Fedor Negotiation Status

[Nick]

Here's what apparently UFC offered Fedor:

- The UFC offered Fedor a 6 fight, 30 million dollar contract. That's 5 mil a fight

- The UFC offered Fedor an immediate title shot

- Lesnar/Fedor would be the biggest PPV in MMA history (we assume), and the UFC offered M-1 Global a cut of the PPV on top of Fedor's purse.

- Fedor was free to wear as many M-1 logoed items as he wished.

- The UFC also relented on allowing Fedor to compete in combat sambo.

M-1 though didn't bite to without one of the most lucrative contracts in UFC history simply because UFC won't co-promote with them. Dave Meltzer added the following update:

The only thing we can say on the subject is that two different sources have told us negotiations between UFC and Fedor have fallen through again.

-Fuck Fedor's management. In other news, Fedor's is now the front cover of EA Sports MMA game.

[Cory]

Bascially its partially Fedors fault. If he really wanted to fight for the UFC, he would.

[Conor]

If someone was offering me $5 million a fight, plus the chance to win bonuses for Fight/Knockout/Submission of the Night, I'd tell my management to back off.

That's an insane offer; clearly the UFC imagined huge returns on such an investment. I really don't know what Fedor or his managers are thinking by declining a contract like that. There's nowhere else in the world that can pay him that kind of money, as well as offer him the chance to make millions more from merchandising. That's the kind of contract that would allow Fedor to retire from MMA in three years and do all the sambo contests he likes.

[Cory]

Fedor doesn't care about money...sadly.

[Nick]

There is light at the end of the tunnel though...once he finishes up those three contracted fights with M1.

[Cory]

Soooo

who's he going to fight? Gary Goodridge, Hong Man Choi, & Bob Sapp.

[Nick]

My guess? Werdum, Rogers, and Overeem. Strikeforce seems like they'd bend over backwards to get Fedor, and I hear the negotiations are going well.

[Cory]

I would like to see Fedor in Strikeforce.....but they dont have the money unless Fedor takes a huge cut in pay

[Conor]

That reminds me of something I heard on Between The Ropes a few days back. Strikeforce has a deal with CBS, right? And CBS has deep pockets. So one of the presenters figured if they say, "We want Fedor on the first big TV special" they may be willing to cough up a high six figure sum to obtain his services.

[Cory]

6 figures?

Fedors more of a .....seven figured guy.

[Conor]

Six figures or seven, I'm pretty sure CBS could afford it, if they want to.

[Duckman]

The deal fell apart due to Fedor's management wanting to co-promote all his fights with the UFC.  So basically they'd want half the money the UFC made on the entire show - just to have Fedor on the card!

No wonder the deal fell apart!  That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

They blew this big time by being far too greedy.  Lesner vs Fedor would be monster box office, easily 1 million buys on PPV and they've blown the chance of it for the time being.

A casual MMA fan (kind of like me, although I'm getting more into the sport) wouldn't know or care about Strikeforce.  UFC is the brand name for MMA (like it or not) and Fedor going to Strikeforce or anywhere else apart from the UFC is not going to have that main stream cross over and money making potential that working with UFC and Brock would have.

Just seems like small time minds ruining a guys career to me.

Plus, if Fedor isn't about the money, he should be chomping at the bit to get in there and knock Brock out considering how badly most MMA fans think of Lesner and his status as the most well known fighter in the world.

Peace

Duckman

[Cory]

Yeah, to respond to most Sam said:

-Fedor to Strikeforce would do wonders. They could get mainstream airtime and being the American media, they will bill Fedor as the man who would destory Lesnar or something. If they made Kimbo that big (still like him...) think of what they could do with the best fighter in the world (him & GSP) and promotion?

-Aleks, Fedors brother who too is 11-3 and a devastating HW has recently said that M-1 is ruining his brothers reputation:

"With the UFC, you can negotiate. I know that they have sufficiently flexible contracts. All this talk about strict contract terms with signing with the UFC come only from Vadim Finkelstein (Fedor's Manager), who wants to push his own business projects through Fedor's fights."

-Noted heavyweight MMA talent Aleksander Emelianenko tells Sasha Sports.ru that Vadim Finkelstein is using his older brother Fedor Emelianenko to push his own business agenda.

This point has long been asserted by UFC President Dana White, who has stated, on numerous occasions, that Emelianenko's management team has been very difficult to deal with. In fact, though the two sides negotiated for months back in 2007, White and Emelianenko have never spoken directly to one another. White has stated that he's tired of dealing with Emelianenko's management team and has asked to meet face to face with the Russian without any representatives.

[Exile]

Fedor signed with Strikeforce today.

His management team is a bunch of corrupt fucking idiots.

[Cory]

^ I agree with the second part for sure...but you need to think this way, to convert MMA to Wrestling.

UFC is WWF/E. All of the money, the 'big names', but shit booking.

Strikeforce is ECW (Old). The best booker, and all of the talent that you've nevr heard of but you'll ALWAYS get your moneys worth.

It's not a good move for Fedor, but I LOVE Strikeforce, and this gives them some serious aummo