No reason Fedor is not in UFC

vandy is right if he would have signed with the ufc he would have probally got more money in the long run

He wanted to ability to fight whereever he wants. Meaning, UFC, M1 etc The UFC would not allowed him to have a non-exclusive agreement.

Greedy Russians

I have lost all respect for fedor, he obviously does not want to fight the best there is, he has setteled for second best, he should start fading from the rankings just randy will be for refusing to fight.

Wow, Wandy isn’t just a savage after all, he knows his bitnez.

He is dodging the talent bullet with his name on it…While trying to keep that unbeaten Fedor mystique he has tarnished all that he represents. I keep saying this but I hope on New Years Eve he looses this fight in a third rate promotion against this no name c possibly d level fighter. There is no othere reason for Fedor to fight. All the real competetion is signed to UFC or the WEC. He might as well stay with his national love, retire, before he ruins his name anymore then he already has, open a sambo gym somewhere in Moscow teaching the future Spetsnaz or Siberian Gulag officers Sambo for a 100000 rubles a year or $28000 in american money(35k in Euros)…

everyone’s gotta understand that Fedor doesn’t care about the UFC…He is an icon in Europe and Japan and can make just as much money doing the same stuff there. I live in China and I work under contract, so if there is something in the contract that I don’t approve of, I won’t sign it. I think the same goes with Fedor. This is his choice and perhaps one day he will think differently about coming over to the states. For the time being, whats done is done. And until someone who hasn’t been beaten by Fedor is champ of the UFC, we can’t start complaining about his number one ranking. I’m not sure if i would have given that spot to Randy, but it was damn close, and in my opinion was the only close second at this point of time. I hope that Tim S takes out Nog convincingly, and then we can start debating again, who should be number one.

Fedor will realize what a big mistake he made in a couple years. The big-name fighters in the UFC are already more famous than him, and will make a lot more money than he will.

Case in point: Randy Couture’s public exposure as a result of the UFC got him the gig on the The Scorpion King sequel, where he reportedly earned $6 million. He also makes as much outside the octagon as he does inside, due to his clothing lines, endorsement deals, X-treme Couture gyms, etc.

Fedor = Pussy, plain and simple any questions?

Couture never has made as much as fedor has made fighting wise, and for good reason hes an ‘ok’ fighter at best you could consider him good. As for people who constantly say that same retarded crap that they lost respect for fedor…..plzz no one cares that you just found out who fedor is one year ago if that. Fedor has NO REASON not a single one to fight in the ufc, the second best fighter in the world the only challenge left for fedor at this point and time is Josh barnett. Big Nogg will beat all the talent of the UFC and there is no reason for Fedor to fight Big Nogg ever again in his life.

Wandy Speaks The Truth.
Lets Face It Fedor Wants To Keep That Undefeated Record So He Would Rather Fight Nobodys Over In M-1.

fedor beat them all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1iit53fkQM

only REAL fans understand that the reason why fedor didnt come to the UFC was he wanted the UFC to allow his team to fight and they didnt…..and to expand the sport in his country by joining M-1. it was never about money or level of competition, im sure the guy has been offered plenty of $$ and this is a man who has been in wars with the best in the world before…

Wandi knows what’s up.

my god!! many ppl still dont understand the fight game. This doesn’t make fedor any less of a fighter and im not one of those fedor elitists. THE UFC WONT LET HIM FIGHT WHO HE WANTS SO HIM AND FINKLESTEIN TOLD DANA TO STUFF IT!! its simple and for anyone who can call fedor a pussy……step into the ring with him.

CheerzZZzz

i would never call fedor a pussy wouldnt dare think about but cmon hes a PUSSY!! im quite sure dana would have given him a 1 fight contract to fight randy and then took it from there! if he isnt in the ufc because his team werent allowed to fight in the ufc, that is also ridiculous, not every fighter is good enough to make the grade, its not a circus its a professional run business. He should have fought randy, end of!! And if wandy says hes made a mistake not coming, then thats good enough for me!!

[quote comment=”226254″]Fedor = Pussy, plain and simple any questions?[/quote]
He’s just going to wait til Randy collects Social Security, whenever that will be, then sign with the UFC and go for the title when he’s 45, Wimp Pussy= Wussy Boy

Its funny to see everyone is saying Fedor is dodging the best fighters in the UFC while your “#1 Heavyweight of the world” Randy does not accept a fight with Big Nog. Fedor didn’t dodge Big Nog and agreed to fight him 3 times. If you lost respect for Fedor, then lose respect for your beloved Randy for dodging Big Nog.

[quote post=”4111″]i would never call fedor a pussy wouldnt dare think about but cmon hes a PUSSY!! im quite sure dana would have given him a 1 fight contract to fight randy and then took it from there! if he isnt in the ufc because his team werent allowed to fight in the ufc, that is also ridiculous, not every fighter is good enough to make the grade, its not a circus its a professional run business. He should have fought randy, end of!! And if wandy says hes made a mistake not coming, then thats good enough for me!![/quote]

Dana would not give him a 1-fight contract. If Fedor wins and leaves, how would that make the UFC look? That would just destroy your most marketable fighter that you took years to build. Then to have the fighter that beat Randy fight in another organization is not a good idea. I’d really like to hear what you guys have to say about Randy refusing to fight Big Nog.

Anyone watch the Human Weapon? When Bill Duff beat Fedor’s protege in rather simple fashion? Well when the fight is over, Fedor’s fighter face is in fear. Fedor is nowhere to be found and the comment his fighter makes is how worried he is about what his coach(Fedor)is going to say. That right there speaks mouthfuls. Fedor wants to win, Fedor wants to compete, Fedor cares about his reputation and being number one. If he is not about fighting and being the best what is the point of fighting at all. What is the poing of going to Sambo contests that you can cut through opponents like white belts in a bjj class? Fighting is about competion on this level, it not about staying in shape, lets have fun little league crap. It is a business. To stay in the market and be considered the best you have to consistently prove that you are. That is the same for any sport or competition based past time. from baseball, to the nfl, water polo, soccer, hell ping pong and chess. If it is your bread and better you are striving to be or stay in the number one spot. That is just my two cents and I hope it makes sense because it makes sense in my head. Fedor wants to be and fight number one. if he did not he would retire. He completely cares about competition, I do not know him( I have been an MMA fan since the original UFC 11/12/1993, I have known who FEdor was since he beat Ricardo Arona in 2000), but this assumption I would think would be common sense. This is another fighter calling him out. Does he not know Fedor? IS he an uneducated to MMA and who FEdor is and the sport? When you have your own calling you out then you know something is wrong…

[quote comment=”226298″]i would never call fedor a pussy wouldnt dare think about but cmon hes a PUSSY!! im quite sure dana would have given him a 1 fight contract to fight randy and then took it from there! if he isnt in the ufc because his team werent allowed to fight in the ufc, that is also ridiculous, not every fighter is good enough to make the grade, its not a circus its a professional run business. He should have fought randy, end of!! And if wandy says hes made a mistake not coming, then thats good enough for me!![/quote]

For all practical purposes, a 1-fight contract would be the same as a non-exclusive contract. The UFC doesn’t do that.

[quote post=”4111″]He is dodging the talent bullet with his name on it…While trying to keep that unbeaten Fedor mystique he has tarnished all that he represents. I keep saying this but I hope on New Years Eve he looses this fight in a third rate promotion against this no name c possibly d level fighter. There is no othere reason for Fedor to fight. All the real competetion is signed to UFC or the WEC. He might as well stay with his national love, retire, before he ruins his name anymore then he already has, open a sambo gym somewhere in Moscow teaching the future Spetsnaz or Siberian Gulag officers Sambo for a 100000 rubles a year or $28000 in american money(35k in Euros)…[/quote]
I agree, he squeeked by CC and Nog and Fedor ain’t stupid. He knows dam well there are better fighters and bad matchups for him in the UFC. He knows he will lose and tarnish his record. He doesn’t seem to realize that most fans aren’t stupid either and they can see he would rather be a big fish in a little pond than take a chance to fight the best. He seems to think the fans will hold him on a pedestal as the #1 HW, based on past glory. He hasn’t fought the toughest half of the world class HWs. He built up alot of momentum for the first half of the race, but for the past few years he’s just been coasting. If he doesn’t start fighting some top competition , he won’t only lose, his legacy will come in last.

[quote post=”4111″]only REAL fans understand that the reason why fedor didnt come to the UFC was he wanted the UFC to allow his team to fight and they didnt…..and to expand the sport in his country by joining M-1. it was never about money or level of competition, im sure the guy has been offered plenty of $$ and this is a man who has been in wars with the best in the world before… [/quote]
He hasn’t fought the best in the world, unless you mean CC and Nog. CC went the distance with Fedor. CC can’t buy a win in UFC. Nog went the distance with Fedor. Nog almost lost to HH (the can). Just to name one, GG is WAY better than these two. There is at least 5 HWs in the UFC who are better than ANYONE Fedor has faced. Only the nuthuggers will continue to think Fedor is the best, when he will only fight cans (or MWs). MMA is an evolving sport, with fighters getting better every day. You can’t just dominate one organization for a few years and then avoid everyone else and expect to be considered #1 forever. It doesn’t work that way.

Ufc told fedor that he hast to sign and be striped of his tittle. Fedor said No Thanks and They replied with you will just fade out of the spotlight Which is tipical ufc treating the fighters like shit! So they can make a buck! Fedor has demolished the top fighters in the world and all you who say o well he hasn’t fought randy couture! No disrespect to Randy he is one of the best but he hasn’t fought any guys near the animals fedor has! And Fedor is not undeafeated he has lost before! so he isn’t ducking fighters to keep this so called undeafeated record! that people think he has lol he has only lost once and it was a bullshit loss but who cares fedor will fight in ufc eventually im sure so everyone quit bitching the guy doesn’t give a shit he just wants to fight when he wants to If randy wants to fight him so bad why doesn’t he just sign to fight in M1 If ufc heard that was going to happen they would freak! and give fedor what he wants and give randy his fight with fedor like they said he would so its all just drama bullshit who cares fuck it and support the fighters

I HAVE A QUESTION, has FEDOR adressed the issue at all? i know he was at the M-1 launch but has he ever talked publicly about why he chose the route he did? also has anyone ever found out what the UFC offered Fedor to sign? SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND! lol

-WANDY DIALS FEDOR-

Wandy: U cwazy or whad?

Fedor: Wandy that U? Why U call me cuckoo?

Wandy: American women big breasts, come an’ snuggle in big breasts, luv’ men fight in speedo.

Fedor: Strong Russian women much much better, stong hips,
put Fedor in tight guard.

Wandy: NO No.. not better Big white breast better no?

Fedor: In America small bald man want big bald man to crush Fedor…. America not friendly.

Wandy: Unnnh’… No e’s nice man, big bald man not crush Fedor, friendly fight, I fight in ‘is gymnasium all da’ time. Little bald man cwazy, but no problem, just talk talk talk.

Fedor: Unnnh… Food no good, Fedor no like American hot dogs.

Wandy: Food good, Taco Bell good Chicken n’ rice,, rice n’ chicken very good.

Fedor: nooo”’ me n’ compadres drink vodka naked in steambath.. Russia better.

Wandy: Ahhh”’ u cwazy. bye now, must prepare fight Chuck.

Fedor: I know man with mohawk.. kick man in ‘ead. Win yes?

Wandy: Yes Wandy kick punch mohawk man.

Fedor: Must train now, chase chickens.

Wandy: Uh?…Fedor cwazy’.. ok U chase chickens.

Fedor: Say ‘ello to bald men for me, svidania!

Wandy: despeço!

[quote post=”4111″]He hasn’t fought the best in the world, unless you mean CC and Nog. CC went the distance with Fedor. CC can’t buy a win in UFC. Nog went the distance with Fedor. Nog almost lost to HH (the can). Just to name one, GG is WAY better than these two. There is at least 5 HWs in the UFC who are better than ANYONE Fedor has faced. Only the nuthuggers will continue to think Fedor is the best, when he will only fight cans (or MWs). MMA is an evolving sport, with fighters getting better every day. You can’t just dominate one organization for a few years and then avoid everyone else and expect to be considered #1 forever. It doesn’t work that way.[/quote]

Gonzaga is by no means better than Big Nog. He has 1 win over a top 10 HW and a loss to Fabricio Werdum. That doesn’t exactly scream top HW. While we are on the subject of dominating a division for years, how many years has Couture dominated the division? Fighting twice this year in HW and his last HW fight before that in April of 2002.

[quote comment=”226254″]Fedor = Pussy, plain and simple any questions?[/quote]

I have one. Why don’t you choke yourself?

[quote comment=”226263″]fedor beat them all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1iit53fkQM/quote

Great video, I think it’s the best about Fedor out there…

[quote comment=”226256″]Couture never has made as much as fedor has made fighting wise, and for good reason hes an ‘ok’ fighter at best you could consider him good. As for people who constantly say that same retarded crap that they lost respect for fedor…..plzz no one cares that you just found out who fedor is one year ago if that. Fedor has NO REASON not a single one to fight in the ufc, the second best fighter in the world the only challenge left for fedor at this point and time is Josh barnett. Big Nogg will beat all the talent of the UFC and there is no reason for Fedor to fight Big Nogg ever again in his life.[/quote]

100% agree with you man.

I’d like to add that Fedor Emelianenko is not known by the average newbie UFC fans who watch the ultimate fighter and think they know it all, only people really into MMA know him and respect him as the #1 fighter in the world.

I wonder how much did Dana pay to Silva to say something like that?

Fedor is a PROUD man and not a money driven guy like Randy.He is still the best in the world .Even hes UFC biggest wanabe competition like Randy admit it.Who’s the pussy now.

I dont understand this bullshit. Fedor was offered a great contract with M-1 where he’s not tied to M-1 alone but can go matches with other fighting organisations and he can participate in the Sambo tournament. And on top of that he got a lot of money. So insted of blaming Fedor for this and that you should blame Dana White who dosent want to sign him for individual fights. But on the other hand I can understand his actions, The UFC heavyweight division is pretty crap right now and it would look even worse if Fedor came and easily wins Randy, Silvia or some others fighter and then goes back to M-1.

I like Wandy, but he better fight than talk.He’s no 2 after Fedor.

I’d like to see a Fedor/ Couture fight as much as the next bar going binge drinker, but he’s not avoiding Randy to maintain a #1 ranking or about money. Just because WE want to watch him fight here in the UFC, doesn’t mean that’s what’s best for him or his fighters. If Dana/UFC brass want the fight to happen, they can make it so, but why risk your champion losing to another organization. Your champ would then always be looked at as #2. By each side sticking to it’s ideals, they (Fedor and UFC) are mirror images of each other. The only way to solve this is an M-1/UFC match with dramatic implications for the losing organization.

Why should Fedor come to the biggest mma orginization in the world and fight better fighters, if he loses that might tarnish his legacy. Instead he should go to M-1 (what the hell is M-1) and fight people nobody has ever heard of. Way to go Gaydor keep fighting nobodies, hell, maybe I could land a fight with him. I agree with Wandy 100%!

John - I doubt Big Nog will take Tim Sylvia. You were probably also predicting that (an injured) Shogun would squash (an injured) Forrest Griffin. Or that Cro Cop would cruise through the UFC heavyweight division. Gotta love these predictions.

I agree that Fedor does not need the UFC. We here in the U.S. tend to see things only through American lenses. We think that is important here is important everywhere, and that’s just not the case.

However, talent-wise Fedor will not find a lot of competition outside of the UFC, regardless of his reasons for signing with M-1. Inside the UFC, he may or may not dominate. Fighting in the cage is a very different game than fighting in the ring.

Get off Fedors back. He is so great that we are all so mad at him for not signing wit the UFC, that we hate on him. I think its hilarious. There is a whole world outside of the USA. U think he really cares about what all us American fans have to say? why would he…he is a freaking GOD in his country (Russia) and all through out Europe, Japan, Korea, china. He is the Muhammed Ali of the mma World, with exception to the UFC. To be honest with you all, if I was in his shoes I wouldnt come fight here either. We want to act like the UFC HW division is so great, but its not. Only worth while opponents would have been Randy (44 years old), Gonzaga and mayne Arlovski…..Does anyone really think Tim Sylvia had a shot against Fedfor? Can you imagine Fedor’s ground and pound with elbows? WoW thats scary, Fedor with ELBOWS!

There are tough opponents out there for him to fight, that will legitamize his #1 contender ranking: Josh Barnett (who would contend for a UFC title immediatly if he were signed by Dana). Possibly Arlovski (Dana isnt resigning him).

So what that he is loosing some American fans, he doesnt give a shit about us, and why should he? Its not like he has ever fought here before. Whats he missing out on? A bunch of fickle fans who will booo him the 1st time he stands still for 15 seconds in a fight? Us Americans had the audacity to booo Roger Huerta and Leanord Garcia when they stood still for 10 seconds of there Epic Battle. Doesnt sound like he is missing much to me.

You ask any fighter who the best in the world is, and with the exception of some ego maniac Heavyweights they will all tell you Fedor.

Some fighters who have said Fedor is the best in the world:
Brandon Verra
Randy Couture
Rampage
BJ Penn
Anderson Silva
Wanderlei
Henderson

But Dana white said he isnt even top 5….what a JOKE!

Since signing with the UFC, we have gotten to see a different side of wanderelei. Its good to see, we didnt really get to know him in PRIDE. we knew the axe murderer side of him, but he is a kool dude. He has turned into the Ultimate UFC company man, and its great to have such an icon whole heartedly representing the UFC.

I really hope that wanderlei has success in the UFC. He needs to find a balance between his typical axe murderer “wild” style of fighting, and a more controlled, smart, and disciplined form of fighting that he will need to fight the best in the UFC. He has to fight smart, pick and choose when to explode.

As fans, we really need to be succesful against Liddell, because if he is, it would set us up for some awesome matches in the future!

The fights I want to see him in the most are:
wanderlei vs. Liddell
wanderlei vs. Rampage part 3
Wanderlei vs. Henderson part 3

looks like wanderlei wants to be a coach on the ultimate fighter:

Wanderlei Silva on TUF?!?
Q: Forrest Griffin started out with the UFC on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Would you ever be interested in possibly being a coach on the show in the future?

WS: I’d love to coach or even be a fighter on it. What I think they should some day is have a program with major professional fighters. For me, I’d want to do it. It’s a great show. The show made the UFC very popular.

BREAKING NEWS!!!!:

Mixed martial arts fans, particularly those in Canada, have long been awaiting the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut north of the U.S. border. According to UFC vice president Marc Ratner, the wait may soon be over.

He stated to MMAWeekly.com, “The UFC is looking at April 19 right now to come to Montreal, Canada. It’s still tentative as we’re in final negotiations with the Bell Centre, but we’re very confident that it’s going to happen.”

The UFC’s plans to promote an event in Canada have been in the works for a very long time. Their plans have long hinged on the participation of current welterweight contender and former champion Georges St-Pierre. He is very popular in the U.S., but even more so in his home country of Canada.

“We really hope Georges comes through in his upcoming bout, win or lose, without any injuries because that would be a huge fight,” said Ratner.

It seems like the stars have aligned for St-Pierre of late. A month ago, he was sitting on the sidelines waiting for the outcome of a Hughes versus Serra title bout. Now, not only does he have an interim title shot against Hughes, but it also looks as if he may have the opportunity to then fight in front of his hometown fans.

If the UFC is able to secure a date in April for Montreal, other Canadians that are likely to be included on the roster include Jason MacDonald, Patrick Cote, and Jeff Joslin, though none of them have been confirmed by the promotion.

Just another example of why Wandy is the F’n man. WAR WANDY!

[quote comment=”226485″]Since signing with the UFC, we have gotten to see a different side of wanderelei. Its good to see, we didnt really get to know him in PRIDE. we knew the axe murderer side of him, but he is a kool dude. He has turned into the Ultimate UFC company man, and its great to have such an icon whole heartedly representing the UFC.

I really hope that wanderlei has success in the UFC. He needs to find a balance between his typical axe murderer “wild” style of fighting, and a more controlled, smart, and disciplined form of fighting that he will need to fight the best in the UFC. He has to fight smart, pick and choose when to explode.

As fans, we really need to be succesful against Liddell, because if he is, it would set us up for some awesome matches in the future!

The fights I want to see him in the most are:
wanderlei vs. Liddell
wanderlei vs. Rampage part 3
Wanderlei vs. Henderson part 3[/quote]

to add..I would like to see
wandi vs vitor 2 if (vitor was still ufc’d)
wandi vs tito 2
wandi vs the african assisan

[quote comment=”226485″]The fights I want to see him in the most are:
wanderlei vs. Liddell
wanderlei vs. Rampage part 3
Wanderlei vs. Henderson part 3[/quote]

I really wanna see Wandi Vs… everyone in the division

All those reasons stated by Wand other than the competition is probably exactly why Fedor did not sign with the UFC. I don’t think he wants to be all commercialized and recognized on the street all the time. He seems like a private person who loves his home country and probably doesn’t want to be in commercials or commute to America for every fight. What you people fail to realize is that Fedor doesn’t care about what any of you think, he has nothing to prove and already has plenty of money.

yes, let’s all ignore that randy ducked fedor and big nog,
that never happened

I SMELL VAGINA!

You tell him Wanderlei!!!!!!!

I STILL think that the only reason Fedor did not sign with the UFC is because he did not want to fight against the TOP competition. Arguably, Fedor’s hardest fight to date was against Mirko Cro Cop. I’m sure that after seeing what happened to Cro Cop in the UFC, he KNEW that his perfect record would be no more if he signed with the UFC. Fedor is NOT the top HW. A fight that I would REALLY like to see is Fedor fight Gabe Gonzaga. It would be a great ‘measuring stick’ fight.

P.S. Why does Fedor look so chubby in that pic? I guess when you are booked to fight a 7 foot freak show, Sum Chump Choi, you don’t need to train or be in shape.

[quote comment=”226530″]You tell him Wanderlei!!!!!!!

I STILL think that the only reason Fedor did not sign with the UFC is because he did not want to fight against the TOP competition. Arguably, Fedor’s hardest fight to date was against Mirko Cro Cop. I’m sure that after seeing what happened to Cro Cop in the UFC, he KNEW that his perfect record would be no more if he signed with the UFC. Fedor is NOT the top HW. A fight that I would REALLY like to see is Fedor fight Gabe Gonzaga. It would be a great ‘measuring stick’ fight.

P.S. Why does Fedor look so chubby in that pic? I guess when you are booked to fight a 7 foot freak show, Sum Chump Choi, you don’t need to train or be in shape.[/quote]

it shocks me sometime the amount of shit you talk. Fedor has had alot of solid fights against the top guys - CC BigNog. Your making out like he’s ducking the best and then say you want to see him fight GG! Please! GG is whack! he lost to couture in a bad fashion - didnt even put up a fight!

Clearly your not a Fedor fan or you would notice that he doesnt look chubby - he’s built like he wants to be built -

I will admit Sum dumb guy isnt a formidable opponent, but I here
rumors that Fedor might fight Josh Barnett in Newark new Jersey in Febuary.

I am from Philly, and if m-1 provides me with a chance to see Fedor vs. Barnett Live and in person only ,a few hour drive from my home, that would be much better than the trash that Dana white usually tries to sell to us Tri State Area residents (Bisping vs. Rashad, Arlovski vs. Buentello)

Wanderlie is really having a good time with the UFC, He will feel even better when he knocks Chuck out in the second round@ 2:45

[quote comment=”226491″]looks like wanderlei wants to be a coach on the ultimate fighter:

Wanderlei Silva on TUF?!?
Q: Forrest Griffin started out with the UFC on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Would you ever be interested in possibly being a coach on the show in the future?

WS: I’d love to coach or even be a fighter on it. What I think they should some day is have a program with major professional fighters. For me, I’d want to do it. It’s a great show. The show made the UFC very popular.[/quote]

Damn wanderlei is saying that they should have a reality show, with all the major professional fighters on it…WOW, I doubt Dana would do that for us, but if he ever I would never say another bad word about him again!

For anyone that wants to read the whole interview with wanderlei here it is. He talks about many more interesting things than Fedor being crazy, I suggest you all read it when you have the time:

Wanderlei Silva Q & A

By Gary Herman

In the ultimate dream match many years in making, Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva will finally square off coming up at UFC 79.

The two long reigning light heavyweight champions nearly met in the UFC a few years ago, but when negotiations fell through, Silva returned to Pride Fighting Championships to defend his belt, and Liddell stayed with the UFC defend his light heavyweight belt.

Now, close to three years later, neither Silva or Liddell remain champion, but the excitement of the match-up is there all the same. Both fighters possess one-punch knockout power, and both fighters would like nothing more than to stand and bang for however long the fight lasts.

We recently caught up with Silva to discuss a variety of topics including the upcoming fight with Liddell, what it’s like to be back in the UFC, his views on Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s debut, and why Fedor Emelianenko may very well be crazy.

Question: To get started, what are your thoughts on the fight with Chuck Liddell?

Wanderlei Silva: This is a great match-up for all the fans and me. I’ve waiting for this fight for a long time, and now, the moment is almost here. I wake up and sleep only with this fight in my mind.

Q: How long have you been waiting for him?

WS: I first saw him fight in Brazil about eight years ago. Chuck won. I wanted to fight him ever since then, but I went to Japan, and he went to the UFC. Then, I became the champion in Japan, and he became the champion here so we never had a chance to fight. I have always been waiting for this match.

Q: It seemed like the fight was close to coming to fruition a few years ago when you and Chuck had the famous stare down in the cage. Unfortunately, the fight never came to pass. From your point of view, what happened there?

WS: In the UFC, there were some difficult negotiations, but I wanted to fight him in Pride — in the tournament. I didn’t get the opportunity to because he lost in Pride to Rampage (Jackson) before getting the chance to fight me.

Q: Now that Pride is no longer around, are you personally happy to be fighting in the U.S. for the UFC?

WS: Yes - because it is much different here. The crowd is always cheering very loudly. It is a great scene. I believe the fans really like my style. If I have good opponents and good matches, I believe I will have very good fans here too.

Q: While you were the Pride light heavyweight champion, were you following the UFC?

WS: Yes, I watched the UFC many times in Brazil. They had some great fights, and now, the UFC has the best fighters in my division. For me, it is great to fight the best guys possible. I want to fight everybody.

Q: Besides Chuck Liddell, is there anyone specifically you’d like to fight?

WS: I want to fight the champion — Rampage. I want the belt. I think with a win against Chuck Liddell I may make me able to fight the champion.

Q: There is a name with some history for you — Rampage Jackson. Jackson has had a lot of success coming over to the UFC, and you defeated him two times in Pride. What do you think of Rampage’s accomplishments in the UFC? Does his success surprise you?

WS: Not at all. He’s a very tough guy. He’s a good puncher. He’s a good wrestler. He’s got a great style for the UFC. I beat him two times, but they were both very hard fights. If I do end up fighting him again, I am going to have to train very hard. The UFC belt is a dream for me. The UFC belt is a symbol for the fighters. It is where the best fighters fight. The people who have the belt go down in history.

Q: That’s an interesting comment about how important the UFC belt is to you. What do you think about Fedor Emelianenko’s choice not to fight in the UFC?

WS: He’s crazy. I don’t know why the guy doesn’t want to fight here. These are the best events. This is the biggest promotion. The guy could be a symbol here. He could have money for the rest of his life. He could do well with the promotion, with sponsors, with commercials, and many other possibilities. Japan is a good market, but the US is different. The American fans love the fighters. Everyday, people come up to me in the street. He needs to come to the UFC.

Q: When you were with Pride, there were always fights among different weight classes. Was there ever a chance that you and Fedor were going to fight?

WS: I did have about ten fights at heavyweight in my career, but I never fought Fedor. I would have gone in there though. I am not afraid of anyone. I will fight whomever the promoter says.

Q: Another Brazilian fighter, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, did not do so well in his debut. What do you think happened in his fight with Forrest Griffin?

WS: I don’t know. It was a great surprise. The guy (Rua) is basically number one in the world. Rua is a very strong guy. He’s got good jiu-jitsu. He’s got good kicks. But Griffin was amazing. He won. He never stopped. He’s good with his hands. He’s a warrior. I changed my opinion about Griffin after this fight. After beating Shogun, Griffin could be the next challenger for the champion.

Q: When do you think Shogun will return?

WS: I think he’ll be back to the top by the end of the year. I’m not sure when his next fight will be. Before the Griffin fight, Shogun thought Griffin would be an easy opponent, but Griffin was a very tough guy. Griffin never stops. He has great stamina. Shogun didn’t train enough. Shogun will be back though. He’s a great fighter.

Q: Forrest Griffin started out with the UFC on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Would you ever be interested in possibly being a coach on the show in the future?

WS: I’d love to coach or even be a fighter on it. What I think they should some day is have a program with major professional fighters. For me, I’d want to do it. It’s a great show. The show made the UFC very popular.

Q: Thanks very much for your time and in closing, how long can the fans of the UFC expect to see you in the octagon for?

WS: I am signed for four fights over two years. I’d like to win the belt in those two years. It’s a great promotion.

He is a stand up guy, who knew such an animal could act so professional and classsy. I am very impressed with wanderlei. I really hope he gets the win against Liddell.

i think one of the few reason for fedor not fighting in the cage bacaues, he never fought in the cage before, & as history,more good pride fighters usually get owned by a experience octagon veterans(Maybe not the best). & fedor is slighty scared of damaging his flawless record. so he sign to an unknown org, as long as he can still earn alots of $$$..

[quote comment=”226542″][quote comment=”226530″]You tell him Wanderlei!!!!!!!

I STILL think that the only reason Fedor did not sign with the UFC is because he did not want to fight against the TOP competition. Arguably, Fedor’s hardest fight to date was against Mirko Cro Cop. I’m sure that after seeing what happened to Cro Cop in the UFC, he KNEW that his perfect record would be no more if he signed with the UFC. Fedor is NOT the top HW. A fight that I would REALLY like to see is Fedor fight Gabe Gonzaga. It would be a great ‘measuring stick’ fight.

P.S. Why does Fedor look so chubby in that pic? I guess when you are booked to fight a 7 foot freak show, Sum Chump Choi, you don’t need to train or be in shape.[/quote]

it shocks me sometime the amount of shit you talk. Fedor has had alot of solid fights against the top guys - CC BigNog. Your making out like he’s ducking the best and then say you want to see him fight GG! Please! GG is whack! he lost to couture in a bad fashion - didnt even put up a fight!

Clearly your not a Fedor fan or you would notice that he doesnt look chubby - he’s built like he wants to be built -[/quote]
How can you say “GG is whack” in the same paragraph where you say CC is a top guy? CC got in the octagon with GG and he got KTFO’d in the first round. You should check out UFC 70 sometime.

Saying Fedor is the #1 HW in the world is like saying Ivan Lendle is the #1 tennis player in the world. Yes, he beat Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, and Stephan Edberg… years ago. Could he still beat them now? Who cares. They’re not the top players in the game anymore. Basically, Fedor and Couture are like Jimmy Connors and Borg… they’ve moved on to the senior tournament. And more power to them… they don’t have to play by the UFC’s rules. Just like Ricky Williams wanted to smoke marijuana and not play by the NFL’s rules… so he went to play in Canada for awhile. If Fedor and Couture want to handpick their opponents and not face who Dana puts in front of them… then they can retire or go fight in a lesser organization. That’s their right. But you can’t be the #1 player if you drop out of the ATP. They were both great champions, but if you don’t fight in the top MMA circuit, which is the UFC, then you shouldn’t be considered #1.

[quote comment=”226582″][quote comment=”226542″][quote comment=”226530″]You tell him Wanderlei!!!!!!!

I STILL think that the only reason Fedor did not sign with the UFC is because he did not want to fight against the TOP competition. Arguably, Fedor’s hardest fight to date was against Mirko Cro Cop. I’m sure that after seeing what happened to Cro Cop in the UFC, he KNEW that his perfect record would be no more if he signed with the UFC. Fedor is NOT the top HW. A fight that I would REALLY like to see is Fedor fight Gabe Gonzaga. It would be a great ‘measuring stick’ fight.

P.S. Why does Fedor look so chubby in that pic? I guess when you are booked to fight a 7 foot freak show, Sum Chump Choi, you don’t need to train or be in shape.[/quote]

it shocks me sometime the amount of shit you talk. Fedor has had alot of solid fights against the top guys - CC BigNog. Your making out like he’s ducking the best and then say you want to see him fight GG! Please! GG is whack! he lost to couture in a bad fashion - didnt even put up a fight!

Clearly your not a Fedor fan or you would notice that he doesnt look chubby - he’s built like he wants to be built -[/quote]
How can you say “GG is whack” in the same paragraph where you say CC is a top guy? CC got in the octagon with GG and he got KTFO’d in the first round. You should check out UFC 70 sometime.[/quote]

gg wins one fight and he is the best in the world? matt serra must be the best ww then for beating gsp.the good news is big nog will probally beat everybody in the ufc then you will know how good fedor is to have beaten him 3 times.

[quote comment=”226530″]…..
P.S. Why does Fedor look so chubby in that pic? I guess when you are booked to fight a 7 foot freak show, Sum Chump Choi, you don’t need to train or be in shape.[/quote]

I can guess you’ve never seen Fedor’s fights… He always looked like that… this is his normal appearance. Plus, this pic was taken couple of years ago in Stary Oskol, Russia right before his fight with Ogawa (jap’s super star in judo)

[quote comment=”226204″]He wanted to ability to fight whereever he wants. Meaning, UFC, M1 etc The UFC would not allowed him to have a non-exclusive agreement.

Greedy Russians :)[/quote]

Randy = Greedy American

[quote comment=”226582″][quote comment=”226542″][quote comment=”226530″]You tell him Wanderlei!!!!!!!

I STILL think that the only reason Fedor did not sign with the UFC is because he did not want to fight against the TOP competition. Arguably, Fedor’s hardest fight to date was against Mirko Cro Cop. I’m sure that after seeing what happened to Cro Cop in the UFC, he KNEW that his perfect record would be no more if he signed with the UFC. Fedor is NOT the top HW. A fight that I would REALLY like to see is Fedor fight Gabe Gonzaga. It would be a great ‘measuring stick’ fight.

P.S. Why does Fedor look so chubby in that pic? I guess when you are booked to fight a 7 foot freak show, Sum Chump Choi, you don’t need to train or be in shape.[/quote]

it shocks me sometime the amount of shit you talk. Fedor has had alot of solid fights against the top guys - CC BigNog. Your making out like he’s ducking the best and then say you want to see him fight GG! Please! GG is whack! he lost to couture in a bad fashion - didnt even put up a fight!

Clearly your not a Fedor fan or you would notice that he doesnt look chubby - he’s built like he wants to be built -[/quote]
How can you say “GG is whack” in the same paragraph where you say CC is a top guy? CC got in the octagon with GG and he got KTFO’d in the first round. You should check out UFC 70 sometime.[/quote]

If you re-read my post, I do not say the Gabe is the best HW, nor did I say that he would beat Fedor. I said that it would be a “great ‘measuring stick’ fight” to see where Fedor would fit in today’s UFC HW division. I would fully expect Fedor to crush Gabe. But I need to see it to believe it. For example, I fully expected Cro Cop to crush Gabe and look what happened.

And to me, Fedor looks “Wider” all around in the picture. Tell you the truth, it looks to me like the image was stretched to be widescreen. Even his arms look wider there. And NO I am not a fan of Fedor. Do I consider him Top 2 of HW division, YES. Is he #1, NO. I am not a fan of anyone that turns down a fight with the clear cut #1 contender while champ. UFC purchased PRIDE. The fight SHOULD have happened. I am not a fan of Tito Ortiz for many reasons, one of which being that he refused to fight Chuck Liddell while Tito was champ, even though Chuck was the #1 contender.

[quote comment=”226476″]Get off Fedors back. He is so great that we are all so mad at him for not signing wit the UFC, that we hate on him. I think its hilarious. There is a whole world outside of the USA. U think he really cares about what all us American fans have to say? why would he…he is a freaking GOD in his country (Russia) and all through out Europe, Japan, Korea, china. He is the Muhammed Ali of the mma World, with exception to the UFC. To be honest with you all, if I was in his shoes I wouldnt come fight here either. We want to act like the UFC HW division is so great, but its not. Only worth while opponents would have been Randy (44 years old), Gonzaga and mayne Arlovski…..Does anyone really think Tim Sylvia had a shot against Fedfor? Can you imagine Fedor’s ground and pound with elbows? WoW thats scary, Fedor with ELBOWS!

There are tough opponents out there for him to fight, that will legitamize his #1 contender ranking: Josh Barnett (who would contend for a UFC title immediatly if he were signed by Dana). Possibly Arlovski (Dana isnt resigning him).

So what that he is loosing some American fans, he doesnt give a shit about us, and why should he? Its not like he has ever fought here before. Whats he missing out on? A bunch of fickle fans who will booo him the 1st time he stands still for 15 seconds in a fight? Us Americans had the audacity to booo Roger Huerta and Leanord Garcia when they stood still for 10 seconds of there Epic Battle. Doesnt sound like he is missing much to me.

You ask any fighter who the best in the world is, and with the exception of some ego maniac Heavyweights they will all tell you Fedor.

Some fighters who have said Fedor is the best in the world:
Brandon Verra
Randy Couture
Rampage
BJ Penn
Anderson Silva
Wanderlei
Henderson

But Dana white said he isnt even top 5….what a JOKE![/quote]

I hear you on that.

I don’t know, I think we may still see him in the UFC one day. Maybe in two years time or so. I wouldn’t rule it out completely, not just yet anyway.

[quote comment=”226635″][quote comment=”226530″]…..
P.S. Why does Fedor look so chubby in that pic? I guess when you are booked to fight a 7 foot freak show, Sum Chump Choi, you don’t need to train or be in shape.[/quote]

I can guess you’ve never seen Fedor’s fights… He always looked like that… this is his normal appearance. Plus, this pic was taken couple of years ago in Stary Oskol, Russia right before his fight with Ogawa (jap’s super star in judo)[/quote]

Good lord, I checked on a few of the other forums, and the only time I ever see Zheka comment on anything is when he(or she?) is is hugging Fedors scrotum til it turns blue.

Dude seriously do you go to bed at night and kiss Fedors picture and cuddle with a bottle of his sweat which you stole from his gym towel?

mmmmmmm essence of Fedor (sounds like a cologne).

In all seriousness, there are so many more great fighters out there other than Fedor. I do think he is a great fighter, but dude your raising him the the level of divinity. He went to M1 where he will most likely not be fighting top competition, I am not interested in seeing him fight unless its a top 5 opponent. Unless his opponent is Josh Barnett, I will not be buying that PPV.

Just to clarify, I do understand why Fedor made the decision to not sign with the UFC. I don’t blame him for that either, all I’m saying is its not going to be worth buying a PPV to watch Fedor fight someone who has basically no chance of winning. Theres no anticipation, and no excitement unless the opponent has a decent chance of winning. Nobody wants to see Cro-Cop vs Eddie Sanchez again do they????

Just because he is a great fighter doesn’t mean its going to be a great fight. For that you need another great fighter on the other side of the ring.