What’s your reaction to Fedor Emelianenko signing with former Pride boss Sakakibara’s new promotion and the New Year’s Eve event from Japan coming to Spike TV? Also, who would you have Fedor fight on that NYE card?
RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
I’m kind of all over the place on this one. I mean, part of me wants him in the UFC, but the other part of me wants it to be 2007 when this happens. Part of me wants me to see his management team finagle unprecedented concessions out of Dana White and the Fertitta brothers, but the other part of me realizes that Jerry Millen is part of his management team, and why would anyone who enjoys MMA ever want anything good to happen to him, dig? Part of me wants to see competitive fights with the top names in the sport, but the other part of me really wants to see Bob Sapp get paid like a motherf***er on New Year’s Eve.
I had faith that Fedor’s return was about legacy, not about money. Buzz! WRONG ANSWER, ASSHOLES! Fedor’s always seemed warm and dignified. The one time I got to see him fight live I almost lost it. The guy’s an absolute legend, and should be revered. Why is he coming back to fight for Sakakibara other than money? He can’t be that man I adored. He doesn’t seem to know what his heart is for anymore. I sure as hell don’t know him anymore.
So I’m torn. Truly torn.
I thought I saw a man brought to life
He was warm, he came around and he was dignified
He showed me what it was to cry
Well, you couldn’t be that man I adored
You don’t seem to know
Seem to care what your heart is for
But I don’t know him anymore
There’s nothing where he used to lie
The conversation has run dry
That’s what’s going on
Nothing’s fine, I’m torn
I’m all out of faith
This is how I feel
I’m cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I’m wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn
You’re a little late, I’m already torn
So I guess the fortune teller’s right
Should have seen just what was there
And not some holy light
It crawled beneath my veins
And now I don’t care, I had no luck
I don’t miss it all that much
There’s just so many things
That I can touch, I’m torn
I’m all out of faith
This is how I feel
I’m cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I’m wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn
You’re a little late, I’m already torn, torn
There’s nothing where he used to lie
My inspiration has run dry
That’s what’s going on
Nothing’s right, I’m torn
I’m all out of faith
This is how I feel
I’m cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on this floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I’m wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn
I’m all out of faith
This is how I feel
I’m cold and I’m ashamed
Bound and broken on the floor
You’re a little late, I’m already torn, torn
Um, except for the whole naked thing. I ain’t any of that.
MICHAEL BANE, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
My reaction is largely that I’ll have better things to do on New Year’s Eve. Fedor Emelianenko is justifiably in conversations as being the greatest of all time. The three losses he took in Strikeforce before he exited US based promotions did nothing to diminish that. Seeing him fight in the UFC, even if the fights were only semi-relevant to the title picture, was what the majority of fans were hoping for. It’s unrealistic to think he could have recaptured his previous dominance, but you can’t blame someone for holding on to hope when fighters like Andrei Arlovski have suddenly emerged as title contenders. Sure, it’s a very unlikely scenario, but it’s not impossible. To quote the immortal Dumb & Dumber, “So you’re saying there’s a chance?”
But that’s not what happened. At this stage Fedor doesn’t seem willing to compete against the best heavyweights in the world in the UFC. It’s possible the UFC doesn’t want him, just like Bellator didn’t. But assuming that’s not the case, it looks like he’s fighting for a few paydays and wants to minimize the risk of getting the mess beat out of him. There’s nothing wrong with that, and if someone’s willing to cut him a check to show up and rough up some nobody while claiming he’s still one of the greatest heavyweights in the world, more power to him.
Who should he fight? Does it even matter? Nobuyuki Sakakibara is starting a new promotion and has what, one fighter under contract? The promotion will last about as long as Emelianenko wants to fight in it, or until he loses. There is a sad lack of talent in the heavyweight division. I’d say Sakakibara is scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as coming up with an opponent, but that barrel was thrown out long ago. Randy Couture is has wanted that fight. He’s also 52, the fight is only three months out, and his price tag may put him out of reach. Also, he’s 52. Did I say that already? I suppose if we’re looking for a Senior Circuit of MMA, this might be the premier fight to make. But yeah, I’d DVR this.
An actual legitimate opponent for the Last Emperor would be Sergei Kharitonov. Kharitonov might be one of the best heavyweights in the world not fighting in the UFC or Bellator, and there’s some story line there about him getting revenge against the brother of the guy who beat him about a decade ago. It’s something anyway.
Or there’s Door #3, which is what we’re going to get. Some guy whose name I’ve probably never heard of, getting beat up by Emelianenko, while the announcers trumpet how he’s the greatest heavyweight fighter in the world. Yeah, not even worth the DVR space. I’ve got episodes of that new Muppets show I need that for.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
It’s disappointing, but it’s also not a bad thing. At this point, Fedor’s not beating any of the top guys in the UFC. He was already slipping before his retirement, you don’t get better with age. Fedor turns 39 in a few days and to quote Shaquille O’Neal “39 ain’t 29.” As for who Fedor should fight I don’t really care all that much, I just want to see what Fedor looks like. That’s the draw here.
ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
The excitement I feel about Fedor Emelianenko’s return is significantly tempered by the lack of quality opposition for “Cold War Fedor.” Not since the UFC’s inception has there been a lower grade of heavyweight talent outside of the UFC’s umbrella. You know Cheick Kongo? The same Cheick Kongo who dropped a decision to the small-for-a-light-heavyweight King Mo in February? He’s the best opponent we can hope for.
CASH NORMAN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I do not understand why so many grown ass men have so much reverence for a man that has made it painfully obvious he has no desire to face elite competition. The entire process of announcing he was coming out of retirement and then entering talks with Bellator and the UFC was an entire farce. It was just a bunch of hype to get fans pumped up to help a former business contact start a new promotion, raise his profile, and contract price to beat up some unknown or past their prime relic of the past and further pad his already inflated record. Thank goodness Emelianenko is the Last Emperor as I surely wouldn’t have the least bit of tolerance for another one.
DAYNE FOX, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I’m mad at myself that I didn’t see it coming. Fedor has always done things on his terms and there is no way in hell Dana White was going to let him do that if he came to the UFC. I didn’t expect that Fedor would come into the UFC and be the inhuman wrecking machine he once was, but I think he could have been a solid addition to the geriatric heavyweight ranks and offer some competitive fights. Now I’m resigned to seeing him beat up what would hardly amount to world class competition, just like he did leading up to his first retirement. Will I watch it? Probably, but it hardly quantifies as must-see-TV now as it makes me praise the MMA gods for DVR.
Sakakibara’s emergence is and isn’t surprising. There have been rumors swirling for years that he was trying to put together another organization, but hasn’t been able to for some reason or another… at least until now apparently. Why he is able to do so now is the million dollar question on my mind, but I have no doubt Fedor plays a large part in that. He always had a good relationship with Fedor.
As for who Fedor should fight, what free agent would be worth watching him fight? Sergei Kharitinov is the first name that comes to mind, but Kharitonov has been training with him (or at least offered to). There isn’t anyone else I can think of that I would care to see him fight that would be a realistic choice. Have him fight Ricco Rodriguez for all I care.
Leave a Reply