Fedor Emelianenko’s manager Vadim Finkelchstein has once again denied that he is talking to the UFC. He also says that FEG was unable to come up with an interesting opponent for Fedor to fight on the annual New Year’s Eve Dynamite!! show.
From AllBoxing.ru via Fighter’s Only:
“It’s stupidity. We are not conducting such negotiations. Right now we are in active negotiations with Showtime on a contract extension, and perhaps we will renew it. But the UFC does not offer such opportunities and imposes its monopoly conditions. They believe that everyone should be in the UFC,” he told Russian website AllBoxing.ru
“We would love to fight with Lesnar, and Velasquez and all but why should we give up all these undertakings, all the years spent on Fedor’s development will go to them? Fedor did not grow in the UFC, right? So why should he go to the UFC?
“Fedor is now ready to fight. He is 34, he feels fine and is ready to work. He is ready to sign a contract for five or six fights, and do the job very well. He always says he’s ready to act. We need to protect our interests.”
Vadim really blew it by chosing Strikeforce over the UFC in 2009. He blew it again by holding out and skipping Strikeforce’s second CBS show in April. Is he blowing it again?
Three strikes and you’re out Vadim.
However, should Junior dos Santos beat Cain Velasquez in 2011, Fedor might suddenly become much more attractive. If the UFC is looking at a revolving door of relatively anonymous champions in the HW division, they’ll actually need Fedor. If he comes in and takes the title, he’s Fedor the best of all time and they can market that as long as he lasts at the top. If he comes in and loses, then their champ is the (other) guy who beat Fedor.
Fedor needs to beat Fabricio Werdum in impressive fashion to maximize his value. That means much more than beating Alistair Overeem for the Strikeforce title.
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