Dana White Agreed On Free Fedor vs Lesnar Fight

[t3h d3adly]

Full on fail... sounds like a massive publicity stunt with no payoff in the near future.

[JingMerchant!]

"We offered [Emelianenko] lots of money – so much money that it caused lots of [expletive] with our other fighters," White said. "That's how much money we offered him. And guess what he said. 'No, we want 50 percent of your business.' That's some Russian strong-arm [expletive]. They can get away with that [expletive] out in Russia to the baker that works down the street. They're not coming to America and doing that.

I would've paid hard money, to see the look on Dana white's face when they said that to him!

[Lu Tze]

You actually think it happened?

It's funny how they made all these outrageous and unacceptable demands of the UFC, but Strikeforce have managed to do business with them just fine.

[DKJr]

You actually think it happened?

It's funny how they made all these outrageous and unacceptable demands of the UFC, but Strikeforce have managed to do business with them just fine.

Durr Strikeforce has everything to gain by cutting a deal, the UFC loses profits and gives a huge brand awareness boost to Fedor and M1. (which at this stage in mma's business is [expletive] important.). Dana's playing the smarter gameplan for now, until the UFC needs Fedor they can wait him out and afford to piss off the more serious fans.

[Lu Tze]

Durr, I know that.

Doesn't mean what Dana says is true, the guy is full of ****. Fedor needs exposure in the U.S., UFC is the first choice, if Dana's contracts were anywhere near reasonable then that's where he'd be.

It just happens that Fedor is a big enough name that he's not as desperate as other fighters, and is less easy to bully. This is just Dana spitting his fucking dummy out over it, he does business like a spoilt child, he's had his way for too fucking long.

[v1y]

they're both bluffing.

[elipson]

Fedor needs exposure in the U.S., UFC is the first choice, if Dana's contracts were anywhere near reasonable then that's where he'd be.

Fedor doesn't NEED anything. Thus your logic is wrong.

Fedor doesn't like Dana. It's pretty much that simple. A "reasonable" contract isn't going to be enough to pursuade Fedor to work for a guy he doesn't like.

I totally believe M-1 wanted 50%. They got maybe the biggest name in MMA and they were trying to see what they could get for him by opening with a big demand. Give it a few years. If Strikeforce grows to the point of rivalling UFC, then Dana might come around. But if Strikeforce isn't able to give Fedor the money they want, then M-1's offer to Dana will become a little more sane.

[snakerattle79]

Millen said in his interview:

"Come to his training camp. Come to Stary Oskol, and we'll do three, five-minute rounds in the ring or the cage. We'll do it for fun."

...then Dana agreed, so let the fight happen Dana, don't be a liar!

[nifoc]

Considering M-1's record in MMA-promotions (Affliction, PRIDE, Bodog...), I totally understand that Zuffa has no intention of co-promoting anything with them. I honestly can't see any reasonable explanation for why they'd even want to, considering that they have a working concept and managing to grow at a tremendous pace. As a fan I am dissapointed that we might never see Fedor in the UFC, but (also as a fan) I don't want Zuffa to get into bed with a company with such a poor international business-record as M-1.

[MrJ]

Seems to me that when Zuffa & M-1 are communicating through the media that there isn't anything sort of serious negotiation happening. Perhaps the company's reactions to each others' public statements is helpful to define positions, but can't see anything happening anytime soon.