http://mmajunkie.com/news/19604/strikeforces-fedor-emelianenko-im-not-a-fan-of-the-ufc.mma
Top-ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko said today that he doesn't
think much of the promotion that's so aggressively courted him for more
than three years.
"I'm not a UFC fan," Emelianenko said when asked if his June 26
headliner against Fabricio Werdum at "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum" is
more relevant than an a UFC title-unification bout between champ Brock
Lesnar and interim title-holder Shane Carwin at UFC 116.
"I would invite all the fans to watch our fight, which I believe is more
important," he said through translator Steven Bash.
The winner of Emelianenko (31-1 MMA, 1-0 SF) vs. Werdum (13-4-1 MMA, 2-0
SF) is expected to fight current Strikeforce heavyweight champion
Alistair Overeem, who in May defended his title against Brett Rogers.
Overeem and his managers have sparred in the press with Emelianenko's
representatives over the potential bout and have traded accusations as
to the the long-anticipated fight's delay.
Emelianenko, who this past August signed a three-fight contract with
Strikeforce after intense negotiations with the UFC, did not back off
his statements when later asked to clarify.
"I'm not a fan of watching [the UFC's] fights," he said. "Compared to a
lot of the commercials and promotion in anticipation of their fights,
and compared to a lot of the shows I've seen, there seems to be a lot of
negativity involved in their shows.
"So I'm just not a fan of watching their programs."
It was the first time Emelianenko took a direct shot at the UFC's
product. In the three years since the Russian became a free agent with
the shuttering of PRIDE Fighting Championships, he shied away from
criticizing the industry-leading fight promotion.
UFC president Dana White alternately has blasted Emelianenko and coveted
his services.
"I've signed Brock Lesnar, who came from the WWE, James Toney from
boxing – he's a nut chasing me all over the place – Tito Ortiz, whom I
hated, and he hated me," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com)
in an interview following UFC 115. "I've kept Chuck Liddell, kept Matt
Hughes, kept Rich Franklin, when they were all champions. Anderson
Silva, I've dealt with all the crazy [expletive] with him.
"But I can't sign Fedor? How is this possible that I can't sign this
guy? It's not possible. These guys don't want to fight the best in the
world."
Emelianenko said his dislike of the UFC stems from how its fights are
presented and the fighters it employs.
"I think a combination," he said. "And also, in some ways, (it's due to)
the actions and the behavior of a lot of fighters from the UFC. It
takes away from the sport."
In the past, Emelianenko's manager, Vadim Finkelchtein, has addressed
White's claims. But today, the manager and M-1 Global president was
silent.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said today that "Strikeforce: Fedor vs.
Werdum" has crossed the 10,000 mark in ticket sales, and he expects a
full house at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., for the event.