Strikeforce heavyweight hopeful Brett Rogers makes the last stop on his whirlwind PR tour for "Fedor vs. Rogers" when he appears in a pre-taped interview late Friday night on Carson Daly's "Last Call" on NBC.
The late-night show airs at 1:35 a.m. EST/PST and 12:35 Central and Mountain time.
Rogers will discuss his fight career as well as his upbringing in the Cabrini Green projects of Chicago's north side.
On Saturday, the undefeated heavyweight faces the world's most feared heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, in a headling bout at the Sears Centre Arena in suburban Chicago. Strikeforce CEO says the event is on track to sell out, with just under 10,000 seats sold.
HDNet's "Inside MMA" will provide LIVE, exclusive coverage of the weigh-ins for "STRIKEFORCE: Fedor vs. Rogers," Friday, November 6 at 6:00 pm ET. The special 90-minute edition of "Inside MMA" will provide a first look at the undisputed No. 1 Heavyweight in the world - Fedor Emelianenko, as he hits the scale the night before his network television debut on CBS.
In addition to Fedor, many of the top mixed martial artists in the world including Brett Rogers, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Jake Shields, and Gegard Mousasi will step onto the scale and then step into Kruck's Korner during the LIVE broadcast. Heavyweight sensation Bobby Lashley, "King" Mo Lawal, and MMA legend Frank Shamrock are expected to join Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten to break down the card and to witness the excitement of weigh-in Friday.
"Friday weigh-ins are closely watched by MMA insiders because they often reveal who is ready to fight... and who isn't," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "Then, on Saturday's CBS broadcast, we will debut a new commercial that will drive home the message that true MMA fans have to have HDNet."
This episode of "Inside MMA" is the only place to see highlights of some of Fedor's most recent, explosive victories including Fedor v Hong Man Choi, Fedor v Arlovski, Fedor v. Tim Sylvia and Fedor's exhibitions with Gegard Mousasi and Shinya Aoki.
Brett Rogers was on ESPN's First Take on Wednesday to talk about his dream moving from a job at Sam's Club to fighting the number one heavyweight fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers on Saturday night on CBS.
On a media teleconference Monday promoting Strikeforce's CBS network debut, CEO Scott Coker said ticket sales are brisk.
So far, the 12,000-seat Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. is 85% percent sold for the Nov. 7 event, Coker said.
"I would expect us to be totally sold out by Saturday," he added.
Coker said CBS was doing a good job at promoting the event and exposing it to new audiences, but ultimately, Emelianenko's status as the number one heavyweight was the primary selling point.
If Coker had one gripe, it would be his wish that Emelianenko was local.
"If Fedor was living in America, we'd take him on a lot more shows, but that's not the case," he said. "He's here now and we're going to make the best of it for the rest of the week."
For naysayers who believed Strikeforce was a flash in the pan, Coker said comparisons to other failed MMA companies wasn't fair.
"I don’t think it’s justice, because these other companies, that wasn’t their core business," he said. "We're not a t-shirt company, we're not a comic book company, we're not a gambling company. This is our core competency and this is what we’ve been doing for over two decades now. To take it to this level, we're very proud and honored to have Fedor fight and do the co-promotion with M-1 and be on CBS."
Coker will soon leave San Jose, Calif for Chicago to begin the final stages of promoting the event.
The MMA media can ask some pretty darn funny questions at times, and not intentionally.
Of many zingers on Monday's Strikeforce conference call for Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers, a reporter asked Fedor whether he killed a bear with a fork and a knife prior to a fight, as his brother Alexsander claimed to do.
Really?
Tanya, Fedor's Russian translator, attempted to relay the question while stifling her own laughter.
For any other fighter, it would have been a cue for silence and/or mockery. But true to form, Fedor kept his rebuttal emotionless.
"Whatever people say, or whoever says anything, I haven't met the bear personally," he said. "I've had an opportunity to see only in the zoo, but from what I know, the bear is a very strong animal and it's really very difficult for a human being to cope with him with some simple effort."
MMA heavyweights Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers take in the Chicago Bears vs. Cleveland Browns football game on Sunday, November 1 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. Fedor and Rogers will square off against one another at the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago, Ill. for "Strikeforce/M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers" on Saturday, Nov 7 (9:00PM, Live ET / delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic doesn't know why the world's largely regarded top heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, refuses to fight in the UFC, but he did make it clear that he thinks Fedor and every other top fighter should focus their efforts on the MMA juggernaut.
"I don't know if somebody controls (Fedor), if he has the power to express his wishes to go wherever he wants. Maybe he has to do what some other people tell him to do, I don't know situation," said Cro Cop during a UFC 103 media conference call on Tuesday.
"I really don't why he doesn't want to enter UFC. Definitely UFC offered him, I know for sure, they offered him the best possible deal today, much more than Dream can offer or Strikeforce can offer, but he's just refusing to go there.
"I think that every true fighter should fight in the UFC today because UFC definitely the only worldwide organization today."
Cro Cop says his own reasons center on competition, wanting to prove that he is still to be feared among the world's best, the way he was in his heyday while fighting for Pride Fighting Championships.
"I liked Pride more than anything, but those days are gone and UFC is the main on the MMA market today. I think my place is to fight in the UFC and that is it," he told reporters.
"I don't think that (Fedor is) afraid of someone and maybe he just wants to keep his perfect score... I don't know."
Fedor recently signed with Strikeforce. He will face Brett Rogers in his first bout for the promotion, but a date and venue have yet to be revealed.
(Audio courtesy of Steve Cofield - ESPN Radio 1100)
Randy Couture is heading into a main event fight at UFC 102 this weekend, facing the very tough Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Fedor Emelianenko snuffed the UFC and took his toys with him over to Strikeforce.
Yet Couture is still plagued by the Sisyphean questions about the two meeting in the ring.
Couture was asked the question again at a recent UFC 102 media call, and you could hear the weariness of the question in his answer.
"I've already been down that road (leaving the UFC to fight Fedor) and I spent more than 13 months trying to find a way to fight him somewhere else because it didn't look like it would happen in the UFC," Couture retorted.
"I think that the best thing that could happen for me right now is for him to come to the UFC. I think sooner or later he's gonna have to come to the UFC, hopefully I'm still around and in the shape I'm in now to be able to fight him.
"If the fight's gonna happen, I think it's gonna happen in the UFC."
It obviously sounds as if the 46-year-old former UFC champion intends to finish out his career with the promotion, but the tone of his voice didn't hold out much hope that Fedor would find his way to the Octagon before Couture leaves his shoes on the mat one final time.
ESPN's MMA Live, with special guest Rashad Evans, talks about the downfall of Affliction, the Fedor sweepstakes, Tito Ortiz's possible return to UFC, and more.
Radio show host Carmichael Dave of Sports 1140 KHTK AM was just one of many to weigh in on today's news that Fedor Emelianenko was not UFC bound, but he relayed some interesting -- if unverified -- details about the UFC's deal with the Russian and his reps.
We know now that Fedor and his M-1 business partners, including manager Vadim Finkelchtein, had a teleconference with UFC officials yesterday, in which the UFC made an offer to secure Emelianenko's services.
According to Carmichael Dave -- who has had regular access to UFC president Dana White for some time -- this is the offer that M-1 ended up turning down. (But again, we must stress that this is unverified.)
- A 6-fight, $30 million contract
- An immediate title shot at UFC 103 against Brock Lesnar
- A cut of the UFC 103 pay-per-view on top of Fedor's purse
- The ability for Fedor to wear as many M-1 logoed items as he wished
- The ability for Fedor to compete in combat Sambo
At a press conference held in Anaheim on Wednesday, Finkelchtein stressed that without co-promotion between the UFC and M-1, Emelianenko would not grace the Octagon any time soon.
Whether the parties come together for a second round of negotiations remains unknown, but Finkelchtein said he and Emelianenko were currently fielding offers from multiple promotions.
---UPDATED 6:30 ET ON JULY 30---
Since initial reports of Carmichael Dave's comments on the UFC's contract offer to Fedor, there have been several other reports contradicting the terms mentioned.
One of the most substantial is Loretta Hunt's report on Sherdog.com. She spoke to Joost Raimond, CEO for M-1 Global, who "called the report 'completely ludicrous' and said negotiations never even reached the point where the number of fights contracted for Emelianenko was decided."
Raimond did, however, characterize negotiations with the UFC as "very professional, productive and respectful."
Ever since Affliction announced late last week that its "Trilogy" event scheduled for Aug. 1 had been canceled, the combat sports world collectively has waited for an official response from former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko.
On Wednesday, Emelianenko will address the media for the first time since last week's sudden cancellation. During the press conference, Emelianenko will discuss the ramifications of the cancellation, comment on his future in the fight game, and respond to questions from members of the media.
"Since the cancellation, there has been a great deal of speculation regarding Fedor and M-1," said Vadim Finkelchtein, whose M-1 Global fight company not only produces international MMA events but also manages Fedor. "On Wednesday, the media and fans will be able to hear what's going on with Fedor from the man himself."
Emelianenko, considered by most pundits to be the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, had been scheduled to fight top contender Josh Barnett. A win over Barnett would have marked the sixth former UFC heavyweight champion that Emelianenko has defeated in his career. Unfortunately, Emelianenko was denied his opportunity after the California State Athletic Commission announced last Wednesday that Barnett would not be granted a license in time for the fight.
(Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com, as we will be in attendance to bring you the latest news from Fedor and his camp.)
MMA Live talks about Josh Barnett's failed drug test, Kimo Leopoldo's whirlwind week, the possibility of Tito Ortiz and Fedor to the UFC, and a look back at DREAM.10. King Mo Lawal joins the program to discuss his feud with Quinton Jackson
MMA legend Don Frye will return to action on Aug. 28 to face Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal at M-1 Global's first major U.S. show in Los Angeles.
But he'd happily step in to face Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction "Trilogy"... if promoter Tom Atencio will let him.
"If Tom was smart, he'd have me fighting Fedor instead of whoever he's hiring on a one week notice," Frye told MMAInsider. "My phone works if he wants a real fight with someone who sell a fight in four days, somebody who will beat that bald-headed commie too."
In fact, Frye said the only reason he was fighting Lawal was to get an eventual shot at Emelianenko.
"He ain't seen anything I have to offer," continued Frye. "He built his whole reputation (as a) waffle house chef. They've been serving him up ham and eggs with a side of canned tomatoes. I'll bring it. And if he can bring it, you'll have the best fight you've ever seen on the planet."
Steve Cofield and the boys at ESPN 1100 once again get UFC president Dana White to rail on Fedor Emelianenko and Affliction, but at least this time they use a new tact and bait Dana into an argument over whether or not Fedor is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.
An obvious ploy to get Dana's blood pressure to rise... but, hey, it worked...
Couture checked in with the guys from ESPNRadio1100 to talk about what he's looking for in the future. He says he deserves the first shot at Fedor if he ever comes to the UFC.
Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi ham it up while Fedor tries to shoot promotional commercials for Affliction "Trilogy." Maybe the two will have to battle it out at a catchweight in the future to settle their differences?
Royce, Royler, and Ralek Gracie join Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice on a recent edition of Inside MMA to discuss Fedor Emelianenko and his place in the MMA food chain. Does he belong amongst the Gracies in MMA history?
For you mat enthusiasts who wondered, late at night, how the best heavyweight in the world and the man with the most colorful pants in the world would match-up, your day is coming soon.
In a Thursday press release, M-1 announced that company man Fedor Emelianenko and Japanese star Shinya Aoki would get it on in a grappling-only match at the next M-1 Challenge event on April 29 in Tokyo.
The match will be five minutes in duration--just enough time for Aoki to feel the 60- plus pound weight disadvantage--but rules have not yet been sketched out.
In M-1 team action, it's Japan vs. England, Team USA West vs. South Korea, and Spain vs. France.
If Aoki submits Emelianenko in Tokyo....the world may spin off its axis.
Fedor Emelianenko confirmed that he will indeed fight on the next Affliction show, although he couldn't name his opponent yet, according to a recent interview on DreamFighters.com. Affliction VP Tom Atencio has long stated that the plan is to pit Fedor against Josh Barnett, but Vitor Belfort is another name that has been tossed around recently.
Perhaps the bigger news though is that Fedor is hopeful to meet face to face with UFC president Dana White this summer with hopes of a bout against Brock Lesnar becoming the fruit of their talks.
"Yes, I will fight again on the next affliction card. Besides this me and my management hope to get a chance to talk to Dana White in person in June to discuss a possible fight between me and Brock," said Fedor in the DreamFighters interview.
Such an outcome has many hurdles before it. Firstly, Lesnar and Frank Mir are expected to meet before June to unify the UFC heavyweight championship. The outcome of that bout could have a big influence on any possible match-ups.
Aside from that, there is the matter that Fedor is under an exclusive contract to Affliction and M-1 Global. The folks that head M-1 Global also handle management duties for the Russian fighter.
A one-off deal or co-promotion is not something that the UFC has even remotely considered to this point, which is a major hurdle for both sides.
“The fact of the matter is that a loan-out is something that the UFC would not desire, they would never go for such a deal,” M-1 Global Chief Operating Officer Joost Raimond told MMAWeekly.com last October. “And secondly, the way we have our program set up for the next years, and our event schedules set up, it's just not feasible to have a Fedor fight within the UFC.”
The UFC-Fedor soap opera has been a long and winding road, but it looks like there are still a few twists and turns left before we find out what the destination is.
Randy Couture discusses Fedor Emelianenko's recent fight with Andrei Arlovski, his motivations for returning to the UFC, the possibility of Fedor coming to the UFC to fight him, and more with Steve Cofield of ESPN Radio 1100 and CageWriter.com.
MMAInsider spoke with Affliction Entertainment Vice President Tom Atencio on Wednesday evening as he returned from a meeting with executives from Golden Boy Entertainment. The spectacled promoter said his team is working on logistics with the boxing promoters for future shows. At the time, he doesn't know whether the idea of cross-breeding MMA and boxing will materialize. His guess for the alliance's next event ranged from June to July.
But enough of all those question marks--MMAInsider wanted to know what the pay per view numbers were for "Day of Reckoning."
Published reports citing Golden Boy CEO Richard Schafer have put the figure between 150,000-200,000 buys, giving the promotion a low estimate--at $44.95 a pop--of between $6,742,500 and $8,990,000 in net revenue.
Atencio, citing his company's desire not to discuss money a la the UFC, put it this way: "We did 50% better than our last event."
MMAWeekly.com was the first to report his estimate for Affliction's first event, "Banned," in which he said the broadcast "did well over 100,000 (buys)." That was before the partnership with Golden Boy; Atencio said his company got a better deal than the standard 40 percent of net revenue doled out to the promoter of the event. A conservative estimate of a $2.4 million take was "within the ballpark."
In an interview with MMAInsider following the second event, Atencio claimed he was not privy to the pay per view deal secured for "Reckoning," as Golden Boy was dealing with Showtime pay per view.
But assuming the standard 40 percent take for promoters in a pay per view event and a 50 percent improvement from 100,000 buys, a low estimate for Afflction/Golden Boy's pay per view take would be $2,697,000. Combined with total gate receipts of $1,429,557, the event could have produced $4,126,557 in gross revenue, excluding other sources like merchandising and sponsorships.
The total on-the-books payroll for the event was $3.3 million. Fedor Emelianenko, who pummeled Andrei Arlovski in the main event, received $1.2 million less than his Belarusian counterpart, but it is widely believed he was given an off-the-books bonus north of a million dollars.
As you would expect, there are a lot of variables in Affliction's equation of profitability. The two companies are private and are required only to disclose the salaries paid to their athletes. There are staff costs, venue costs, taxes, advertising--a litany of expenses that subtract from revenue. And as speculation indicates with Emelianenko, the true numbers of the event's payroll may never be known. Those, in addition to live gate receipts, are a very limited picture of success.
Then there's the possibility that Atencio and Golden Boy have been misleading about the true numbers--not a far-fetched scenario in the world of fight promotion.
Still, even at low estimates, the raw pay per view and gate numbers are impressive for a non-UFC promotion in this economy.
The sustainability of Affliction/Golden Boy's business model is likely the main point of future meetings.
Boxing guru Freddie Roach has been an outspoken ally of his student Andrei Arlovski's striking abilities, and following Arlovski's loss to Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction's "Day of Reckoning," chalked the experience up to youthful inexperience.
"He made a young man's mistake," Roach told MMAInsider backstage. "It was too easy for him. He was winning the fight handily I thought, controlling the fight like we planned. He got a little cocky, and he tried the flying knee from too far away, no setup, and he paid for it."
While it seemed Arlovski may have thrown the high-risk strike because he thought Emelianenko was hurt, Roach disagreed.
"No, not at that moment," he continued. "But Fedor swings hard, that's his thing. He probably had his eyes closed, but he just got lucky, I think. If we had followed a more disciplined fight, and kept to the game plan, I think it was going to be easy."
Roach was unsure about what came next for Arlovski, but said he would continue to work with his student.
Fedor Emelianenko -- who will fight top-ranked heavyweight Andre Arlovski this Saturday, Jan. 24, in the main event of Affliction M-1 "Day of Reckoning" at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. -- took part in the Opening Bell Honors at NASDAQ on Wednesday morning in anticipation of his heavyweight MMA showdown.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion and color commentator for the "Day of Reckoning" Pay-Per-View telecast Tito Ortiz, Affliction Entertainment Vice President Tom Atencio, and Vice President of NASDAQ MarketSite David Wicks joined Fedor, to ring the opening bell at the NASDAQ headquarters in Times Square, New York.
Despite being the undisputed number one heavyweight Mixed Martial Artist (MMA) in the world, Fedor Emelianenko is largely a mystery to even his most devout fans. While those who follow the sport of MMA are very familiar with the former PRIDE heavyweight champion's work inside the ring, very little about the man behind the fighter has been brought to the public's attention.
Until now. On Tuesday night, fans will get to see Fedor Emelianenko like they've never seen him before when Fox Sports Net (check local listings for times) premieres its new documentary, "Fedor: Baddest Man on the Planet."
"Of all the top combat sports athletes involved with boxing and MMA, Fedor is hands down the greatest. I'm not sure if he is even human," said George Greenberg Executive Vice President, Programming & Production Fox Sports. "When we were given the opportunity to get behind the scenes at Fedor's training camp - it was a no brainer. "
Fedor is 28-1 in a pro MMA career that began in 2000, the same year in which he sustained his only loss. Facing former UFC veteran Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, the fight was stopped because of a cut. Fedor has never been knocked out or submitted and is MMA's only true dynasty.
The 60-minute documentary includes never before seen footage of Fedor training at the local boxing gym in his hometown of Stary Oskol, Russia; exclusive footage of Fedor's outdoor training regiment; an intimate look what his life is like in Stary Oskol when he's not fighting; interviews with members of his friends and family, including his mother and his priest; and more.
"The thing people have to understand is that Fedor is not in this to become a star," said M-1 USA Vice President Jerry Millen. "Fedor doesn't want to be a celebrity. Fame is not why he fights. He fights because he loves the sport and loves competition. Fedor is a very private person but on this FSN special, you're going to see footage of Fedor that you've never seen and it's the kind of footage that I personally thought no one would ever get to see. The special is phenomenal."
The documentary will serve as a prelude leading up to Fedor's much anticipated WAMMA heavyweight title defense against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski during Affliction and M-1' "Day of Reckoning" event, which is scheduled to take place this Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. However, before fans tune in to see Fedor defend his title versus Arlovski, there urged to get to know the man behind the myth during Fox Sports Net's "Fedor: Baddest Man on the Planet."
A few minutes into the conversation, Arlovski referred to the man that took his UFC crown as a "pee-pee taster," an homage of sorts to an earlier quip he made in July to MMARated. When asked how he felt about Sylvia getting cozy with ex-girlfriend Patrycja Mikula, he posed this question to "the Maine-iac": "How's taste my big pee-pee?"
Well, that wasn't all he said.
It was about halfway into the interview when Arlovski was asked how he would succeed where Tim Sylvia failed.
As soon as Arlovski heard the word Sylvia, his body tightened and his face turned to a scowl.
"First of all, Tim Sylvia and Andre Arlovski is something personal," Arlovski said. "He start all this bullshit, and honestly, I don't even want to talk about Tim Sylvia. He's like, I don't respect him. For me, he's nobody, he's piece of shit, and I don't respect him like a fighter and I can't respect him like a man. Because he has a big mouth, and honestly, piece of shit and Tim Sylvia, for me, is the same."
Steering Arlovski back to the question proved somewhat fruitful. When it was clarified Sylvia faced Emelianenko and was defeated quickly, Arlovski tried to get back on track.
"He faced Fedor and had a great opportunity back in July in the first Affliction, and he just got beat," he continued. "That's it. First of all, Tim Sylvia doesn't have great trainers like I have. And I'm not sure that he train like I train. Yeah, he's a fighter, he was a five-time UFC champion, he beat me twice, and it's the most worst part. I'm sure I will show different fight."
With that subject out of the way, Arlovski went back to the subject at hand--beating Fedor.
But seriously, these two may need to work things out in ring sometime soon.
M-1 President Vadim Finkelchtein Responds to Dana White's Name-Calling; Invites UFC's President to meet Fedor at "Day of Reckoning"...
For over a year now UFC President Dana White has used an open forum to label the management of Fedor Emelianenko, led by M-1 President Vadim Finkelchtein, as "the crazy Russians."
For much of that time, White has influenced the United States media to reflect his beliefs, as Finkelchtein tended to urgent matters of business -- namely promoting his M-1 Challenge and managing fighters such as Fedor and Aleksander Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi - instead of engaging in a war of words.
However, during a recent M-1 Challenge event, Finkelchtein responded to White's statements in an interview conducted by M-1 executives Joost Raimond (serving as Finkelchtein's translator) and Jerry Millen (serving as the interviewer).
Thanks to a three-part YouTube series, members of the U.S. MMA media are finally being presented the other side of the story so that they can form an opinion for themselves.
During the interview, Finkelchtein was asked by Millen what he thinks when he's referred to in the press by White as a "crazy Russian."
"Dana White has a tendency towards arrogance and everything not Dana White is either crazy or stupid," Finkelchtein began to respond through Raimond.
"All this stuff about us not wanting to work with UFC is just utterly and completely untrue," he continued. "We've always been completely open to basically working with anybody, including the UFC, because our goal has always been to put the greatest fighters against each other. And if the greatest fighter is a part of the UFC, fine; let's put him up against our best guy and see how they do."
Raimond added that Finkelchtein indicated that the UFC is very protective of their market share but that M-1 isn't looking to take the UFC's "pie" away, that his promotion simply wants to share some of it.
Finkelchtein also responded to a question from Millen regarding comments made by White during a November press conference in Toronto to promote UFC 94. In the interview, which can be seen on YouTube, White responds to a question from a fan regarding Fedor fighting for the UFC by stating at one point that he has never even met Fedor.
White's claim that he has never met Fedor is accurate, but it's also a situation that Finkelchtein is more than willing to rectify.
"The invitation is right there," Finkelchtein expressed through Raimond. "If Dana wants to sit down at the table, he can come to St. Petersburg -- he is very welcomed here. He can meet up with (me); he can meet up with Fedor. It's not a problem at all."
Finkelchtein indicated during the interview that he has traveled to Las Vegas in the past to meet with White. And if White does not have time to travel to Russia, Finkelchtein extended him an open invitation to meet the WAMMA heavyweight champion in Anaheim, California before he competes against Andrei Arlovski on Jan. 24 just prior to Affliction and M-1's "Day of Reckoning" event.
"We're not going to eat the UFC pie, but we want to share," said Finkelchtein. "The invitation stands. They are welcome at any point in time, and definitely at the Jan. 24 event. We'll talk about it (and) discuss it. We're open to any kind of deal."
Below is the full three-part video interview with Finkelchtein:
WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko announced Friday that he is canceling a planned press tour to the United States that had been scheduled for the start of December with stops set for New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
Emelianenko has made the decision so that he can begin his training camp early in preparation for his much-anticipated title defense against former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski, which is set to take place on Jan. 24 during Affliction and M-1 Global's "Day of Reckoning" pay-per-view event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Emelianenko's decision comes in response to a recent loss at the 2008 World Sambo Championships that were held earlier this month in St. Petersburg, Russia.
"My trainers, Vladimir Voronov and Alexander Michkov, met with me in Russia after the World Sambo Championships and we decided that the Arlovski confrontation is too important to delay a comprehensive training camp in exchange for press tour obligations on the other side of the world," said Emelianenko. "Andrei Arlovski is a dangerous fighter and has looked in prime condition and at the top of his game in his last few fights. He is one of the top three heavyweights in the world. This is not a fighter I will defeat if I am taking shortcuts in training."
Emelianenko had not lost the annual World Sambo Championships since 2000. While there are some similarities between Combat Sambo and Mixed Martial Arts, they are different sports with completely different scoring systems, strategies, rules, and emphasis. Sambo is a technical sport with points accumulated by executing throws and the number of points awarded is based on the positioning of both the person executing the technique and the landing position of the person being thrown. Compared to MMA, striking is limited both in scoring and when you can strike.
The current undisputed heavyweight champion is unhappy with the loss but does not believe results accrued while competing in Combat Sambo are applicable to the world of MMA.
"Sambo is my hobby and I enjoy very much participating in these tournaments to honor my country and use Sambo as the best training format for MMA," he said. "But MMA is my job and I certainly approach my preparation differently. I had a nice run of Sambo victories since 2000 but I have lost in a Sambo match before this match as well. I think a lot of MMA fans have never seen Sambo before so I guess you can say I am happy that the recent loss has made some people pay attention to the sport and see the differences between Sambo and MMA."
With the World Sambo Championships behind him along with recent filming in Thailand for an upcoming motion picture, Emelianenko will head for the high altitude in the mountains near his home city of Stary Oskol. The camp will last six to seven weeks and he will be joined by several of his teammates that train with him out of the Red Devil Fight Gym. In addition to getting himself ready for Arlovski on Jan. 24, Emelianenko will also be preparing his training partners for the upcoming M-1 Challenge finals against Holland set for Dec. 26 in Seattle, Washington.
For Emelianenko, the decision to begin his camp early was necessary in order to preserve his standing as the world's top heavyweight but is still one that comes with mixed emotion.
"I wish I could see the fans in America to announce the fight but I will not be able to attend the press tour as I did for the Tim Sylvia fight," said Emelianenko. "I received an incredibly warm welcome the last time I was in the United States and was looking forward to reuniting with my fans. But I must begin to prepare for Arlovski early and under the stringent training regimen and conditions that I have grown accustom to for all of my most dangerous opponents. There are people in MMA who attempt to paint a different picture of who the top fighters in the world are today and I must be fully prepared and focused to defend the reputation and status of my achievements in the sport."
It's already been pretty well know for a while now, but Affliction has released a promotional video for the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski fight. The bout will headline Affliction's second effort, which is scheduled to take place on Jan. 24 at The Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
K-1 has a press conference scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18, in Japan regarding its Dynamite!! 2008 event. This is K-1's big year ending New Year's Eve event, which is typically the promotion's biggest MMA event of the year.
The promotion had started pushing a possible year-end bout featuring the world's No. 1 ranked heavyweight in Fedor Emelianenko, who is extremely popular in Japan.
Fedor, however, has a contract with Affliction Entertainment in the U.S. His Affliction contract does allow for Fedor to fight elsewhere, especially outside of the U.S. Affliction though has partnered with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions and has Fedor vs. Andrei Arlovski slated for the new partnership's debut event, tentatively planned for Jan. 24 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Such a high profile bout would have to keep Fedor out of any New Year's Eve battles, because it would be extremely risky for Affliction and Golden Boy to put all of their marketing efforts into Fedor vs. Arlovski, only to have Fedor get injured on New Year's Eve.
So far, details of what K-1's plans are for New Year's Eve have been scarce at best, but are likely to come into the light on Saturday.
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