UFC Rumor

[daniyal]

The LA Times is reporting that the Last Emperor has reached a deal with the UFC here's the article:

A long-awaited agreement between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the man considered the world's best mixed martial arts fighter, Fedor Emelianenko, is expected to be announced by UFC President Dana White on Friday, a source with information about the negotiations told The Times today.

The source, who asked not to be identified because he's not authorized to speak publicly about the dealings, called negotiations between the UFC and Fedor "very civil" just days after Fedor's scheduled Affliction Trilogy fight Saturday against Josh Barnett was canceled.

Affliction wound up folding its MMA promotion activities and announced an apparel deal to sponsor UFC.

Now, Fedor, who has previously fought in organizations including PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan, Bodog Fight and Affliction, is crossing over to the world's most successful MMA fighting organization, as well.

With a 30-1 record that includes victories over former UFC heavyweight champions Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Emelianenko would likely get an immediate shot at reigning UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar.

The source, who is not affiliated with the UFC, said officials were discussing details on the public announcement of the deal, which in the past has been complicated by Emelianenko's resistance to accept UFC's standard six-fight contract and his unwillingness to surrender some merchandising and marketing revenues.

But this month White said he was optimistic he could bring Emelianenko aboard, and his confidence was well-placed. The UFC declined to elaborate on Friday's scheduled announcement.

-- Lance Pugmire

 

[cigarguy71]

I hope!

 

[alden]

This is the first time I've checked out Fedor Emelianenko fights. Just looked on You tube. That guys is nasty!

 

[daniyal]

The man's a beast.. if the deal does go through Fedor will be introduced to the general MMA population and create two of the biggest and most anticipated fights in MMA imho versus Brock and Randy.

 

[Josh.CHI]

DOOD! I hope i hope i hope i hope i hope

 

[jjflynn3]

Lesnar should be very scared!

 

[Angry Bill]

Lesnar is too stupid to be scared, but he needs to be. Fedor has the skills, mindset and power to beat Lesnar.

 

[Nuckz23]

Wow, this is awesome if it pans out. Fedor is a great fighter.

 

[SkinsFanLarry]

daniyal, great find my brother! :thumbsup:

Now if it does get worked out, we fans would see some great heavyweight fights in the near future.

 

[GoingPostal]

I totally believe this because Fedor is great and the only great fights for him are in the ufc. Money talks expecially in the fight game.

 

[jre]

It`ll happen. Fedor knows where the money is. I think Brock might try to bust out a couple more title defenses before he faces Fedor.

 

[SkinsFanLarry]

UFC Prez Dana White talks Fedor:

“My job is to put on the best fighters and to give you, the fans, the fights you want to see. I’ve been trying to get Fedor in the UFC. I want it because you want it. Believe me, I’m trying to make it happen. He’ll fight for the title first. What does he need, a tune-up fight or something? … To argue where this guy sits in the heavyweight division, we can argue that all day. Fedor has a ton of experience. The guy’s been around forever. But you can’t take anything away from Brock Lesnar … It’s an interesting fight. It’s a very good fight. Fedor’s got to come to a deal first. If Randy can go out there and cut that deal with Fedor, then Randy, get to work, buddy.”

 

[daniyal]

Reports coming out have quoted the UFC offering $30 million to Fedor for 6 fights. The offer has reportedly been turned down for now since M-1 wants to co-promote with the UFC and we all know how Dana feels about that.

If I was Fedor I'd drop Finklestein like an empty vodka bottle and run for the dotted line.

 

[SkinsFanLarry]

As a report from the L.A. Times surfaced on the Internet on Tuesday, that Fedor Emelianenko and the Ultimate Fighting Championship were all but done negotiating a deal that would land the No. 1 ranked heavyweight in the world’s foremost mixed martial arts promotion, Fedor’s management gathered a press conference on Wednesday that far from confirmed such reports.

In fact, the press conference in Anaheim, Calif., only served to confirm counter reports that the two parties were still far from finalizing a contract.

The UFC made initial offers that M-1 Global countered, with company president Vadim Finkelchtein saying, “The UFC has their champions; we (M-1 Global) also have our champions and our representatives. We offered to have a co-promotion.”

He says that the UFC met the counter “very quietly.” The UFC has been resistant to holding a co-promoted event, even in attempts to land Fedor.

“The UFC made a different offer that was a very good offer,” continued Finkelchtein, but it still hasn’t been enough to bridge the gap between the two parties and they remain at an impasse.

The door is still open for those that hope to see Fedor Emelianenko in the Octagon across from Brock Lesnar or Randy Couture.

“Maybe not now, but maybe later,” Finkelchtein said of further progress being possible.

Fedor’s camp on Wednesday also announced that the fighter would grace the cover of the upcoming mixed martial arts video game from EA Sports.

“EA Sports (on Wednesday) will announce that Fedor Emelianenko will headline the EA Sports mixed martial arts fighter game due October next year, also along with Gegard Mousasi and Renato Babalu Sobral, who will also be in the game,” announced Jerry Millen, M-1’s vice president in the United States.

Although UFC President Dana White has remained steadfast in his comments that the UFC will not work with fighters that ink a deal with EA Sports, it is unlikely that Fedor’s already signed agreement with the video game company would create a chasm too wide to cross. Current UFC fighter Randy Couture also had a deal in place with EA Sports before he returned to the promotion last year.

 

[SkinsFanLarry]

It was heavily rumored that Dana White would announce the return of Tito Ortiz today during the UFC press conference, and that rumor turned out to be true as Ortiz is now back with the promotion he helped make famous.

"Tito will retire in the UFC". stated the UFC president.

Ortiz was also in attendance for the conference and said the following of his return, "Time cures everything. Dana apologized to me....It was about competition...financially I'm ok...Dana stuck by his word."

Ortiz also went on to day that he is working with Freddie Roach in LA and will likely return to action in November or December.

White stated he would likely be fighting Mark Coleman is his return match up.

 

[Gordy]

i wanna see fedor get smashed... its gonna be great