In perhaps the most closely watched negotiation in mixed martial arts history, the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Fedor Emelianenko tried all week to hash out a deal that would bring the heavyweight kingpin to the UFC. However, a week after his fight with Josh Barnett was scratched at Affliction “Trilogy,” the world’s consensus number one heavyweight remains in just as uncertain a position in terms of where he will fight next.
The public relations gamesmanship was palpable, as the UFC and Emelianenko’s M-1 Global representatives held press conferences to talk about negotiations, which took place in Los Angeles. UFC President Dana White said in a conference call that the parties, which first started talking in 2007 after the collapse of Pride Fighting Championships, had reached agreements on all point besides co-promoting the event with M-1, which the Russian outfit established early on as a precondition to doing business. It was not entirely clear what co-promotion means, but White said his company was not interested in a deal where the other entity was looking for “half our business.” M-1 spokesman Jerry Millen told MMA Fanhouse the idea was for the UFC and M-1 to split profits from the fight. By week’s end, White said he was still ready to a do a deal if co-promotion was not in play.
Both sides seemed to leak and deny a hodgepodge of rumors about what the UFC was offering Emelianenko. It appears the UFC offered in the neighborhood of $2 million guaranteed per fight, much higher than any other contract in the promotion. While not divulging specific numbers, M-1 CEO Joost Raimond told Sherdog.com the guaranteed money was for “less than what Fedor made before.” Emelianenko earned $300,000 in disclosed pay for an Affliction fight against Tim Sylvia, and the promotion paid M-1 Global another $1.2 million on top of that, according to the Wrestling Observer.
Emelianenko told Sherdog.com he has three fights remaining on his contract with M-1 -- of which he reportedly owns a piece -- and was “very happy” with the contract. M-1 announced Emelianenko would be a featured fighter in the upcoming mixed martial arts video game release by Electronic Arts. The UFC has sent the message that any fighter who appears in the game would not be welcome inside the Octagon.
Emelianenko is also negotiating with Strikeforce. Manager Vadim Finkelstein praised CEO Scott Coker in an interview with Sherdog.com, while Coker said he thinks Brett Rogers, Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum provide interesting, valid challenges for the heavyweight kingpin. Coker told USA Today he “doesn’t blame” M-1 for wanting to be “equal partners in branding.” Coker said M-1 was weighing three other offers besides those from the UFC and Strikeforce. Several reports indicated Strikeforce has offered Emelianenko between $500,000 and $700,000, with CBS chipping in with $500,000 of its own money. Finkelstein told Sherdog.com Emelianenko will fight by year’s end.