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He's considered by many pundits to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, yet he's still a man of mystery when it comes to casual American mixed martial arts fans.
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Fedor Emelianenko is perhaps the best combat sports athlete in the world you've never seen fight on live television. It's a title that might remain intact for some time if his management has its way.
Known to many by simply his first name, Fedor is perhaps the only true dynasty in MMA. He hasn't lost a fight since Dec. 22, 2000, which represents his only career defeat, a loss as a result of a cut against Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.
Relying on backgrounds in sambo and judo, he has become a submission machine, with 50 percent of his victories coming by way of tapout. And while he'll never be confused with a K-1 level striker, Fedor also has heavy hands and one of the best chins in MMA. Of his 26 career victories, many have come against quality opponents such as Mirko Cro Cop, Ricardo Arona, Matt Lindland, and two victories over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
He's also the heavyweight champion of the Japan-based Pride Fighting Championships, which was acquired by Zuffa (the parent company of the UFC) earlier this year. Pride has been idle since its acquisition by Zuffa and it is unknown whether it will be resurrected or will continue to die a slow death. Regardless of Pride's future, Fedor is unsigned and able to negotiate with any promotion in the world even though he still wears the fight promotion's heavyweight crown.
As the No. 1 free-agent in MMA, Fedor has no shortage of suitors. However, the UFC and K-1's MMA promotion, Hero's, appear to be the only viable contenders. Calvin Ayre's Bodog Fight promotion had been seen as a potential destination, but after a poor PPV buyrate for an April event headlined by Fedor and a recent public spat between Ayre and Fedor's manager, Vadim Finkelstein, that bridge might have been burned.
In addition to criticizing Bodog and Ayre, Finkelstein has also been critical of the UFC during interviews with MMA website Sherdog.com, claiming that while the UFC submitted an offer for the most guaranteed money, some of their other terms are "harsh" and that they haven't been "that eager to communicate."
In accusing the UFC of not being flexible, it's believed that Fedor's management wants ancillary requests met such as a commitment to work with Finkelstein's M-1 MMA promotion in Russia; extending contract offers to fighters who train with Fedor under his Red Devil fight team; and allowing Fedor the right to compete outside of the UFC's jurisdiction in contact sambo tournaments held in Russia.
It would be a shame if the only thing preventing Fedor from signing with the premier MMA organization in the world were miscellaneous interests. There's a strong sentiment from some fight fans that the UFC should accommodate Fedor's needs. However, with so many other high-profile fighters on its roster, allowing Fedor to have so many fringe benefits could set a dangerous precedent for future contract negotiations. By offering him the highest guarantee, a case could be made that the UFC is being plenty accommodating.
Out of all the potential organizations that Fedor can fight for, the UFC is where a fighter of his reputation and legacy belongs. While Hero's lighter weight divisions carry much credibility, their heavyweight division leaves a lot to be desired. With the demise of Pride, the UFC now boasts the best heavyweight division in all of MMA.
Unless K-1 signed heavyweight free agents such as Josh Barnett and Brock Lesnar, Fedor would be matched up against inferior competition on a regular basis. In the UFC, fans could potentially be treated to marquee matchups between Fedor and Randy Couture, Fedor vs. Cro Cop II, Fedor vs. Gabriel Gonzaga, and maybe even Fedor vs. Brandon Vera.
If Fedor cares at all about preserving his present legacy and advancing it further then it's in his best interest to supercede his management's wishes and finalize a deal with UFC. If he elects to go to K-1, he'll risk sending a message to MMA fans around the world that he no longer has a desire to prove his mettle against the best competition in the world.
