Currently I'm working very hard on a new version of the site. When done, it will include many new features like a new layout and forum. Stay tuned!
There are really no new news concerning Russian MMA matters, except for the information that Fedor Emelianenko is in Saint-Petersburg training for a Combat Sambo Championship.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Status report (RussianMMA.com)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Andrei Arlovski appearance on Inside MMA 204 (HDNet)
Andrei commented on a little bit of everything, so I recommend watching the whole program (and it is enjoyable and informative show in any case). He also spoke about his next fight, saying that he hopes to fight Jake O'Brien at UFC 82, which kinda contradicts the rumor I told you earlier. This, however, doesn't mean that rumor isn't true. UFC still doesn't have it official on their site so anything is still possible. Let's wait and see how it turns out.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Jerome LeBanner calls for Semmy Schilt; What about Fedor Emelianenko fight?
Jerome LeBanner, one of the kickboxing and K-1 legends, has said in the interview to French TV channel, that he will challenge Semmy Schilt to fight him on April 26th in the K-1 Europe GP event held in Amsterdam for the K-1 Super Heavyweight Champion belt.
The list of other announced bouts look like this.
Match 1. Pajonsuk vs Tarik El IdrissiWhat does this all mean from our perspective? A few things.
Match 2. Perry Ubeda vs Stephen Tapilatu
Match 3. Paul Slowinsky vs Gokhan Saki
Match 4. Buakaw Por Pramuk vs Faldir Chabhari
Match 5. Murat Direkci vs Nickey Holzken
Match 6. Drago vs Albert Kraus
Match 7. Andy Souwer vs Joerie Mes
Match 8. Gilbert Yvel vs Alistair Overeem
Match 9. Two finalists of the "It's showtime" reality show
First of all, although Jerome LeBanner vs Semmy Schilt fight might not happen, the pure possibility of it greatly reduces the chances of Fedor Emelianenko vs Semmy Schilt fight happening in the first real M-1 Global event (which is rumored to be moved even further, from April 11th to early May).
I actually very much doubt that Fedor will be fighting Schilt in the first American event. Schilt is a huge star in Japan (Asia) and Netherlands (Europe) and they (M-1 Global) can make a huge bucks organizing a fight there (for a "huge show", mentioned in the article). They need American fighter for American market. Someone big, muscular and scary. And to be honest, someone like Bob Sapp or Gracie is one of the best alternatives out there... Although I'm sure it will be either Ben Rothwell or Jeff Monson (who has been rumored to fight Sergei Kharitonov during one of the K-1 events).
Fedor has to fight "not the best fighters" to put some momentum in M-1 Global, so the Couture fight would become possible and successful. This is why, I'm sure, the first M-1 Global event will be shown on one of the free channels. They can't make any good PPV numbers anyway, so why bother? It would seem smarter to get more coverage and PR, which could be benefited later on. And M-1 Global people seem to not to be stupid.
Another thing which came to my mind with all these talks about the possibility of Fedor Emelianenko vs Semmy Schilt fight, is the politics. As everybody understands, business is quit different in reality compared to what it looks from outside. Mixed Martial Arts business is not an exception. Read some great inside from Bas Boon, manager of Dutch Golden Glory club (the club for many great Dutch fighters including Semmy Schilt) telling about the conflict with other promoters (including Apy Echteld and Vadim Finkelstein) during the Pride era. The talk about Fedor vs Schilt fight can suggest that the conflict between Bas Boon and M-1 has been sorted out.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Vladimir Matyushenko to defend his IFL light heavyweight title
International Fight League (IFL) reported that IFL light heavyweight champion Vladimir Matyushenko will defend his title against Jamal Patterson in April in East Rutherford, New Jersey (USA).
Other title fights are scheduled between featherweight champion Wagnney Fabiano and Shad Lierley as well as welterweight title-holder Jay Hieron and Mark Miller.
Vladimir Matyushenko is an excellent Belorussian MMA fighter (20-3). His last losses were to Tito Ortiz in 2001 and Andrei Arlovski in 2003. He hasn't lost since his fight with Arlovski.
His notable wins include Pedro Rizzo and an impressive dominating performance over Brazilian standout Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Most recently, Matyushenko defeated Alex Schoenauer via unanimous decision to become the first ever light heavyweight champion in the IFL.
Aleksander Emelianenko fighting Josh Barnett? Rap music by Aleks
According to Aleksander Emelianenko's official web site, his next fight will be on April 11th in Chicago, which means that he will be fighting in an event organized by M-1 Global. Aleksander's opponent is not fixed yet and the negotiations are going on at the moment. His attendance wasn't unexpected, but the big news is that according to the same web page, his opponent will probably be Josh Barnett (top5 or top10 heavyweight by most rankings)! Is that cool or what?!
Aleksander Emelianenko and Josh Barnett have fought each other in May 2006. After one 10 min round Aleksander gassed and Barnett submitted him at 1:57 of the second round. Now, it seems that Aleksander Emelianenko wants his revenge...
One question arises: if Aleksander gets such a good opponent as Josh Barnett, who will Fedor Emelianenko get? Could it really be Andrei Arlovski like the recent rumors are claiming?
Aleksander Emelianenko also made a rap song/music (pretty good one). You can listen to it right here or you can even download it for free.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Inside MMA 203 (HDNet), Inside MMA Rankings
The program also makes Inside MMA Rankings. The interesting thing is that they release top25 rankings instead of a typical top10 list. Fedor Emelianenko is naturally ranked number one in a heavyweight division, but it's interesting to see who are close to being in top10. My personal belief is that both Aleksander Emelianenko and Sergei Kharitonov should definitely be there. Cheick Kongo and Josh Barnett should be out. Barnett hasn't fought in over one year.
That's my opinion, though. The Inside MMA Rankings are still one of the best out there, so you should definitely check it out.
Insider's information (rumor) on Andrei Arlovski's next fight
Here is a rumor about Andrei Arlovski, which (the rumor) came from Ukraine. According to that information, Andrei visited Ukraine on 10th and 18th of January and when asked about the future plans, he said (on 18th, so it's a very recent information) that he will soon be fighting Croatian fighter and in case of winning (about which Arlovski was confident) he will face Fedor Emelianenko.
Interesting information indeed... Can it be true? Let's take a closer look.
- Everybody seem to be sure that at UFC 82, Andrei Arlovski will face Jake O'Brien, but is it true? Is it a confirmed information? No, it isn't. The only confirmed information is that Andrei will fight somebody at UFC 82. The most official information sources tell: "He [Dana White] said the opponent isn't certain, but is likely to be Jake O'Brien" and "As for an opponent, Jake O'Brien's manager says his fighter is just days away from signing a bout agreement." Wow! :)
- So Andrei Arlovski will face Mirko CroCop?! Actually, the rumor didn't say anything about Mirko, it only said about some "Croatian fighter". In this case, that could be someone else like Goran Reljic (7-0). And it would make a lot more sense to give Arlovski an opponent like Reljic or O'Brien, than to risk Mirko's career even more. Do you guys happen to know anyone else Croatian fighter in the UFC?
We shouldn't also forget the hassle with the information about Fedor's NYE fight. Back in mid-October I exclusively reported about Fedor having a fight in December. A few weeks later this information was confirmed by Fedor's open-letter to the fans. A couple days after that Monte Cox allegedly said that Fedor will not be fighting on a New Year's Eve. This information was reported everywhere and I was laughed at when I made a revision of the Monte's statement and the source of the information, after which still stood behind the words claiming that Fedor will be fighting in December. As we all know now, I was right and Fedor Emelianenko indeed fought his fight.
So does all this means that Andrei Arlovski will not be fighting Jake O'Brien? No, it doesn't. We only found out that this rumor can be true. Nothing more and nothing else. It doesn't mean it is true. The fight with O'Brien is not written on stones, that's all I'm trying to say.
But if this rumor is true, then, looking at the "in case of winning" words, it means that Arlovski will join M-1 Global (maybe not exclusively, but nevertheless) and that he will be fighting Fedor somewhere during a summer.
Fedor Emelianenko interviewed by complex.com
Complex.com interviewed Fedor. A little quote:
Question: Randy’s made it clear that you’re the one person left that he wants to fight. If it never happened, at the end of your career would you feel like you missed out on something special?It never stops amazing me, how humble Fedor is...
Fedor Emelianenko: If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. That’s it. But I think it’s going to take place because I think that everyone wants it.
Question: Who do you think wants it more: You, Randy or the fans?
Fedor Emelianenko: The fans want it more.
Question: Do you hear it directly from fans?
Fedor Emelianenko: I don’t hear it in person from the fans, but I know it from the questions that the media ask me and from the Internet, so I feel they want me to fight Randy.
Question: What would a fight like that mean to you? What would you gain from it?
Fedor Emelianenko: If I win, I would be considered (!) one of the (!!) strongest fighters ever.
Question: Beside Couture, what other heavyweights you’d like to meet in the ring?
Fedor Emelianenko: (laughs) I don’t know who else would agree to fight me.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
No Holds Barred interviewed Fedor Emelianenko
No Holds Barred interviewed Fedor Emelianenko (audio).
Fedor discussed his background, how and why he started training in the combat sports, the advantages of his sambo background for MMA, his thoughts on some of his past fights, the fighters he admires, his thoughts on Pride, why he didn't sign with UFC, why he did sign with M-1, and more.
To get better understanding of the locations: Map of Russia
Fedor Emelianenko interviews
- Sherdog video: Fedor Comments on Couture, Sambo, his visit and plans. He doesn't really say anything new that hasn't been reported already. Due to the quality I can't verify that everything was translated correctly like I did a few times earlier.
- And another Fedor's interview. Doesn't really contain any ground-breaking information either, but you still might want to check it out.
Tito Ortiz situation with the UFC contract
thefightnetwork.com is reporting about Tito Ortiz's matters in the UFC.
(...)Tito Ortiz - next candidate to change the MMA promotion?.. Maybe. And it doesn't really matter which promotion he will choose (in case he really leave UFC) - M-1 Global or some else, because all other promotions seem to be happy cooperating with M-1 Global.
“They don’t want the fighters to get as big as a 'Tyson' or a 'De La Hoya' or one of those types because all of a sudden, they’ll be expecting to see a lot more payment,” said Ortiz. “The UFC makes about 99 percent of the money, and the rest goes to the fighters. That one percent ain't nothing compared to what they make on merchandising, on pay-per-view, and everything else they make around the world.”
(...)
“I was expecting a bigger fight [than a fight against Lyoto Machida (12-0) at a UFC event on May 24]. I think the fans were expecting a bigger fight,” said Ortiz. “I got pressed into it, and all of a sudden, it’s all over the Internet that Tito Ortiz won’t fight Machida. I’m just looking to get my final fight over with the UFC.”
(...)
“They said I wasn’t worth the money,” said Ortiz. “I was worth no more than what I’m getting paid now, and I’m not a commodity to them anymore. I’m not as viable to them anymore. That was a sign of disrespect.”
Ortiz also believes White's ill feelings towards him will most likely prevent the fighter from getting a shot at the UFC title again.
"With Dana in charge, I don't think that fight will ever happen for me," said Ortiz. "Dana has bad blood for me and nothing but bad blood. They're going to try and ruin me."
(...)
“UFC is caring so much about the brand itself,” said Ortiz. “They could care less about the fighters. Fighters are a dime a dozen. They’ll keep coming. Dana is really out for himself and the company. He doesn’t give a shit about the fighters.”
Fedor Emelianenko and M-1 Global future: events, fighters, strategy
Sherdog published an article about Fedor Emelianenko and M-1 Global future. What else does that article reveal us besides the fact that I was right again and Fedor didn't travel alone (I just couldn't resist saying it :) ) ? A lot of things, actually.
Obviously M-1 Global is working hard even in the early stages to make the multi-million dollar Couture-Emelianenko fight happen.In article, there is more information on so called "M-1 Global Challenges", which are supposed to play a role of a tryouts, with the most impressive fighters to fight in a big M-1 Global events. There will be teams from Holland, Germany, Russia, France, Europe, Japan and America. An excellent way to make a Global MMA and to raise your own talents. At least in theory.
In the short-term, M-1 Global pushed back its U.S. debut from February to April. The promotion had the chance to book the United Center in Chicago for Feb. 16 but opted against it as fighter negotiations had not progressed accordingly. April 11 now appears to be the targeted date for either the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., USA, or the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J, USA.
Regardless of venue and date, Emelianenko is headlining the event. As for his opponent, Dutchman Semmy Schilt seems to have overtaken Pedro Rizzo and Jeff Monson in favor with Finkelstein and company. The three-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion made a successful comeback to MMA on Jan. 12 and will be in Moscow the second weekend in February to negotiate the details.
Despite his impressive merits, Schilt is virtually unknown stateside. In fact, an Emelianenko-Schilt fight could be pushed back for a show in Holland, where it would be a huge draw. Consequently, IFL star Ben Rothwell, winner of 13 straight, is also in the raffle for a crack at the Russian.
The first such event will be in the Netherlands preparations for the first M-1 Global Challenge are in full swing. Similar to the Yarennoka show in Japan on New Year's Eve, the event will be a joint venture with Slamm Events, one of the biggest kickboxing promoters in the Netherlands. The name of the event is Slamm IV and it will consist of 20 bouts.
Because the preparations for the first event take so much time, the second M-1 Global Challenge supposed to take place in Germany in April is postponed to the second quarter of 2008. Regardless, most of Germany's top fighters have already announced their support of the show.
Finally, we can say that the stable of fighters has been released (to some extent). There is a lot of different fighters' names in that article so you should go and read it. It just didn't felt right to copy&paste the whole article. They also have some rumors about "the big show" probably taking place at the end of this year.
More photos during the Fedor and Randy commercial
 |
| There can be only one... Let the fight begin!.. |
A lot more photos can be seen at http://www.m1mixfight.com
Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko meeting during a shooting of the Affliction commercial
Loretta Hunt is reporting about a meeting between Fedor and Randy , which happened during a shooting of the Affliction commercial.
(...)
However, it was the Couture-Emelianenko staredown that brought the room to a standstill. The soft-spoken pair struggled to keep their trademark smiles hidden throughout the shoot, then sat and spoke for minutes. Couture invited Emelianenko to Las Vegas for a fantasy camp he was leading at his gym on Saturday. The former military firefighter extended his home in Russia to Couture.
“For me, it’s important I want to be his friend,” said Emelianenko. “For me, fight[ing] is just a sport. After the fight, we stay friends.”
Though Couture and Emelianenko exchanged phone numbers, the rest of the world wants to see them trade fists. Both ranked among the sport’s top talent, a bout between the two could reach the anticipation levels of the legendary Muhammad Ali-George Foreman “Rumble in the Jungle” fight in 1974.
The 31-year-old Emelianenko is undefeated in 24 fights (including a no contest against former PRIDE champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2004). Couture, 13 years the Russian Sambo champion’s senior, has chiseled his name into the history book’s pages by conquering more than a handful of bouts he was never meant to win.
“It has the potential to change the landscape of the sport,” said Couture.
(...)
Some comments from Randy Couture about a court suit.
Last Monday, Zuffa LLC, which owns and operates the Ultimate Fighting Championship, filed a lawsuit against its heavyweight champion in Nevada’s Clark County District Court. Couture resigned from the operation on Oct. 11, citing among money and treatment grievances, that the promotion could not secure the one fight he wants – with Emelianenko.Like many have said - Randy is smart and knows what he is doing.
“I wasn’t that surprised,” Couture said at the shoot. “I kinda thought it took them long enough. I thought they would have come after me sooner.”
In late October, even before the Randy's press-conference, I have said that his withdrawal from the UFC has a lot to do with the M-1 Global. It surely seems like I was right. And I wouldn't be surprised to know that it was the whole secret game plan right from the beginning...
And one final quote about the importance of experience and goodwill while dealing with different cultures.
Emelianenko, who will fight for the M-1 Global promotion in the U.S. as early as April, is as patient as Couture. Emelianenko’s representatives, Vadim Finkelstein and Apy Echteld, met with UFC president Dana White last summer but opted not to sign with the organization because, among other concerns, it restricted their client’s ability to compete in Sambo events in his downtime.
A national representative for Sambo in his homeland, Emelianenko committed to the M-1 Global promotion in October. White retracted statements that Emelianenko was the world’s top fighter shortly afterwards.
“What happened to Randy is not surprising to us,” Emelianenko said through a translator on Saturday. “We experienced what it means to leave the UFC and how it goes.”
Monday, January 21, 2008
K-1 star Bob Sapp wants shot at Fedor Emelianenko
Bob "The Beast" Sapp told FOXSports.com that he would like to face Emelianenko, who is regarded as MMA's top pound-for-pound performer. Sapp said he was slated to fight Emelianenko in 2002 but the Russian heavyweight declined the fight while both were working for the now-defunct PRIDE promotion.
Sapp said his desire to fight Emelianenko was whetted after watching him struggle early during last month's submission victory over the much-bigger Hong-Man Choi in Japan. At 6-0 and 235 pounds, Emelianenko also would have a considerable size disadvantage against the monstrous Sapp (6-6, 360 pounds).
"When I see what Emelianenko did against Choi, it shows how good he is but it also showed his weakness against larger opponents," Sapp said. "I'd love to fight Fedor."
(...)
Sapp said he is set to sign a new contract with K-1 and that the Japan-based kickboxing promotion has plans to work with M-1. Such an arrangement could ultimately lead to a Sapp vs. Emelianenko dream bout either in Japan or the U.S.
Fedor vs Sapp on the next NYE Yarennoka event? :)
Big John McCarthy interview
An audio interview with the former UFC referee Big John McCarthy. Talks about the Unified rules, the referee wages, gives his opinion on Randy vs UFC situation (he thinks that Randy Couture will pull it off) and on UFC's PPV policy (saying UFC 80 should be on free TV).
Hong Man Choi's music single
Hong Man Choi has made a debut in his music career by releasing a single "Beauty and Beast" (cover of the single).
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Andrei Arlovski's contract with UFC. Werdum, Gonzaga, Interim Championship
A new development on the Andrei Arlovski contract situation.
Various sites are reporting that Andrei will face Jake O'Brien (10-0) at UFC 82 in Columbus, Ohio on March 2. Although there has been no official confirmation, the Jake O'Brien's camp has confirmed such a bout proposal and said that Jake will be ready to sign it as early as on Monday.
Where does this all leave us? The situation is awkward for Arlovski - he is in a lose-lose situation. Jake O'Brien is a stylistically difficult opponent for Andrei and if he wins - there will be no glory in it ("he just won an unexperienced newbie"), and in case he loses - his credibility as a top fighter will be badly damaged. This match-up, in case it really happens, means that I was right saying that UFC is benching Andrei Arlovski.
But let's look at the global picture. It's even more interesting. It's known that Randy Couture is not going to be back in the UFC. I mean, he would love to be back in the UFC to fight Fedor Emelianenko, but since Ultimate Fighting Championship will not agree on it (and why should they? They are the market leader anyway ) - therefore Randy will not be seen in the UFC.
To make Randy's position in a court even more awkward, UFC decided never to strip him of his Heavyweight Champion belt, but to organize an "Interim Heavyweight Championship" bouts for eternity. The next such bout will be at UFC 81 between ex-UFC Champion Tim Sylvia and Brazilian ex-Pride Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (who lost his belt to the Russian Fedor Emelianenko). The winner will become the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion and will face Fabricio Werdum, who won Gabriel Gonzaga this Saturday at UFC 80.
This is just a stupid situation: Fabricio Werdum will get a title shot because he won the last fight, whereas Andrei Arlovki, who won Werdum in his last fight is basically thrown away of the competition.
All this just shows how badly managed the fighters' matters in the UFC really are. When UFC bought Pride, I was sad, but though that it might be a good thing as well since UFC will get all the best fighters in the world and fans will see the real competition where the best fighters will succeed. I mean - how hard is it to make the best divisions if you don't really have any competition? UFC managed to blew it away. Situations with Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski and Aleksander Emelianenko, Josh Barnett and Renato Babalu Sobral, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (let one of our best fighters to fight only once a year against a guy who he has already beaten two times) and his successful light heavyweight brother - I can go on and on. UFC had a chance of making the stack of the best fighters, but they totally blew it. They showed that they don't really want to have the best fighters - and I'm not talking about Emelianenko brothers alone (and not even about such a top fighter as Sergei Kharitonov), there are many other great fighters - like the Japanese ones.
As I said earlier - UFC is just a local American company (a big one, though), who has to change A LOT to have any kind of success in other countries. Which will not happen any time soon. In a meantime other MMA organizations have a chance to make it.
Video interview Randy Couture victory Gonzaga Gabriel
An interview with Randy Couture after his victory over Gabriel Gonzaga (August 25, 2007). Talks about Gonzaga, Fedor Emelianenko as well as about his future plans - like going to South-Africa, where he announced his withdrawal from the UFC). Interesting to watch it afterwards.
Video from the Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture meeting during the shooting of commercial
Video from the same meeting.
Photos from the commercial photosession of Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture
Some photos from the commercial Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture are attending.
It's funny how similar these MMA veterans look (especially the shape of their noses). :)
Friday, January 18, 2008
More information on Zuffa(UFC) vs Randy Couture suit
More details on the Zuffa (UFC) vs Randy Couturez suit.
- Cagepotato posted more details on it.
- A good review by mma-analyst.com
Randy Couture interview to Raw Vegas
Randy Couture gives a short video interview. He talks about the poker tournament he organizes, about plans to fight Fedor Emelianenko, gives his opinion on whether Fedor has been ducking the top competition, explains what happened to his injured hand.
Insider documents about Fedor trip to the USA
Fightlinker.com has an interesting insider documents about Fedor Emelianenko's visit to the USA. Although I don't see how this can interpreted as if Fedor was traveling alone. It's just a precaution. And Fedor speaks a little bit of English anyway. But these are interesting documents nevertheless.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Situation with Andrei Arlovski and UFC
There is some strange things going on with Andrei Arlovski, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion from Belorussia. He has a record of 12-5 and many rankings consider him as one of the top10 MMA fighters. His last fight was against Brazilian Fabricio Werdum on UFC70. This bout was already nine months ago on April 21, 2007, but regardless of this win, Andrei Arlovski hasn't fought since, which started all kind of rumours.
The main rumour has been that Dana White wanted to sign a new contract with Arlovski, but Andrei is being too greedy and wants too much money, especially considering his boring performance against Werdum. Therefore UFC decided to put the Belorussian fighter on hold and wait as his marketing value drops all the time. And because Andrei Arlovski still has one fight left in his contract, he really can do nothing but sit down and train, at least until his contract with the UFC expires April 15, 2008. Quite smooth rumour, I must say. But let's look at this rumour in details.
Is Andrei Arlovski greedy? Let's look at the UFC All Access with him.
UFC All Access - Andrey Arlovski
Another thing is that Andrei's contract expires in three months and UFC doesn't have much time to organize the last fight they have, especially when fights are usually announced a few months in advance. They surely can't just avoid giving him the last opponents and consider his contract not to be expired like they are now trying to do with Randy Couture (to use Couture's Champion status to indefinitely lengthen the period of the contract regardless of the expiration date in it).
What about the Andrei losing his marketing status? It surely happened and is happening all the time, but the thing is that after Randy Couture left UFC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship need stars like Andrei Arlovski more than ever...
An interesting tidbit was noticed by Luke Thomas from Bloodyelbow.com.
According to an interview with The Fight Network's Loretta Hunt as conducted by Steve Cofield, the reason Arlovski hasn't fought since defeating Fabricio Werdum at UFC 70 isn't because the UFC is "benching" him for a poor or uninspired performance. Hunt is reporting that Arlovski's management has gone on the record as saying Arlovski was offered two opponents since the Werdum fight, but both times the opponent was injured (we can all speculate as to who those fighters may be). So, no healthy opponent, no fight.Can it really be this way? Is it real that all these rumours about a fight over a contract be incorrect as well as all these rumours saying that Andrei Arlovski wants to change the MMA organization he fights for (to M-1 Global, HDNet Fights, others...)? Well, let's just look at the interview with Andrei Arlovski posted not a long time ago (December 8th, 2007).
So was all the Dana-hate, rumor mongering and analysis all a bunch of sound and fury? Looks that way. Stay tuned.
MMAmania.com: Finish this sentence: I’m currently not fighting in the UFC and I have no immediate fight scheduled because the UFC …I'm not sure there is much to comment, but I still will:
Andrei Arlovski: ... put me on the bench.
MMAmania.com: Do you have contact with other UFC fighters? If so, have they been supportive of your current situation?
Andrei Arlovski: Yes, I do talk with other UFC fighters but I do not discuss my contract or personal business with them.
MMAmania.com: Aside from Tim Sylvia, you haven’t lost since 2002. Do you think the criticisms of Sylvia/Arlovski 3 and Werdum/Arlovski are unfair based on your previous accomplishments?
Andrei Arlovski: First I don’t think the fight with Werdum was bad. I followed my teams instructions to win and Dana had promised me a fight for a title if I won. I was not ready for a jiu-jitsu match and prefer to strike so it went how it did. We looked for a title fight.
MMAmania.com: Give us your take on the Randy Couture situation.
Andrei Arlovski: Couture he is very intelligent and smart fighter. In my opinion, he knows what he is doing.
MMAmania.com: As that story unfolded, was there any point in time when you felt like you could relate?
Andrei Arlovski: I think everyone can somewhat be in his situation.
MMAmania.com: You’ve been in the UFC for years and have been one of its biggest, most bankable stars even before the sport started to explode. Now that it is so big it seems like the UFC perhaps isn’t grateful for your services like Rich Franklin, Matt Hughes, etc. Is there some favoritism going on and does that in anyway affect your desire to want to continue the relationship with the UFC?
Andrei Arlovski: There are a lot of great fighters including myself that have helped this sport grow.
(...)
MMAmania.com: Has the UFC contacted you about challenging for the vacant heavyweight title? Is there any interest in fighting “Big Nog” in the future? How would that go?
Andrei Arlovski: No, they have not contacted me about the heavyweight title or any real fights for that case. Of course I am interested. I want to fight big names and the best fighters. Big Nog is a great fighter with great jiu-jitsu and striking. I am training very hard on my technique in each discipline with great trainers every day. I train to win. I don’t plan on losing anytime soon. I will be heavyweight champion again … very soon. I promise.
MMAmania.com: When does your contract expire in 2008? Will you extend the contract before it is up? Have you been contacted about at least fighting before it’s up? Any idea who are you fighting next?
Andrei Arlovski: It expires April 15, 2008. I have no idea when or who I will be fighting next but hopefully I will know soon.
- Arlovski directly says that he has been put on hold
- Andrei seems to be quite smart (not talking about his contract with others etc)
- He says that Couture is a smart guy and knows what he is doing. This could very well mean that Andrei sees leaving the UFC in a Couture's fashion not as a dumb action, but as a smart one (which Arlovski could perhaps also perform?)
- He doesn't really answers any tough questions (smart), so there is a lot of reading between the lines here.
The past months since my win over Fabricio Werdum at UFC 70 have been very productive while I am waiting for my next fight in the UFC. Time off can be positive; it offers me time to rest my body while improving my technique in Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu and freestyle wrestling.Now, strangely enough, this news is removed from his site. What does it mean? I don't know. Maybe that "BIG NEWS" are not around the corner or that there is no big news coming at all. My personal prediction (not based on any real inside knowledge) is that we will all hear news about Andrei Arlovski in a near future (within one month or so).
The media, my sponsors and fans have been great. I recently appeared on Jerry Springer as a guest bouncer and it was a lot of fun for everyone. Chicago's MEN'S Book did a feature on my life and living in Chicago, DUB magazine is featuring my lifestyle and cars, and just about all the online MMA sites have been positive towards my goal to become Heavyweight champion again.
I want to thank my fans for their continued support. The messages I receive through myspace.com/arlovski, in the mail and on this site helps me keep focused and are nice to read between workouts.
Keep checking back, BIG NEWS IS AROUND THE CORNER.
A. Arlovski
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Randy Couture suited by Zuffa (UFC)
According to Las Vegas Review-Journal, Zuffa LLC, the UFC's parent company, filed suit alleging that Randy Couture's comments about the UFC and its senior management caused the business irreparable damage and that he is in breach of the contract he signed with the company in December 2006.
"We are alleging numerous intentional torts, which have caused Zuffa and the UFC significant harm," attorney Donald J. Campbell said. "Based upon that harm we are seeking to address these matters before a court of law."Randy Couture isn't coaching the Xtreme Couture Team (it's done by Shawn Tompkins), but Zuffa still claims that Randy's company can't take part in activity of other MMA organizations, which is pretty ridiculous considering how big, famous and versatile company Xtreme Couture is. They have other points, though. It's still pretty obvious that this is only the beginning and if Randy Couture doesn't back out with his intentions to fight Fedor Emelianenko, other suits will follow...
The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $10,000 and states that the amount of both compensatory and punitive damages would be proven at trial. It also seeks an injunction restraining Couture from participating in any way in any promotion competing against the UFC.
The lawsuit is the latest episode of discord between Couture and UFC President Dana White, who said he has considered Couture a friend for eight years.
(...)
"I expect Randy to honor the obligations in his contract that he signed (a year ago). I tried to resolve it by talking to this guy that I've had a relationship with for eight years and was unsuccessful," White said. "Now this thing's in the hands of the justice system."
Monday's lawsuit claims Couture's negative statements about the company constituted "injurious falsehood and trade disparagement," that has led to significant financial losses for the UFC.
The lawsuit also alleges conspiracy, stating that several unnamed parties to be identified at a later date worked with Couture to intentionally inflict harm on the UFC.
According to the lawsuit, Couture is also in breach of a stipulation that prohibits him from engaging in "direct or indirect competition" with the UFC for a period of 12 months following the termination of his contract.
Thus, Couture's sponsorship and promotion of a team in the International Fight League would be in direct violation of the stipulation. Currently, the IFL's Web site lists Couture's Xtreme Couture team taking on Mario Sperry's World Class Fight Center at the IFL's Feb. 29 card at the Orleans Arena.
You might also want to check out the Can Couture escape his contract? A brief look at contract law and Employment, Not Promotional, Contract at Center of Zuffa v. Couture articles.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Monte Cox on Fedor Emelianenko's and Randy Couture's meeting
Monte Cox, the CEO of M-1 Global, talked about the reasons behind the Fedor Emelianenko's and Randy Couture's meeting. Here is what he had to say.
Fedor and Randy are doing an endorsement deal with Affliction for a TV commercial, and that is the extent of this meeting, except, of course, for the fact that Fedor has been a longtime fan of Randy and he considers it a thrill to meet him. We have always said that we are in favor of a Randy-Fedor fight. It would be great for the sport, the biggest fight in the history of mixed martial arts, and we will be a part of it when it happensNotice that he said "when it happens" and not "if".
Randy Couture has a fight agreement with the UFC, which expires in July and a commentator/ambassadorship contract that ends in October. He has previously expressed his full intentions to fight Fedor Emelianenko to finally decide who is the better fighter.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Fedor Emelianenko, Vadim Finkelstein and Apy Echteld fly to LA to meet Randy Couture and the Affliction team
According to the information from http://www.m1mixfight.com, Fedor Emelianenko, Vadim Finkelstein and Apy Echteld will fly to Los Angeles (USA) on January 17th (Thursday). There they will meet with the representatives of the Affliction Clothing company (a major sponsor of many MMA fighters). Also Fedor plans to meet Randy Couture there to discuss things in person. The site also promises to soon reveal all the details of their meeting.
I, of course, will tell you about that historical (they have never met each other) meeting when the time comes. The thing is that I don't really expect anything drastic from their meeting with Randy, though. Maybe they will decide something, but if it does I very much doubt that they will tell us about that "soon". Probably they will tell us how much they liked each other, both will hype one another and they say how much they would want to fight each other. I wouldn't expect any dates of the fight (I still believe they will fight each other this year!) or such. That's my prediction at least. We shall see how right or wrong I was. :) What are your predictions?
Another Fedor's post-fight interview (Japanese Yahoo)
Another Fedor's post-fight interview by the Japanese Yahoo (translation taken from here).
Q: Happy New Year, Fedor! I imagine that you've started 2008 feeling good.
Fedor Emelianenko: Yes. I'm feeling very good (smile)
Q: After your fight yesterday, it looked like you were more delighted than usual. Was this a special victory for you?
Fedor Emelianenko: It was. Actually, friends of mine came all the way from Russia to support me. During the fight I heard them cheering, so that probably explains my facial expression.
Q: Were there any particular reasons why your friends came to Japan to watch you fight this time?
Fedor Emelianenko: It wasn't really that I invited them. They said they wanted to come.
Q: I see. They wanted to see you fight in Japan at least once.
Fedor Emelianenko: I think so. They had never been to Japan before. I think watching the fights live in person got their adrenaline going.
Q: I think it was their first time to see you greeted by the fans with such a warm welcome in such a huge arena. Did they mention their thoughts after the fight?
Fedor Emelianenko: They were surprised to see such a large crowd cheering and felt a sense of pride. (smile)
Q: It seemed that you received louder cheers this time than usual. Did you sense that?
Fedor Emelianenko: Yes I felt it. That kind of support and that kind of arena atmosphere - that's why I came back to Japan. It makes me happy.
Q: So, as long as that kind of support is there, will you continue to fight in Japan?
Fedor Emelianenko: Certainly. (smile)
Q: Can you give us your impressions on the fight with Hong Man Choi?
Fedor Emelianenko: He's such a huge and powerful fighter. He's the biggest and strongest fighter I've ever faced. In that sense, I couldn't match up with him in the strength department so I was taken down. But I was confident that I could win with technique, and was able to beat him with a joint lock.
Q: So was Choi stronger than you expected?
Fedor Emelianenko: No I wouldn't say more than I expected. Before the fight, I calmly analyze the opponent so I never underestimate him. Because of that I almost never get surprised or panic. But when I went to take him down, I was surprised when he went for the takedown himself. I thought he would keep it standing.
Q: I was surprised to see you get taken down twice.
Fedor Emelianenko: But if the ropes weren't there on the second takedown, I would have taken him down. He was leaning against the rope to defend the takedown.
Q: What did you think of Choi's ground and pound? You didn't get hit much but your face is a bit swollen.
Fedor Emelianenko: My face isn't swollen from the punches. It's from my face rubbing the canvas.
Q: So he particularly didn't have any effective offense...
Fedor Emelianenko: No he didn't. Like I said before, he is huge and powerful and was a difficult opponent. But he didn't have an effective attack.
Q: When you got him in an armbar the first time, was he able to escape because his arms are so long that you couldn't get the leverage?
Fedor Emelianenko: Actually, the first armbar was in deep. I heard his arm pop a couple of times. But when he lifted me, my position changed a bit and lost the angle. I didn't think I could finish him and didn't want to use any unnecessary energy so I let go. I didn't want to make the same mistake the second time, so I made sure it (armbar) was tight.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Fedor Emelianenko's interview. Family. Map of Russia
Fedor's official web site has published a new interview with some new (shocking?) details revealed. Some of them.
- Vasilisa, Fedor's second daughter, was born on 29th of December. Height - 46 cm (18.1 inches), weight – 2 kg 600 g (5.7 pounds).
- Fedor's ways with Oksana, his first wife and the mother of his daughter Masha, have separated. It happened two years ago, when Oksana and Masha have moved to the city of Saint-Petersburg. Fedor still keeps in touch with Oksana and Masha.
- Fedor has a new family with Marina, who is obviously Vasilisa's mother. She and Fedor have known each other for quite a long time already. She is from the city of Tula, but will soon move to Fedor's home in Staryi Oskol.
- Fedor felt the difference in size when he tried to take Hong Man Choi down, but failed and took Fedor down himself. Then Emelianenko realized that he doesn't have enough weight and physical strength, so the only option was to use skills.
- Currently Fedor is building a house. In the beginning of February he will once again attend a Russian Championship of Combat Sambo (held in Saint-Petersburg); in the middle of February Fedor will take part in President's Cup of Sambo. Additionally he will of course train for his fight in the USA and will spend time with Vasilisa.
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This is a map with all Russian cities important to Fedor Emelianenko:
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