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Will BoDog be able to book Fedor away from PRIDE?
By Zach Arnold | October 25, 2006
By Zach Arnold
Update: Gryphon comments on the story.
Emelianenko Fedor, the PRIDE Heavyweight champion, is certainly one of the most coveted fighters in the industry today. In 2003, when Miro Mijatovic was his agent in Japan, he worked the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 event at Kobe Wing Stadium. That event became part of the larger yakuza scandal storyline that has embroiled the Japanese fight scene in 2006.
One of the big questions about Fedor’s status with PRIDE is what kind of contract he has with the organization. Is it a worldwide contract? Is it limited to Japan (or Asia)?
According to Gong Kakutougi (information relayed at NHB News), there may some competition for Fedor’s services outside of PRIDE.
The GK article talks about BoDog & MFC. The MFC side talks about plans of running an event in Russia and being on PPV. They also talked about having a two-year contract with Roger Gracie for promoting fights in North America. However, the big item to come out of the article is that BoDog/MFC is interested in Fedor, particularly for their plans in Russia.
While BoDog/MFC was limited in scope in comments in the article, the clear impression given by GK was that there is a loophole or loopholes in Fedor’s contract with PRIDE that could allow him to fight for different promotions outside of Japan. We know BoDog has the money to buy any fighter they want to. The question is whether or not discussion of Fedor being booked outside of PRIDE is serious or just a pipe dream.
Topics: All Topics, BoDog, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 12 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Very interesting. Fact is though (well I say fact, it’s just my opinion), Bodog Fight is absolutely horrible. I search the internet for MMA on a daily basis but I cant be bothered watching their horrible, horrible FREE show at all. They’d be better off cutting down on the bootay and douchebaggery (Calvin himself) and making it more like a fight program. To be honest they might have done so but I stopped watching after the first episode.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility. Fedor has pretty much wiped out the worlds Heavyweight MMA division. He’s got Cro Cop and Barnett in front of him, but if he beats them who is left? Nog? Tim Sylvia? Fedor is a competitor, and has faced the best of the best. But after a while every fighter wants a chance to secure their future and their family’s well being. And if Bodog/MFC can outbid Pride, he may just jump ship (he’s jumped before with the Inoki show in 03).
I’m surprised UFC didn’t make an offer for Fedor. Especially if it means slapping PRIDE in the face with the whole “We got your heavyweight champion!” thing
PizzaChef… I see your point, but I wonder how much they’d enjoy this world-renowned Pride fighter decimating their best fighters with barely a sniffle of his strangley-shaped nose?
Bodog fight is arse. I haven’t even watch it yet, that’s how bad it is.
There is plenty left for Fedor to do in Pride.
Cro Cop rematch. Fight with Barnett. Fight Hunt. Fight Kharitonov. Give Noguiera another shot. Fujita rematch even. Shogun is talking about moving up to heavyweight the year after next…
What makes you think that the UFC aren’t already negotiating with Pride to get Fedor in the Octagon?
droc Says:
October 26th, 2006 at 4:03 am
What makes you think that the UFC aren’t already negotiating with Pride to get Fedor in the Octagon?
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I think Dana White is a little smarter than that. As monkeymatt mentioned, having the champion from a rival organization come in and rape your entire division isn’t going to help business… and it would give great credibility to PRIDE among casual U.S. fans. I’m not sure what the UFC is going to do with their heavyweight division. It looks as though they’re focusing on the others weights right now — particularly, their growing stable of lightweights.
Fedor could make a lot of money with MFC/Bodog, however, I haven’t seen any reason to consider that operation anything but a joke.
I got a friend who knows someone at bodog and they have big plans, they’re retooling the show for the second season and it’s gonna be great!
They can take the MMA to the next level with their checkbook.
It’ll be good for everyone.
mr.a-hole
[…] The most intriguing story coming out of Japan (as discussed in this Japanese posting) is the apparent triangulation happening between BoDog, MFC, and HERO’s to get Emelianenko Fedor to work for them in 2007 (and to get out of PRIDE). I’ve discussed BoDog’s attempt to get Fedor in a past article on this site. It is realistic in a couple of senses. First, Maeda (who is with HERO’s) is the man who first brought Fedor to Japan through RINGS. Second, MFC is owned/operated by Fedor’s top manager, Vadim Finkelstein. Fedor, in the past, has a history of following his manager’s advice (see: Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003) and going where he is directed to fight. With BoDog’s big cash resources and HERO’s smelling blood in the water with PRIDE right now, there seems to be a trend of all of PRIDE’s rivals to gang up together and go for the kill. The alluded Japanese posting at the top of this paragraph mentions that Fedor vs. Rulon Gardner would be the tentative plan for the 2/24 Las Vegas show (if Fedor vs. Mirko doesn’t happen). […]
If Fedor jumps to Bodog…it’s all over, Bodog will rocket to the top and rule. Plus they will pay for the best fighters and the best looking women and then…gooodnight.
bodog will get Fedor.
they got the checkbook!
[…] On October 25th, I wrote an intriguing post about the possibility of Emelianenko Fedor signing to fight for the BodogFight group in Russia. Read the link first to catch up on all the politics involved. […]