UFC and M-1 Global "Didn't Agree At All" About Fedor Emelianenko's Contract

According to Fighters.com’s source inside M-1 Global, the UFC and M-1 Global “did not agree at all yesterday” when the competing international MMA promotions met about bringing Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) into the Octagon to fight UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1).

In a statement released Sunday, M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelstein challenged, “This is the moment of truth that the UFC has talked about. Fedor and I are here in the States. If they want to come out and fly here, we are ready to conduct negotiations. Of course it still doesn’t imply we are ready to accept any conditions they’ll throw at us. We want to talk to the UFC about having Fedor compete against some of their fighters, but only within the framework of co-promotional efforts with M-1 Global.”

It’s the co-promotion between the UFC and M-1 Global that has been a sticking point between the two promotions. The same arrangement caused tension between Affliction and M-1 Global representatives.

After the success of Affliction’s first show, Banned, in July 2008 when Emelianenko knocked out former UFC champion “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-6) in 36 seconds, M-1 Global executives made increased demands about the visibility of M-1 Global’s presence in the marketing and production of the shows and use of their fighters.

Subsequently, Day of Reckoning and Trilogy were promoted as “Affliction M-1 Global” events and the M-1 Global logo became more prominent in marketing.

Emelianenko also became leverage to include M-1 Global fighters “Hurricane” Gilbert Yvel (33-13-1) and “Baby Fedor” Kiril Sidellnikov (6-3) on Day of Reckoning versus “Babyfaced Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) and “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (27-9) respectively. An M-1 Global executive threatened to pull Emelianenko off the card if Barnett was not matched versus Yvel.

M-1 Global has no official comment.

Affliction VP Tom Atencio did not respond to Fighters.com’s request for comment. Hours after Trilogy was cancelled due to Barnett’s positive test for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid, Affliction agreed with the UFC to cease promoting MMA events with M-1 Global and promote Affliction’s apparel line in the Octagon.

News of the Affliction/UFC collaboration blind-sided M-1 Global executives. “This is first I hear all this,” an M-1 Global spokesperson told Fighters.com when asked to comment on the Affliction/UFC collaboration before it was officially announced.

UFC President Dana White had identified Affliction middleweight “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) as the top contender to UFC middleweight champion “Spyder” Anderson Silva (24-4) during The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in Las Vegas 20 June. Then, White guaranteed a showdown between Lesnar and Emelianenko in the Octagon at the post-fight press conference after UFC 100 in Las Vegas 11 July. Both declarations were odd because White is known for soundbites disrespecting and disregarding fighters not currently in the UFC, including ex-UFC champions.

Fighters.com asked Atencio whether the Affliction/UFC deal was in the works prior to Trilogy’s cancellation giving reason for White to begin complimenting fighters he had a reasonable expectation of being able to sign in the near future. Again, Atencio did not respond.

M-1 Global and Emelianenko are holding a press conference in Los Angeles at 4 PM EST Wednesday. M-1 Global has been negotiating Emelianenko fighting in the UFC and Strikeforce and considered the idea of adding the Emelianenko v Barnett fight to their own Breakthrough card in Los Angeles 28 August, though it’s doubtful Barnett could get licensed by the California State Athletic Commission so soon after failing a drug test.

When quizzed by Fighters.com about the possibility of Emelianenko fighting “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) in San Jose 15 August, Strikeforce spokesperson Mike Afromowitz said, “Right now, I cannot comment on anything.”