and he doesnt have to prove anyway anything to anybody.
    Reply »

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