Everybody wants Fedor Emelianenko. The UFC, Bodog Fight, even Dallas Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban – all have been in talks with the Russian fighter’s management team trying to enlist his wonderfully violent services. And so far, nothing.
Emelianenko may be the most popular Russian since Yakov Smirnoff, but he’s also proving to be as enigmatic as Rasputin.
MMA fans are captivated by Fedor (for the uninitiated, he goes by his first name because a) his last name is difficult to pronounce, and b) how many famous guys named Fedor do you know?) and it’s not hard to see why.
He beat everybody Pride FC threw at him and looked almost bored doing it. He got spiked on his head by Kevin Randleman in a suplex that would have killed a mortal man, and then won by submission a few moments later. He armbarred Matt Lindland in the first round while Vladimir Putin watched from ringside.
Basically, he’s done everything but turn straw to gold. Then again he isn’t finished yet.
So why isn’t he on TV right now, fighting for ridiculous sums of money? The answer, or so it seems, is that Fedor wants what he wants, and he’s none too flexible when it comes to contract negotiations.
The obvious choice for Fedor would be the UFC. They have the most exposure and the best competition. A match between Fedor and current heavyweight champ Randy Couture would be a pay-per-view dream.
But Fedor is loath to sign an exclusive contract that would prohibit him from participating in events back home in Russia, and exclusive contracts are the only ones the UFC deals in. The big question people are starting to ask now is, can one man really be worth this much trouble?
The answer is yes. Especially if you’re the UFC. He’s worth the time, the money, and the headache it’s going to take to get him signed.
Here are three good reasons why Dana White and Co. should do whatever it takes to get the deal done.
1. Legitimacy
Until he’s beaten, Fedor is the unquestioned king of MMA heavyweights. That’s not a knock on Randy Couture, who Fedor has said he respects and would love to fight. It’s just the truth. It wouldn’t be out of the question for Couture to beat Fedor, but until he does the Russian is still the man.
If the UFC decides to let Fedor languish in the minor leagues (where he could still make good money, assuming they can find anyone to fight him) they’ll never have a legitimate heavyweight champ. That question isn’t going away. Not while Fedor’s still alive. And what could possibly kill him?
2. International Drawing Power
A Russian national hero who is also beloved by the Japanese public is something of a rarity. Fedor’s exposure is such that he can draw big crowds and pay-per-view buys from all over the globe. Wherever people like MMA, those same people like Fedor.
Considering the UFC’s love of expanding into new international markets, Fedor makes perfect sense to spearhead that effort. Wherever they want to go next – Asia, Europe, the moon – Fedor can take them.
3. Longevity
Face it, Couture can’t go on forever, no matter how much we might wish he would. He’s forty-four years old and there’s no clear heavyweight star on the UFC roster who can carry the fire once he’s gone.
Fedor will be thirty-one at the end of September and with his natural ability and work ethic he should be around for a while, if he wants to. He doesn’t like the night life or any of the other trappings of fame that have done other great fighters in, so there’s no reason he couldn’t become champ and stay that way for a long time.
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