UFC, etc.

[Devil_666]

Fedor Emelianenko, the top-ranked heavyweight in the world, will not fight in the UFC unless Dana White and company agree to co-promote with Emelianenko’s partners at M-1 Global. M-1 Global CEO Vadim Finkelstein made that clear Wednesday at a news conference. Finkelstein confirmed that M-1 Global had negotiated with UFC officials as recently as Tuesday, meeting in person with Zuffa’s attorneys and also with Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White on a teleconference call.

Finkelstein said the UFC made a new offer to Emelianenko, and M-1 Global made a counteroffer. However, Finkelstein said Emelianenko would not proceed without a co-promotional effort between M-1 and the UFC where they shared expenses and profits.

“Our offer was very simple,” said Finkelstein. “We offered to have a co-promotion -- two fights, three fights, doesn’t matter. And we were ready to invest in that show together and to get the profit together. But the UFC made a different offer that was a very good offer. But the same offer (they made), we can actually make to their champion. We can also offer millions to them and one, two, three, four fights to them.”

The UFC makes significant money in MMA. They make a significant profit per year. They're actually one of the few MMA promotions that do. That's a fact, and I don't think anyone posting in here would disagree with that.

M-1 Global does NOT make significant money in MMA on it's own. They make significant money leeching off other promotions through Fedor and "co-promotion". When M-1 has put on it's own shows (M-1 Challenge) as a stand alone promotion/product you can see how meaningless that company really is. Fedor has headlined 4 American PPV's to date. Take a look at the buy rates for each PPV's:

PRIDE 32 - The Real Deal (vs. Mark Coleman II) - PPV BUY RATE: 40,000
bodog Fight - Clash of the Nations (vs. Matt Lindland) - PPV BUY RATE: 13,000
Afflicition - Banned (vs. Tim Sylvia) - PPV BUY RATE: Est. 85,000
Affliction - Day of Reckoning (vs. Andrei Arlovski) - PPV BUY RATE: Est. 100,000

Those numbers are horrible no matter how you spin 'em. It's no coincidence that ALL those promotions died with Fedor at the helm. It's a fact: Fedor is not a big draw in North America. It's also no coincidence that when bodog Fight and Affliction (who both "co-promoted" with M-1 Global) finally died they had both lost significant amounts of money in the process. Reportedly $35 million or so for bodog and at least $10 million for Affliction.

So what exactly does M-1 Global have to offer as far as co-promotion? Fedor. That's it. That's what M-1 Global brings to the table. Yet M-1 Global wants 50% of the profits the UFC makes every time Fedor fights.

UFC: Fedor vs. Lesnar = The biggest money making fight in MMA history.

UFC and M-1 Global presents Fedor vs. Lesnar = The same exact amount of money i.e. the UFC doesn't gain anything from co-promoting with M-1 Global. While M-1 Global on the other hand makes money twice because not only would they get 50% of the profits, the UFC would still have to pay Fedor for fighting.

It's comical.

Here's a quote from Fedor's brother; pretty much sums up M-1 Global and Vadim Finkelstein:

"You can deal with UFC, I know that they have flexible contract system. All these talks about "strict" contract terms with signing with UFC, come ONLY from Vadim Finkelstein, who wants to push his owns business projects through Fedor's fights"

 

[nash]

Is Fedor and Vadim doing some Brokeback action or what? What's with Fedor's undying devotion to that tool?

 

[Devil_666]

Is Fedor and Vadim doing some Brokeback action or what? What's with Fedor's undying devotion to that tool?

 

[bumblebee]

 

[Shai]

 

[Shai]

You should post this on MMA forums..lolll

 

[King Darkness]

Classic!!!

 

[Shai]

Fedors UFC offer and details
July 30, 2009, 6:50 am

According to the Carmichael Dave show:

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

The offer was deemed to be a good one by M-1 Global but they turned it down after the UFC refused to climb down on the issue of co-promoting events. This deal now looks dead in the water and Fedors manager, Vadim Finkelchtein, has admitted that they will now begin to explore other options.

 

[Shai]

If this was the deal officially, those Russian are idiots.

 

[bumblebee]

LMAO at Fedor! Like he really has many options and could do better then the UFC. I guess he just wants to go somewhere and fight nobodies. What a puss.

 

[bumblebee]

If this was the deal officially, those Russian are idiots.

Arent they anyways.

 

[nash]

LOL !! I swear that photo has the potential to be epic on the internet. what a great photoshop job!

 

[King Darkness]

those Russian are idiots.

AND SPAMMERS!!!



F'n Russians

 

[Devil_666]

My wife is Russian (and obviously our son is half) so I just punched both of them because of this.



----------------------------------------------------------

M-1: Fedor Not Offered $30 Million

M-1 Global is denying a report that Fedor Emelianenko turned down a six-fight $30-million deal this week to join the UFC’s heavyweight ranks.

CBS Radio host Carmichael Dave reported Wednesday that Emelianenko had turned down an agreement that would have paid him $5 million per fight. However, Joost Raimond, CEO for M-1 Global, called the report “completely ludicrous” and said negotiations never even reached the point where the number of fights contracted for Emelianenko was discussed.

“I can say that the guaranteed -- and the word ‘guaranteed’ is of great importance here -- the guaranteed offer made by the UFC is less than what Fedor made before,” Raimond said. “The five-million (per fight) is way, way, way out of range. Half of that is even way out of range of what they offered.”

Raimond was not present at the meeting that took place between UFC and M-1 management in Los Angeles earlier this week, but he said he was debriefed shortly afterward. M-1 and UFC officials, including president Dana White, reconvened the next day via teleconference call, where M-1 presented a counteroffer that included co-promotion. No written contact was ever presented.

M-1 President Vadim Finkelstein and Emelianenko were en route to Russia Thursday and could not be reached for comment. UFC officials told Sherdog.com that White is also traveling and their earliest comment would come Friday during a media conference call.

Raimond confirmed that M-1 Global had been presented with the possibility to receive a cut of pay-per-view profits in addition to Emelianenko’s guaranteed pay, but he said no other profit-sharing incentives were presented.

“And there were a number of provisions attached to that offer that made it very much less interesting,” Raimond said.

Many of those provisions involved the branding of M-1 within the UFC organization, according to Raimond.

“We made it clear that Fedor, now and forever is part, even part owner, of M-1 and those two cannot be separated,” Raimond said. “If the rest of M-1 is excluded from any kind of deal, it makes the deal difficult.”

Raimond said a title shot against heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar –- in Emelianenko’s first fight or otherwise -- was not specified during the talks. (UFC President Dana White has publicly stated the Russian would challenge for the title in his first bout with the promotion, though.) Raimond also confirmed that the UFC conceded to allow Emelianenko continue to compete in sambo, of which he is a national champion and spokesman, and noted during the meeting that the fighter was free to wear M-1 clothing.

“That’s like telling someone they’re allowed to eat,” said Raimond, suggesting it wasn’t a significant concession.

Raimond noted that the M-1 team was disheartened to learn that “unsubstantiated rumors” had been disseminated, and that Internet readers were willing to believe them at face value.

“Sometimes the fans don’t realize that there is a business to run and all these statements, ‘These M-1 idiots, why don’t they just give Fedor to the UFC because they’ve offered him the best money?’ This is a completely unsubstantiated rumor that the UFC has offered the best money for Fedor ever. This is just not the case.”

Raimond emphasized that negotiations with the UFC had been fruitful, even though the fundamental disagreement over co-promotion between the two organizations remains.

“We had a very professional, productive and respectful meeting with the UFC,” Raimond said. “I think both parties walked away (knowing) even though a deal wasn’t made, that a very decent meeting was had.”

I thought that figure sounded unrealistic because there's no way the UFC would make a profit off that kind of deal. Note that Joost Raimond, CEO for M-1 Global even states that half of that ($2.5 Million per fight) wasn't even close to what Fedor was offered.

 

[King Darkness]

My wife is Russian (and obviously our son is half) so I just punched both of them because of this.

Good man

 

[kobayashi93]

I really wish MMA media would evolve. Half the information comes from over glorified sherdog posters. I love it when Dana White owns their writers.

Speaking of whom, there's a UFC press conference at 11(I'm guessing pac time). Hopefully they clear up some of this Fedor talk, and announce the real UFC 103 main event. It's going to be streamed on the UFC site aparantly.

Edit* Whoops looks like it's live now, with no video. Vitor vs Franklin, and Tito is back. Dan Henderson is next in line for a 185 title shot.

 

[Devil_666]

OFFICIAL

UFC 103 Main Event - (205) LHW bout: Vitor Belfort vs. Rich Franklin

Tito Ortiz back in the UFC. First fight will probably be in Nov/Dec most likely vs. Mark Coleman.

More to come..

 

[Devil_666]

We tried everything we could possibly do to get Fedor into the UFC. We went above and beyond. We gave up everything except co-promotion. Fedor will never get another deal like this in MMA. M-1's going to "co-promote"? They're going to help US? That s*** probably works in Russia. Not here.

Dan Henderson is next in line for a MW title shot. Maia and Marquardt weep.

 

[kobayashi93]

Well, I'm much happier with Belfort vs Franklin. Wish it could be at 185 though.

 

[sscalltheway]

Wow I thought when I got back I would see Fedor in the UFC, it just goes to show you that if Fedor doesn't sign then he should definetly be 3rd p4p in the world. I mean stop avoiding good fighters, damn.