Jesse Holland of MMA Mania breaks from their usual "just the facts ma'am" mold and tears it up in an opinion piece about Fedor:
UFC President Dana White thinks Fedor Emelianenko is a fraud. A flabby relic from the mismanaged days of PRIDE that now hides behind the iron curtain, emerging only to fight hand-picked opponents that pose no threat to a self-proclaimed legacy.
In fact, White is so sure that the Russian heavyweight is at the bottom of the divisional rankings that he was willing to write him a blank check after Affliction MMA imploded under the weight of its own spending.
That makes sense.
Imagine how quickly the men in white coats would come to collect you if you walked onto the lot of an auto auction and told the yard barker: "I've got a check for five million dollars, please give me the biggest piece of shit on the lot."
Ever since the fall of PRIDE, there have been a lot of hard feelings between the UFC and Emelianenko's camp and I suspect a great deal of that has been "The Last Emperor's," ability to escape the Zuffa monopoly.
Men with White's power and ultimately White's greed are used to getting what they want. What do men in power want? Everything. Yet "those crazy Russians" have balked at every attempt the UFC has made to secure the WAMMA champion as their own.
And why wouldn't they, especially when M-1 can have a monopoly of their own? As long as Emelianenko keeps winning, Vadim and the Finkelchtein Express can continue cashing in at the expense of other promotions who need an established headliner.
I've written many times about Dana's love/hate/need/want obsession with Fedor. Just to show you how psychic I am, I wrote at the time of Fedor's decision to sign with Strikeforce:
From the moment the deals were being rumored, I believed that Dana White and Zuffa were so confident that Brock Lesnar would beat Fedor in the Russian's first UFC fight that they were willing to offer lots of terms (loosening the champion clause etc) that they would not have offered if Fedor was going to be facing Randy Couture, Cro-Cop and Big Nog in his three UFC fights.
I think Fedor also is concerned that he might lose to Brock Lesnar -- and there's nothing wrong with that, Lesnar is a beast -- and even a 30% chance of Lesnar winning the first fight is a big risk for Fedor. Especially in his first fight in a cage with elbows on the ground. Fedor's history of getting cut in fights makes a cut stoppage from an elbow an exceedingly likely outcome.
In closing, here's the case for Strikeforce:
No elbows on the ground.
Willingness to co-promote. Remember, Fedor isn't just a client of M-1, he's supposedly a 20% owner -- that's twice the share Dana White has in the UFC. There's also a strong element of Russian nationalism. Fedor's never been seen on national television in Russia. Affliction had just scored a deal to do that. Also, don't forget how "business" is done in Russia. I don't want to speculate, but if I was Fedor, I'd be very hesitant to dump my Russian partners.
Strikeforce's roster of Brett Rogers, Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem is a very credible roster of foes for Fedor -- they are ranked #8, 10 and 14, respectively, on this month's USAT/SBN MMA rankings. And I'm sure each would enjoy the "Josh Barnett effect" of rising several notches upon the announcement of a signed fight with Fedor.
Non-exclusivity. With Strikeforce, Fedor could quite possibly continue to fight in Japan on the odd New Year's Eve for DREAM, maybe even against Josh Barnett in a fight many still want to see.
Fedor has an enormous amount to lose if he makes the wrong step. Clearly his refusal to sign with the UFC and their aggressive PR will cost him the hearts of many MMA fans. At the same time, most of those fans will tune in to watch his next fight, regardless of opponent, especially if it's on CBS. If Strikeforce manages to book him against legitimate top 10 competition, he will only grow his appeal and be able to demand even more from the UFC if there is a next time.
Source
Monday, December 28, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Out Four To Six Months, Dana White Says Brock Lesnar Would "Smash His Head"
As reported earlier, Fedor Emelianenko injured his left hand during Saturday night’s bout with Brett Rogers. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told The LA Times that the injuries have sidelined the Russian heavyweight for the near future.
"Fedor suffered a fracture and tendon damage in his left thumb, and a fractured nose in the Rogers fight,” Coker explained. "We're hearing he could be out for four to six months.”
Emelianenko joins UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar on the inactive list. UFC President Dana White wasted no time in giving his thoughts on who would win if Emelianenko were to ever face Lesnar.
"The guy just got his face smashed in by Brett Rogers. Do you know what Brock or [UFC heavyweights] Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez would do to Brett Rogers?" White asked. "It's time to bring this guy [Fedor] in [to the UFC], to see Brock Lesnar smash his head."
Fedor’s camp remains agreeable to the fight, however in what has become a broken record, will only agree to Emelianenko facing Lesnar if the organization is willing to agree to co-promote with M-1 Global.
“If UFC wants to prove it has the best fighters, step up and co-promote,” M-1 Global Vice President Jerry Millen stated. “Fedor just wants to be treated fairly. The UFC business model is to own the souls of their fighters. Fedor doesn't have to do that, and if the fans scream loudly enough, we can make that happen."
But for now, both fighters need to recover from their respective health issues and injuries before thinking about their next bout.
Source
"Fedor suffered a fracture and tendon damage in his left thumb, and a fractured nose in the Rogers fight,” Coker explained. "We're hearing he could be out for four to six months.”
Emelianenko joins UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar on the inactive list. UFC President Dana White wasted no time in giving his thoughts on who would win if Emelianenko were to ever face Lesnar.
"The guy just got his face smashed in by Brett Rogers. Do you know what Brock or [UFC heavyweights] Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez would do to Brett Rogers?" White asked. "It's time to bring this guy [Fedor] in [to the UFC], to see Brock Lesnar smash his head."
Fedor’s camp remains agreeable to the fight, however in what has become a broken record, will only agree to Emelianenko facing Lesnar if the organization is willing to agree to co-promote with M-1 Global.
“If UFC wants to prove it has the best fighters, step up and co-promote,” M-1 Global Vice President Jerry Millen stated. “Fedor just wants to be treated fairly. The UFC business model is to own the souls of their fighters. Fedor doesn't have to do that, and if the fans scream loudly enough, we can make that happen."
But for now, both fighters need to recover from their respective health issues and injuries before thinking about their next bout.
Source
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Dana White agrees Fedor does not want to fight the best in World video
The great Dana White agrees with the MMA genius Grandmaster Gambordella that Fedor is afraid to fight the best in the World. He would much rather hide at Strikeforce and fight Cyborg, if they would let him. The Mighty Brock Lesnar would be glad to fight Fedor but unfortunately M-1 won't let him because they are afraid Brock would break his jaw and he would not be able to keep that fat body of his in shape for the Russian winter.
Here is a video where Dana calmly and politely explains the real facts about Fedor not wanting to fight the best, and then here is a video of Fedor lying and having someone speak English for him because he is busy eating to learn it.
Source
Here is a video where Dana calmly and politely explains the real facts about Fedor not wanting to fight the best, and then here is a video of Fedor lying and having someone speak English for him because he is busy eating to learn it.
Source
Sunday, November 15, 2009
White talks Belfort, Affliction and return of Ortiz
"I don't want anybody to ask me any Fedor questions." Good luck with that one. UFC president Dana White hosted a telephone news conference -- known as a "phone presser" if you're a lonely journalist -- Friday afternoon. As expected, much of the conversation revolved around the continued frustrations over signing Fedor Emelianenko.
Long, painful story short: M-1 wants to "co-promote" UFC events; White finds the idea absurd.
"These guys are going to come in and co-promote?" White asked rhetorically. (And yes, you could hear his face getting redder. Thanks for asking.) "How the hell are they going to co-promote anything? … It was basically them coming in and saying, 'We've got this guy; some people might say he's the best fighter in the world; we want half your business,'" White snorted. "That s--- probably works in Russia. Not here."
That "s---" actually works quite often in the United States: It's called the boxing model of promoting, in which two disparate promoters and their fighters come to the table and bark about 60/40 percentages. It's just not how the UFC does business, and rightfully so. They're 90 percent of the equation. Left to their own devices, as White pointed out, M-1 Global tried to ramp up a major-league push in 2008 with Monte Cox and promptly tripped over themselves before a single show got off the ground.
When not growing increasingly apoplectic about his Russian headaches, White managed to squeeze in word that both Vitor Belfort and Tito Ortiz would be returning to the Octagon: Ortiz is likely for later in the year, possibly against Mark Coleman. This is the space where I'd normally rant against matching the sport's elder statesmen against younger, faster mercenaries, but Coleman just laid a porch-and-shotgun beating on Stephan Bonnar, so forget it.
Ortiz's signing also pretty much dampens any chance rival promotions had of using a marquee UFC name against the promotion.
Belfort's situation is more transparent: Now that he has re-enthused fans (and himself) with a run at 185 pounds, the UFC is choosing to slot him in a 205-pound contest with Rich Franklin on Sept. 18 in Dallas. Nonsensical? You bet. It's obvious the UFC is desperate for an attraction for Franklin on that date, and they're willing to ding Belfort's confidence and renewed popularity to do it.
In brief:
• Several abandoned Affliction athletes have been signed, including Paul Daley, Ben Rothwell, Belfort and Dan Lauzon. Both L.C. Davis and Javier Vasquez are headed for the WEC. Gegard Mousasi, White said, is a "possibility," but "we don't like to talk about deals until they're done." Oh, the irony.
• Dan Henderson is likely the next one in line for a shot at Anderson Silva's middleweight title. The bout could happen "very soon" if Silva manages to escape a fight with Forrest Griffin without any bruised organs.
• White has no interest in Andrei Arlovski or Tim Sylvia.
• White is, seriously, seriously through talking about Emelianenko. "He got offered a f---ing a--load of money. … He could go fight SAMBO every Thursday night if he wanted to," White said, referring to the Russian MMA organization. "It's like Brett Favre coming in and saying, 'I want to be your 50 percent partner.'"
Source
Long, painful story short: M-1 wants to "co-promote" UFC events; White finds the idea absurd.
"These guys are going to come in and co-promote?" White asked rhetorically. (And yes, you could hear his face getting redder. Thanks for asking.) "How the hell are they going to co-promote anything? … It was basically them coming in and saying, 'We've got this guy; some people might say he's the best fighter in the world; we want half your business,'" White snorted. "That s--- probably works in Russia. Not here."
That "s---" actually works quite often in the United States: It's called the boxing model of promoting, in which two disparate promoters and their fighters come to the table and bark about 60/40 percentages. It's just not how the UFC does business, and rightfully so. They're 90 percent of the equation. Left to their own devices, as White pointed out, M-1 Global tried to ramp up a major-league push in 2008 with Monte Cox and promptly tripped over themselves before a single show got off the ground.
When not growing increasingly apoplectic about his Russian headaches, White managed to squeeze in word that both Vitor Belfort and Tito Ortiz would be returning to the Octagon: Ortiz is likely for later in the year, possibly against Mark Coleman. This is the space where I'd normally rant against matching the sport's elder statesmen against younger, faster mercenaries, but Coleman just laid a porch-and-shotgun beating on Stephan Bonnar, so forget it.
Ortiz's signing also pretty much dampens any chance rival promotions had of using a marquee UFC name against the promotion.
Belfort's situation is more transparent: Now that he has re-enthused fans (and himself) with a run at 185 pounds, the UFC is choosing to slot him in a 205-pound contest with Rich Franklin on Sept. 18 in Dallas. Nonsensical? You bet. It's obvious the UFC is desperate for an attraction for Franklin on that date, and they're willing to ding Belfort's confidence and renewed popularity to do it.
In brief:
• Several abandoned Affliction athletes have been signed, including Paul Daley, Ben Rothwell, Belfort and Dan Lauzon. Both L.C. Davis and Javier Vasquez are headed for the WEC. Gegard Mousasi, White said, is a "possibility," but "we don't like to talk about deals until they're done." Oh, the irony.
• Dan Henderson is likely the next one in line for a shot at Anderson Silva's middleweight title. The bout could happen "very soon" if Silva manages to escape a fight with Forrest Griffin without any bruised organs.
• White has no interest in Andrei Arlovski or Tim Sylvia.
• White is, seriously, seriously through talking about Emelianenko. "He got offered a f---ing a--load of money. … He could go fight SAMBO every Thursday night if he wanted to," White said, referring to the Russian MMA organization. "It's like Brett Favre coming in and saying, 'I want to be your 50 percent partner.'"
Source
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
UFC president Dana White still baffled why Emelianenko passed him by
PHILADELPHIA — After drawing a record 1.5 million-plus pay-per-view buys for last month's landmark UFC 100 show, the UFC kicks off a new century of mixed martial arts cards in a new town with two intriguing marquee matchups.
The City of Brotherly Love is hosting the MMA juggernaut for the first time this week and the UFC made the most of the city's past by holding its pre-fight news conference Thursday at the Independence Visitor Center, a stone's throw from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the nation's founders plotted their freedom.
Recent history was more the order of the day on the UFC front, however.
While the news conference focused on Saturday's lightweight title fight between champion B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian and an eagerly awaited 205-pound showdown between middleweight title-holder Anderson Silva and former light-heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, UFC president Dana White found himself talking Fedor when he was scrummed by reporters after.
Russian star Fedor Emelianenko opted to shun the UFC earlier this week to sign with Strikeforce, a modest promotion that has operated under the UFC radar in recent years.
White announced last Friday that negotiations with the Russian's camp had broken down because they were insisting on co-promoting any fights Emelianenko was involved in. The UFC boss was in Abu Dhabi, scouting the United Arab Emirates for a future fight card, when news broke Monday that the Russian was joining Strikeforce.
Apart from a few expletive-laced texts, he had not reacted to the news until Thursday.
"Who's he going to fight?" White asked. "Nobody . . . he's going to fight nobodies and I just don't understand it. I just don't get it."
Emelianenko, responding on a Strikeforce conference call Thursday, dumped on the UFC.
"From my viewpoint, the UFC does not have the proper attitude to fighters," he said, according to a Strikeforce release. "The UFC attitude towards fighters is not a good one. They don't treat them like human beings. And I don't like their policy. The offer that we got was one kind, and then on the Internet they published really different numbers. The offer they gave us was really miserable."
The Russian did apologize to his fans that they would not get to see him fight UFC champion Brock Lesnar.
Strikeforce is a much smaller operation than the UFC with its website currently listing 34 fighters - a number that only covers A to C of the UFC stable.
Available Strikeforce opponents for Emelianenko include champion Alistair Overeem, Brett (The Grim) Rogers and former UFC fighter Fabricio Werdum. Strikeforce is also partnering with Japan-based Dream so it can raid another organization.
But the top heavies - Lesnar, Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko (Cro Cop) Filipovic, Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin and Randy Couture - call the UFC home.
Because White was on the road, he never got to speak to Emelianenko in person. He had a representative in the room with the Russians while he and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta were at the other end of the phone.
"If I was sitting on Fedor's lap that deal wouldn't have got done," he said. "Didn't matter. The deal was not going to get done. We went in there to do a deal, they didn't."
White seemed genuinely baffled on why his multi-million-dollar offer (reports pegged it at a minimum of US$5 million a fight) was turned down.
"It's definitely not about money, it's definitely not about contracts. What's it really about? I don't know, I don't get it."
Vadim Finkelchtein, head of Emelianenko's M1 management company, said it was all about flexibility.
"The advantage in making the deal with Strikeforce is really great because the UFC didn't give us any chance to develop." he told the Strikeforce conference call. "The UFC wants Fedor to be a fighter only for the UFC. That's all they offered us. They didn't offer us anything else.
"Dana White stated that Fedor and M1 rejected a huge amount of money and decided to fight for nothing. But, that's not true. Nothing special was offered to M1 and Fedor during the negotiations with UFC. When we made the deal with Strikeforce we had opportunities to show our fights in many other countries. But the UFC wouldn't give us these opportunities."
Strikeforce upped the ante Thursday by scheduling its conference call conference at the exact same time as the UFC 101 news conference. It was a taste of its own medicine for the UFC, which used to do what it could to take the lustre off former rival Affliction's shows by scheduling events or shows opposite them.
It appears Strikeforce can expect more of the same.
"They should have stayed the way they were," White said ominously of Strikeforce, whom he dubbed "Strikefarce."
"If you want to fight me, we'll fight," he added. "You know how that goes. And we know how it ends."
White, whose prognostication powers have been pretty accurate when it comes to rivals, said the Fedor deal will cost Strikeforce.
"He'll put them out of business. These guys have no money and they have no distribution."
Not surprisingly, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker disagreed.
"We've been in business a long time and we know how to operate a business," he said.
Strikeforce airs its live shows on the Showtime cable network in the U.S. and pay-per-view in Canada, with packaged material on NBC and The Score in Canada. It partnered with the now-defunct EliteXC on several shows on CBS and clearly hopes to catch on with a network in the wake of the Fedor signing. Its deal with the Russian covers three fights over a year.
"I guarantee you the deal he got in Strikeforce isn't even in the universe of what he (would have) got (from us)," White said. "Not even close."
NOTES: White says the buzz generated from UFC 100 is still being felt more than a month later. "No doubt about it, 100 took us to a whole 'nother level. There was so much buzz and energy around that fight - and not just here but all over the world. It was big." ... White says there could be three UFC shows in Canada next year: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. "We're softening up a lot of the provinces up there," he said. "We're definitely going to Vancouver."
Source
The City of Brotherly Love is hosting the MMA juggernaut for the first time this week and the UFC made the most of the city's past by holding its pre-fight news conference Thursday at the Independence Visitor Center, a stone's throw from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the nation's founders plotted their freedom.
Recent history was more the order of the day on the UFC front, however.
While the news conference focused on Saturday's lightweight title fight between champion B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian and an eagerly awaited 205-pound showdown between middleweight title-holder Anderson Silva and former light-heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, UFC president Dana White found himself talking Fedor when he was scrummed by reporters after.
Russian star Fedor Emelianenko opted to shun the UFC earlier this week to sign with Strikeforce, a modest promotion that has operated under the UFC radar in recent years.
White announced last Friday that negotiations with the Russian's camp had broken down because they were insisting on co-promoting any fights Emelianenko was involved in. The UFC boss was in Abu Dhabi, scouting the United Arab Emirates for a future fight card, when news broke Monday that the Russian was joining Strikeforce.
Apart from a few expletive-laced texts, he had not reacted to the news until Thursday.
"Who's he going to fight?" White asked. "Nobody . . . he's going to fight nobodies and I just don't understand it. I just don't get it."
Emelianenko, responding on a Strikeforce conference call Thursday, dumped on the UFC.
"From my viewpoint, the UFC does not have the proper attitude to fighters," he said, according to a Strikeforce release. "The UFC attitude towards fighters is not a good one. They don't treat them like human beings. And I don't like their policy. The offer that we got was one kind, and then on the Internet they published really different numbers. The offer they gave us was really miserable."
The Russian did apologize to his fans that they would not get to see him fight UFC champion Brock Lesnar.
Strikeforce is a much smaller operation than the UFC with its website currently listing 34 fighters - a number that only covers A to C of the UFC stable.
Available Strikeforce opponents for Emelianenko include champion Alistair Overeem, Brett (The Grim) Rogers and former UFC fighter Fabricio Werdum. Strikeforce is also partnering with Japan-based Dream so it can raid another organization.
But the top heavies - Lesnar, Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko (Cro Cop) Filipovic, Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin and Randy Couture - call the UFC home.
Because White was on the road, he never got to speak to Emelianenko in person. He had a representative in the room with the Russians while he and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta were at the other end of the phone.
"If I was sitting on Fedor's lap that deal wouldn't have got done," he said. "Didn't matter. The deal was not going to get done. We went in there to do a deal, they didn't."
White seemed genuinely baffled on why his multi-million-dollar offer (reports pegged it at a minimum of US$5 million a fight) was turned down.
"It's definitely not about money, it's definitely not about contracts. What's it really about? I don't know, I don't get it."
Vadim Finkelchtein, head of Emelianenko's M1 management company, said it was all about flexibility.
"The advantage in making the deal with Strikeforce is really great because the UFC didn't give us any chance to develop." he told the Strikeforce conference call. "The UFC wants Fedor to be a fighter only for the UFC. That's all they offered us. They didn't offer us anything else.
"Dana White stated that Fedor and M1 rejected a huge amount of money and decided to fight for nothing. But, that's not true. Nothing special was offered to M1 and Fedor during the negotiations with UFC. When we made the deal with Strikeforce we had opportunities to show our fights in many other countries. But the UFC wouldn't give us these opportunities."
Strikeforce upped the ante Thursday by scheduling its conference call conference at the exact same time as the UFC 101 news conference. It was a taste of its own medicine for the UFC, which used to do what it could to take the lustre off former rival Affliction's shows by scheduling events or shows opposite them.
It appears Strikeforce can expect more of the same.
"They should have stayed the way they were," White said ominously of Strikeforce, whom he dubbed "Strikefarce."
"If you want to fight me, we'll fight," he added. "You know how that goes. And we know how it ends."
White, whose prognostication powers have been pretty accurate when it comes to rivals, said the Fedor deal will cost Strikeforce.
"He'll put them out of business. These guys have no money and they have no distribution."
Not surprisingly, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker disagreed.
"We've been in business a long time and we know how to operate a business," he said.
Strikeforce airs its live shows on the Showtime cable network in the U.S. and pay-per-view in Canada, with packaged material on NBC and The Score in Canada. It partnered with the now-defunct EliteXC on several shows on CBS and clearly hopes to catch on with a network in the wake of the Fedor signing. Its deal with the Russian covers three fights over a year.
"I guarantee you the deal he got in Strikeforce isn't even in the universe of what he (would have) got (from us)," White said. "Not even close."
NOTES: White says the buzz generated from UFC 100 is still being felt more than a month later. "No doubt about it, 100 took us to a whole 'nother level. There was so much buzz and energy around that fight - and not just here but all over the world. It was big." ... White says there could be three UFC shows in Canada next year: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. "We're softening up a lot of the provinces up there," he said. "We're definitely going to Vancouver."
Source
Thursday, October 15, 2009
White blasts 'joke' Fedor
DANA WHITE has savaged Fedor Emelianenko's decision to snub a deal with the UFC in favour of joining rivals Strikeforce.
The UFC president was locked in talks with The Last Emperor and representatives from Russian promotion M1-Global after the collapse of Affliction left him a free agent.
But even after White reportedly offered Emelianenko a five-fight, £2million-a-bout contract and agreed to let him continue to compete in Sambo tournaments in his native Russia, a deal could still not be reached.
The UFC say that the stumbling block was M1-Global's insistence on co-promoting events Emelianenko took part in.
The breakdown in talks has seen the 32-year-old pen terms on a three-fight deal with Strikeforce, with his cage debut set for later this year.
And the former Pride champion's actions have left White fuming.
Speaking to mmaweekly.com, he said: "Fedor is a f***ing joke.
"He turns down a huge deal and the opportunity to face the best in the world to fight nobodies for no money!
"How are they [M1-Global] going to help us co-promote?
"They're going to help us? That s*** might work in Russia [but] not here.
"How do you deal with something like this?
"We did everything possible for this deal. We didn't hold back. It's crazy to turn down a deal like this.
"We went above and beyond. We have been able to sign the best fighters in the world over the last 10 years, so to not be able to sign this guy [wasn't our fault]."
White added: "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 s*** about the fans."
But Joost Raimond, Chief Operating Officer for M1-Global, revealed he is delighted with the deal his company and Emelianenko have signed with Strikeforce.
Raimond said: "It was a good opportunity. The co-promotion is a substantial part.
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"The whole set-up for the deal is to have co-promotion partners, and of course Fedor is an important part of that construction.
"But the co-promotion deal is of great importance.
"The financials behind his deal are based on a large number of factors, which include the co-promotion and co-branding activities, and Fedor is a part of that total deal."
Emelianenko added: "I am looking forward to going back to work and fighting at the highest level."
The Russian is widely regarded as the best heavyweight fighter on the planet and has been courted by the UFC for several years.
He has a 30-1-1 professional MMA record and counts former UFC stars Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia as his most recent scalps.
Source
The UFC president was locked in talks with The Last Emperor and representatives from Russian promotion M1-Global after the collapse of Affliction left him a free agent.
But even after White reportedly offered Emelianenko a five-fight, £2million-a-bout contract and agreed to let him continue to compete in Sambo tournaments in his native Russia, a deal could still not be reached.
The UFC say that the stumbling block was M1-Global's insistence on co-promoting events Emelianenko took part in.
The breakdown in talks has seen the 32-year-old pen terms on a three-fight deal with Strikeforce, with his cage debut set for later this year.
And the former Pride champion's actions have left White fuming.
Speaking to mmaweekly.com, he said: "Fedor is a f***ing joke.
"He turns down a huge deal and the opportunity to face the best in the world to fight nobodies for no money!
"How are they [M1-Global] going to help us co-promote?
"They're going to help us? That s*** might work in Russia [but] not here.
"How do you deal with something like this?
"We did everything possible for this deal. We didn't hold back. It's crazy to turn down a deal like this.
"We went above and beyond. We have been able to sign the best fighters in the world over the last 10 years, so to not be able to sign this guy [wasn't our fault]."
White added: "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 s*** about the fans."
But Joost Raimond, Chief Operating Officer for M1-Global, revealed he is delighted with the deal his company and Emelianenko have signed with Strikeforce.
Raimond said: "It was a good opportunity. The co-promotion is a substantial part.
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"The whole set-up for the deal is to have co-promotion partners, and of course Fedor is an important part of that construction.
"But the co-promotion deal is of great importance.
"The financials behind his deal are based on a large number of factors, which include the co-promotion and co-branding activities, and Fedor is a part of that total deal."
Emelianenko added: "I am looking forward to going back to work and fighting at the highest level."
The Russian is widely regarded as the best heavyweight fighter on the planet and has been courted by the UFC for several years.
He has a 30-1-1 professional MMA record and counts former UFC stars Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia as his most recent scalps.
Source
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Real Reason Dana White Declared War On Strikeforce!
Did the UFC president, Dana White declare war on Strikeforce because Strikeforce landed Fedor Emelianenko when the UFC couldn’t?
I doubt it, although the issue may have exacerbated Dana’s distain of Strikeforce. The UFC’s failure to sign who many believe is the world’s best heavyweight, must have been humiliating, even though Fedor’s decision to go with Strikeforce was blameless on all sides.
But Dana attempted to save face anyway by berating Strikeforce and even Fedor himself. All he accomplished was to sabotage his own effort to conceal an admission of defeat, when in fact, it was simply a business deal that fell through. No one was defeated.
So, instead of focusing on that one particular topic, let’s look at the big picture here.
There are millions of UFC fans and most live in America. There are millions of MMA fans, and many of them like to include UFC events in their MMA viewing plans. MMA fans are widely scattered around the globe—including America.
It’s understandable that UFC fans prefer the UFC; they may even be exclusively pro-UFC.
After all, the UFC model calculatingly laces its production design with a pro-wrestling brand of artificial anger and combative philosophy and atmosphere to specifically target that all-important 14 to 28-year-old consumer, (18-34 if you believe the PPV age-group stats… which I don’t). And the scheme works flawlessly.
Dana White is a promoting genius. He, in concert with a very talented marketing team, pinpointed where the money is and how to tailor his company to mirror the image that today’s youth want to emulate.
Dana is not interested in the growth or improvement of the sport of MMA, but only in the success of his enterprise: the UFC and its related toy widgets that his advertising panel peddles. Dana White appears to preserve his UFC under a fortress compound-like protection and separate from the sport that is MMA. Additionally, many feel that the UFC had a hand in taking down what they perceived as rival organizations.
However, Dana White will never squelch MMA—not even a little.
As of last week, I counted eighty-one sanctioned MMA organizations, worldwide. This week, there may be a few more, or a few less...and so on.
Scott Coker, the president of Strikeforce, is not a marketing genius. He's a visionary. Scott sees the big picture—the global portrait. Recently, he publicly announced his plans to hold both a men’s and women’s MMA tournament style format. Scott Coker wants his organization to grow. He wants to make money, and he is willing work with other MMA organizations to provide the best product posible.
Source
I doubt it, although the issue may have exacerbated Dana’s distain of Strikeforce. The UFC’s failure to sign who many believe is the world’s best heavyweight, must have been humiliating, even though Fedor’s decision to go with Strikeforce was blameless on all sides.
But Dana attempted to save face anyway by berating Strikeforce and even Fedor himself. All he accomplished was to sabotage his own effort to conceal an admission of defeat, when in fact, it was simply a business deal that fell through. No one was defeated.
So, instead of focusing on that one particular topic, let’s look at the big picture here.
There are millions of UFC fans and most live in America. There are millions of MMA fans, and many of them like to include UFC events in their MMA viewing plans. MMA fans are widely scattered around the globe—including America.
It’s understandable that UFC fans prefer the UFC; they may even be exclusively pro-UFC.
After all, the UFC model calculatingly laces its production design with a pro-wrestling brand of artificial anger and combative philosophy and atmosphere to specifically target that all-important 14 to 28-year-old consumer, (18-34 if you believe the PPV age-group stats… which I don’t). And the scheme works flawlessly.
Dana White is a promoting genius. He, in concert with a very talented marketing team, pinpointed where the money is and how to tailor his company to mirror the image that today’s youth want to emulate.
Dana is not interested in the growth or improvement of the sport of MMA, but only in the success of his enterprise: the UFC and its related toy widgets that his advertising panel peddles. Dana White appears to preserve his UFC under a fortress compound-like protection and separate from the sport that is MMA. Additionally, many feel that the UFC had a hand in taking down what they perceived as rival organizations.
However, Dana White will never squelch MMA—not even a little.
As of last week, I counted eighty-one sanctioned MMA organizations, worldwide. This week, there may be a few more, or a few less...and so on.
Scott Coker, the president of Strikeforce, is not a marketing genius. He's a visionary. Scott sees the big picture—the global portrait. Recently, he publicly announced his plans to hold both a men’s and women’s MMA tournament style format. Scott Coker wants his organization to grow. He wants to make money, and he is willing work with other MMA organizations to provide the best product posible.
Source
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Dana White IS the Face of MMA
For good or for bad, Dana White, more than anyone in history, has become the face of MMA.
Now, when the same was said about Gina Carano being the "Face of WMMA," there was a ton of controversy, most of all from very vocal women and often practitioners of that very same faction of the sport.
But after reading the second issue of the new MMA magazine whose cover sported none other than the president of the UFC and the most vocal voice in the sport of MMA, I doubt that anyone will argue with me about the statement my title makes.
To support this, I read that very phrase used to describe Dana White in an article in that very same magazine, which I have been glued to ever since the mail was brought in today.
Within the pages I have read so far, there exists not one unfavorable word directed at Mr. White. Suffice it to say, Grandma Dee will most probably NOT be invited to write for this particular publication anytime soon, having been so critical of said Mr. White in the past.
It is not my intention to say anything disparaging about Dana in this article either, which is not to say I am trying to make amends for previous opinions I have stated about the most famous man in my favorite sport's history.
Giving credit where credit is due is an important aspect of being a sportswriter. Most people would agree with that statement.
Indeed, most of the criticism I receive in the comments on B/R come in response to unfavorable opinions I have voiced about Dana in past articles.
I will never retract my opinion that better language would help more average American sports fans to accept the fairly new sport that has made White the rich and influential man he has become.
Along with promoting the sport, Dana has promoted himself as well.
Thus, he has been guilty of the capital offence (in Grandma's opinion) of interrupting the concentration of his best and most popular fighters by often ingratiating himself to various personalities in the world of sports and movies, by bringing them into the locker rooms to meet the fighters just minutes before they are to enter the ring.
Now few fighters will publicly complain about being introduced to movie stars and famous sports heroes, but who is really served by doing something like this on the night of a very important fight?
Not the fighter, but the very accommodating Dana White himself, who later is the person seen accompanying the likes of David Spade and Mandy Moore at non-fighting events, or just "kicking it" with those personalities.
The fighters belong to White's organization and are tightly bound to him by 19-page contracts which limit the fighters' own use of their names and images, which belong due to the contracts they signed to Mr. White himself, who holds tightly to these reins of ownership.
Which brings me to the point most frequently raised in Dana's defence in any situation in which I have been critical of him: Dana White is the prime example of a complete businessman.
White's business model has been studied in top universities and is much admired.
From rising to his level after starting out as a promoter and aerobics trainer is quite a feat of business acumen. I admire that.
In fact, I owe my very college education and even the very clothes I wore to college to such a man.
He was a self-made millionaire who helped many people other than me to make something of them selves during his life.
His interest in me was due to having been my grandmother Dorothy's second husband, and he is the finest man I have ever known.
It would be hard for anyone to compete with him for my esteem. He never cursed. Although he was a self-proclaimed atheist, he knew the Bible from the first page to the last.
Most surprisingly, few knew his name, other than the men who served with him on the board of several banks, or chidingly told me that my grandfather "owned his hometown as well as the bank named for it" when I expressed surprise that they even were aware of who he was.
Not everyone who is wealthy publicises it or is as well known as Dana White.
I do not resent that he has risen from obscurity to fame. More power to him.
Undoubtedly, I will criticize him again in the future, but right now I am proclaiming that of all the people involved in the sport of MMA around the entire world, Dana White IS the "Face of MMA."
Source
Now, when the same was said about Gina Carano being the "Face of WMMA," there was a ton of controversy, most of all from very vocal women and often practitioners of that very same faction of the sport.
But after reading the second issue of the new MMA magazine whose cover sported none other than the president of the UFC and the most vocal voice in the sport of MMA, I doubt that anyone will argue with me about the statement my title makes.
To support this, I read that very phrase used to describe Dana White in an article in that very same magazine, which I have been glued to ever since the mail was brought in today.
Within the pages I have read so far, there exists not one unfavorable word directed at Mr. White. Suffice it to say, Grandma Dee will most probably NOT be invited to write for this particular publication anytime soon, having been so critical of said Mr. White in the past.
It is not my intention to say anything disparaging about Dana in this article either, which is not to say I am trying to make amends for previous opinions I have stated about the most famous man in my favorite sport's history.
Giving credit where credit is due is an important aspect of being a sportswriter. Most people would agree with that statement.
Indeed, most of the criticism I receive in the comments on B/R come in response to unfavorable opinions I have voiced about Dana in past articles.
I will never retract my opinion that better language would help more average American sports fans to accept the fairly new sport that has made White the rich and influential man he has become.
Along with promoting the sport, Dana has promoted himself as well.
Thus, he has been guilty of the capital offence (in Grandma's opinion) of interrupting the concentration of his best and most popular fighters by often ingratiating himself to various personalities in the world of sports and movies, by bringing them into the locker rooms to meet the fighters just minutes before they are to enter the ring.
Now few fighters will publicly complain about being introduced to movie stars and famous sports heroes, but who is really served by doing something like this on the night of a very important fight?
Not the fighter, but the very accommodating Dana White himself, who later is the person seen accompanying the likes of David Spade and Mandy Moore at non-fighting events, or just "kicking it" with those personalities.
The fighters belong to White's organization and are tightly bound to him by 19-page contracts which limit the fighters' own use of their names and images, which belong due to the contracts they signed to Mr. White himself, who holds tightly to these reins of ownership.
Which brings me to the point most frequently raised in Dana's defence in any situation in which I have been critical of him: Dana White is the prime example of a complete businessman.
White's business model has been studied in top universities and is much admired.
From rising to his level after starting out as a promoter and aerobics trainer is quite a feat of business acumen. I admire that.
In fact, I owe my very college education and even the very clothes I wore to college to such a man.
He was a self-made millionaire who helped many people other than me to make something of them selves during his life.
His interest in me was due to having been my grandmother Dorothy's second husband, and he is the finest man I have ever known.
It would be hard for anyone to compete with him for my esteem. He never cursed. Although he was a self-proclaimed atheist, he knew the Bible from the first page to the last.
Most surprisingly, few knew his name, other than the men who served with him on the board of several banks, or chidingly told me that my grandfather "owned his hometown as well as the bank named for it" when I expressed surprise that they even were aware of who he was.
Not everyone who is wealthy publicises it or is as well known as Dana White.
I do not resent that he has risen from obscurity to fame. More power to him.
Undoubtedly, I will criticize him again in the future, but right now I am proclaiming that of all the people involved in the sport of MMA around the entire world, Dana White IS the "Face of MMA."
Source
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