MMA Is Strictly Business for Fedor Emelianenko - Fighters.com's September Heavyweight Rankings

On the walls of MMA fandom there are two contrasting posters of Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (30-1).

If you’re not North American or you’re one of the 50,000 or so North Americans who plunked down $34.95 for PRIDE 32, your poster depicts Emelianenko within a golden aureole striding a mound of pummeled flesh bags that includes fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1), tenth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7), and former UFC heavyweight champion “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-6).

If you’re North American and cut your MMA teeth on The Ultimate Fighter circa 2007 or anxiously anticipating the first F5 stoppage in MMA history, your poster depicts Emelianenko cowering within the block-headed shadow of the man-mountain that is second-ranked UFC champ Brock Lesnar (4-1).

Both posters are idealized. It’s time we get real.

Emelianenko told a post-Strikeforce signing press conference, “I’d like to develop MMA and also make some money at the same time. If Strikeforce is able to offer more than the UFC, why should we sign with the UFC?”

For Emelianenko, MMA is strictly business. It’s quite literally all about the Benjamins.

“If the numbers published on the Internet were the real numbers, we would’ve signed with the UFC,” Emelianenko added, referencing the $5 million per fight reportedly offered by the UFC.

Emelianenko even directly addressed UFC President Dana White’s criticism, “This guy doesn’t want to fight the best in the world,” by admitting, “I don’t think that I need really good fighters because the last two fights I’ve had were really good opponents.”

For the former group of fans to understand Emelianenko, they have to take the halo off of his head. For the latter group, they have to recognize that there was MMA before The Ultimate Fighter and Lesnar, and even before Dana White.

The reality is that Emelianenko is a great fighter in the second half of his career. Today Emelianenko is the best heavyweight in the world, but he turns 33-years old on the 28th of this month and is starting consider how best to taking care of himself and his family when he’s no longer the world’s greatest heavyweight.

“I feel very sorry for my fans,” Emelianenko admitted after declining the last, best opportunity for him to fight in the UFC. “But, I also think I deserve some respect to look out for my best interest.”

His best interest is establishing M-1 Global, the promotion he co-owns with Vadim Finkelchtein, as a lasting, stable international MMA promotion. That’s why Emelianenko flew from Stary Oskol to New York City for an open workout promoting his Strikeforce/M-1 Global fight versus fifth-ranked “Grim” Brett Rogers (10-0) in the autumn, then flew the next day from New York City to Kansas City to spar the same night around 4:00 AM Stary Oskol time with Strikeforce light heavyweight champion “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1) in front of approximately 1500 Midwestern fans, and the following day flew back home to his family in Russia.

And, headlining that M-1 Global card in Kansas City was forty-year old former UFC champion “Smashing Machine” Mark Kerr (14-11), who replaced forty-three year old former UFC champion “Predator” Don Frye (20-7-1), both still fighting past their prime because they weren’t lucky enough to be dominant in MMA during a period when you could turn the sport into a comfortable retirement. That’s what Emelianenko is trying to avoid.

Emelianenko has drawn a legit opponent this autumn in Rogers, who is ranked higher than Lesnar’s next opponent at UFC 106 in Las Vegas 21 November, sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0). So, at least in the short-term, no one should have any complaints about either matchup.

At UFC 102 in Portland last Saturday, fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1) notched up a spot after a UD over ninth-ranked “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-10), who dropped a notch this month. Nog’ has publicly called for the winner between Lesnar and Carwin for a UFC title fight, but White hasn’t committed to the matchup.

As reported by Fighters.com, third-ranked Frank Mir (12-4) will fight Cheick Kongo (14-5-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis 12 December. Mir will have to remaine focused as he forays outside of the top ten.

Seventh-ranked “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (8-1) will try to legitimize his spot in the top ten versus former top tenner “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipoic (25-7-2) at UFC 103 in Dallas 19 September.

After testing positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid, and causing the cancellation of Affliction M-1 Global’s Trilogy, eighth-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) will probably return to Sengoku in Japan. Barnett was never enthusiastic about fighting Emelianenko, whom he considers a friend, at Trilogy; and, Fighters.com wonders if testing positive isn’t some kind of subconcious self-fulfilled will of Barnett’s. For the record, Barnett denies using steroids, the the California State Athletic Commission confirmed Barnett’s B sample also tested positive.

Finally, tenth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) is a man without a promotion since Affliction cut him and UFC President Dana White recently remarked that he has no interest in signing Arlovski. Arlovski has stated he plans to make his professional boxing debut at the end of September or early October, but Fighters.com couldn’t get a firm answer from Arlovski’s manager concerning his first boxing bout.

Fighters.com’s September 2009 Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (30-1)

After two years fighting freak shows, Emelianenko has stopped consecutive top tenners: Arlovski and then-ranked Tim Sylvia to establish legitimacy as Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champ. He’ll keep it elite when he faces Rogers in the autumn.

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)

Lesnar’s dominance over Mir in their rematch demonstrated how far the UFC champ has come since his Octagon debut, earning him the top contender slot. He’ll fight a game opponent very similar to himself in Carwin in November.

3. Frank Mir (12-4)

Mir’s second wind after a career-threatening motorcycle crash has earned him two distinctons: the only man to beat UFC champ Lesnar and the only man to knockout former PRIDE champ Nogueira. He’ll try to maintain focus versus Cheick Kongo in December.

4. “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1)

Though unable to stop Couture, Nog’ clearly whooped the legend to add his name with Barnett and then-ranked Tim Sylvia as former UFC champs he has slain in the last two years.

5. “Grim” Brett Rogers (10-0)

Rogers’s 22 second knockout of Arlovski welcomed him into the top ten, but no one could imagine then that it’d also be a ticket to a matchup versus Emelianenko. We’ll see what Rogers is really made of this autumn.

6. Shane Carwin (10-0)

Carwin has never been out of the first round, but the 1:09 knockout of Gabriel Gonzaga has earned him a five-round title fight versus Lesnar in November. Can Carwin neutralize the force of nature that is Lesnar?

7. “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (8-1)

Nog’s pupil came out of nowhere, like his uppercut that KO’d Fabricio Werdum. Not much is known about “Cigano” and his record reveals a 2007 tap out to another Brazilian unknown, but he’ll be tested versus Mirko Cro Cop in September.

8. “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5)

“Babyface Assassin” is on a tear with a KO of Pedro Rizzo, UD over Jeff Monson, and submission of Hidehiko Yoshida, but no recent work at the top of the division. Unfortunately he flubbed the biggest fight at heavyweight: Emelianenko.

9. “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-10)

Is Fighters.com going to have to be the first to say Couture is starting to look his age? There’s no shame in being overpowered by Lesnar, nor coming up short versus Nog’, but it might be time for the final retirement.

10. “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7)

“Pitbull” got his bite back versus Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson, but was a chew toy for Emelianenko and Rogers. The free agent is going to throw his hat into the boxing ring in late September.