Give WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko credit because he sure knows how to milk the adulation out of a Japanese crowd.
The former king of PRIDE made a cameo at Tuesday’s DREAM 6 event to answer a challenge from a certain Judokan loudmouth named Satoshi Ishii and to bask in the rays of his Japanese nuthuggers.
Ishii won the gold medal in heavyweight judo last month at the summer Olympics and apparently thinks that qualifies him to challenge the world’s best heavyweight fighter.
I guess he didn’t see what Fedor did to silver medalist Naoya Ogawa at PRIDE Final Conflict back in 2004.
But Fedor, being the good sport that he is, answered the call and mentioned the possibility of facing Ishii at a planned DREAM event for New Year’s Eve.
The only problem is that Fedor’s Affliction contract prevents such a battle, according to MMArated.
From Affliction VP Tom Atencio:
“Fedor was supposed to fight for [DREAM] on New Year’s Eve, but he is not because we extended his contract… Our next show will definitely be the 1st quarter of 2009 in January, possibly February. Nothing is confirmed though.”
Atencio names Emelianenko as the headliner of Affliction’s next event…which could force Fedor to remain stateside during the end of the year bonanza planned by DREAM.
Perhaps Emelianenko knows something we don’t … or maybe he just knows how to psyche up a crowd. Either way, between Ishii, Couture, Affliction and the “Fighting Fedor” reality show, one thing he doesn’t have is a lack of opponents.
24 Comments »
Fedor I believe can pretty much do whatever he wants, Tom Attencio isnt going to stop him from fighting a bout in Japan two or three months before his Affliction fight, what is Affliction going to do? fine him? risk losing the greatest fighter in the world? nope no way
Well, since nothin’ is confirmed then Fedor could still pretty much do whatever he wants. But if the Affliction contract extension takes place, then no way would he fight the judokan loudmouth because he might be injured and would be in no shape fighting for Affliction during the 1st quarter of ‘09.
The only solution to this one would be to move the fight w/the Judo-boy after the 1st quarter of ‘09. Otherwise, they should hold the match earlier than December!
“Fedor’s Affliction contract prevents such a battle”
Whatever happened to Affliction’s liberal policies about allowing their fighters to fight elsewhere? Anyone?
Yeah, that’s what I remember too…Whatever happened to that?
I don’t buy it! THis idiot atencio is only fooling himself if he thinks he can control King fedor! Fedor does what he wants, PERIOD! Remember how Fedor had clauses in his contract that got him out of the M-1 Global deal? Well I guarentee that he has clauses like that in his Affliction contract. Fedor has some of the best representatives possible backing him. What other fighters do you know can actually say that they own their own fight footage? TRY NONE, only King Fedor.
I dont care who he fights anymore because he is just so good that he makes the best look like Garbage anyway. From Barnett - this Olympic idiot with a pipe dream, when they fight Fedor, they all look the same….Like c-level chumps!
Now thats te E true Hollywood story of KING FEDOR! lol
The only true competition out there for Fedor is Vick Mackey! lol
If Fedor always gets what he wants, then apparently what he wants is to constantly fight Japanese cans. I was glad to see him finally fight Tim, and next he was scheduled to fight Arlovski. Now, instead he wants to fight a judo champion with no mma fights. Everybody was bagging on Randy, but he is fighting Lesnar, and then the winner of Mir/Nog. That is much better competition that another freaking can.
Cat fight, i say Sasahara via contract breach!
fedor cracks me up, hes got so many funny pictures. hes like a big child, with one expression
Japan does not have a sanctioning committee so if the fine read print in Fedors contract is not being allowed to participate in “other sanctioned MMA events” then Affliction is going to be cursing the russians.
Who could they put Fedor against in the February PPV that would make it the headliner over Arlovski vs Barnett?
*Note to Affliction:
Fedor only brings in ratings if he’s fighting a big name opponent (ie. Tim Sylvia).
Arlovski vs Barnett is the big ticket here.
i hope he gets arlovski. and barnett fights someone else. haha.
what I am hoping Affliction does for their next event;
Fedor vs. AA -main event-
Sylvia vs. Barnett
Nog vs. Babalu
Vitor vs. Lindland
or maybe if they could borrow some fighters from other promotions, like having;
Mirko vs. Sergei
Cung Lee vs. Vitor
Diaz vs. Gomi
to name a few..
I want to see Tim Sylvia vs. Jerome LeBanner!
Me too. That was the original match anyway.
no one told atencio about “those crazy russians”. fedor will do whatever vlad and the boys tell him to.
I cant beleive the best fighter in the world holds the worlds most meaningless title.
Please make sense…If fedor holds the Wamma belt then thats the only belt that matters.
Anyways Satoshi Ishii should be fed to Overeem if he thinks he is so tough.
OVEREEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Damn this fool is getting crazzy big and good expect him to be ranked top 4 by end of next year.
So you feel WAMMA is a reputable organization? They are a joke dude.
I agree that the Wamma belt is silly. It’s like the people on here giving out belts, although we could design a better one. I think what he’s saying is that the fedor holding that belt gives it some credibility that it would not have otherwise.
The WAMMA belt is a JOKE! The only reason there is one is for the 5 rd fights.
That belt is a glorified paper weight.
lol at attencio telling people “dont trip”
fedor chooses to fight in japan because he has respect there from his fans and yes he can compete in other events because andrei arlovski on the kimbo vs who ever the guy with the pink hair that knocked kimbo out, andrei was fighting and thats elitexc but contracts got different terms, and just cus hes fighting ppl in japan dont mean they trash cans alistair overeem hes good he deserves alot more hype he should be on top 10mma hes way under rated but not many people has heard of him cus you guys think every fighter in the UFC is the best which is no where near true