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.