Fedor Emelianenko Turns Down $5 Million Per Fight Offer From The UFC

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Fedor Emelianenko Turns Down $5 Million Per Fight Offer From The UFC
Posted by: Wrestling-Radio.com

Source: FightLine.com

“The UFC made a (new) offer that was a very good offer,” M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein stated today regarding the offer made by the UFC to Fedor Emelianenko. CBS Radio MMA host Carmichael Dave revealed exactly how good the offer was in a post on Sherdog this evening.

According to Carmichael, the UFC presented Emelianenko with a six-fight, $30 million dollar contract. At $5 million per fight, that would easily make him the highest paid fighter in the organization's history. He was also offered an immediate title shot, with M-1 Global receiving a cut of the Lesnar - Fedor PPV (which would likely be the biggest PPV in MMA history) on top of Fedor's salary.

Carmichael went on to note that Emelianenko would be able to don the M-1 Global logo on any of his attire, and that he would be allowed to compete in combat sambo, a point of contention in their negotiations in 2007.

Finkelchtein noted that while their offer was good, it wasn't enough to convince them to sign with the UFC. Like in 2007, Finkelchtein is apparently demanding to have a co-promotion with his Russian M-1 Global promotion and the UFC. Finkelchtein stated earlier today that because M-1 has done its part to grow the sport by promoting shows all over the world, that the company is worthy of co-promoting events with the UFC.

"The UFC has their champions; we (M-1 Global) also have our champions and our representatives," Finkelchtein said. "We offered to have a co-promotion."

Finkelchtein went on to say that further progress may be made later, but not now. He also revealed that Emelianenko was negotiating with other organizations, including Strikeforce.

It is virtually guaranteed that the UFC would not allow Fedor's fights to be co-promotional ventures with M-1 Global. It is also virtually guaranteed that no other organization would be able to match the UFC's offer monetarily, although they could provide the co-promotion with M-1 Global.

Fedor is fighting a lost cause. He's got everything going for him outside of the M-1 thing. He already got the combat sambo thing, he's getting $5 million per fight, an instant title shot, and he gets an actual challenge against Lesnar.

Babz summed it up really. It makes no sense for Fedor to turn down such a massive contract. He'll be making an immense amount of cash per fight, and will get instant top-billing. He's owned Pride and Affliction, it's about time he made the step up to the UFC to compete with the world's best. Why he doesn't want to is beyond me.

babaganoosh wrote:

Fedor is fighting a lost cause. He's got everything going for him outside of the M-1 thing. He already got the combat sambo thing, he's getting $5 million per fight, an instant title shot, and he gets an actual challenge against Lesnar.

I think that maybe his agent is in his ear witht he whole M1 thing. As you guys have just said, he has gotten everything he has asked for, except for that. 5 Million a fight for a MMA is pretty huge. 5 Million a fight for any kind of fighter is huge.

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Fedor-UFC talks ongoing
By Ken Pishna/MMAWeekly.com
Jul 29, 5:56 pm EDT

Buzz up!16 votes PrintAfter an Internet report surfaced on Tuesday, stating 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, Emelianenko’s management gathered a news conference on Wednesday that far from confirmed the news

In fact, the news conference in Anaheim, Calif., only served to confirm counter reports that the two parties still have not finalized 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 resisted holding a co-promoted event, even in attempts to land Emelianenko.

“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 U.S. vice-president.

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.

The UFC, which has a press conference planned for Friday to announce as-yet unspecified news, has not publicly commented on negotiations with Emelianenko.