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It appears Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko are taking matters into their own hands. The two are trying to ensure they will get the opportunity to fight each other...

MMA: Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko Fight Closer To A Reality?

by Derek Bedell (Analyst)

11

490 reads

Breaking News

August 13, 2008


It appears Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko are taking matters into their own hands.  The two are trying to ensure they will get the opportunity to fight each other. However, the hopes of the top-ranked heavyweight pair still have a few obstacles to overcome to make this "mega" match a reality.

On Monday, Couture, Emelianenko, and their management teams quietly met on multiple occasions in Los Angeles, the purpose of which both fighting legends confirmed to Sherdog.com Tuesday.

“We talked a little bit about everything,” Emelianenko said at a luncheon hosted by Affliction Entertainment. “Certainly, one of the main topics was the possibility of having a fight together and the realities that we both face -- mainly that he [Couture] faces -– and whether the reality of having a fight can happen.” 

Being all for the sport, Couture still has his legal issues with the UFC stemming from signing a multi fight deal in 2007. 

Couture (16-8) resigned from the UFC on Oct. 11, 2007, citing conflicts with pay and treatment. Other than that, the Randy stated numerous times that he ONLY wished to face Fedor.  When the UFC didn't sign "The Last Emperor," Coutoure had enough.
Couture left the organization to seek out the fight with Emelianenko (28-1, 1 NC) in a rival promotion, though the UFC insists the heavyweight champion retired from their ranks and still owes them two more fights if he decides to come back from sabbatical. Couture and his attorneys believe his promotional (or fight) agreement expired on July 19.

Monday’s meetings -- which took place over breakfast, a photo shoot session, then later at dinner –- were friendly in nature according to both parties, though they also involved a certain degree of strategic discussions.

“It was an honor to spend a little time with Fedor,” Couture told Sherdog.com Tuesday. “We’re just trying to exhaust every option to make this fight a reality.”

An obvious option would lead both men back to the UFC, the least risk-involved promotion capable of building the bout into a million-plus pay-per-view giant.

Vadim Finkelstein, Emelianenko’s manager and confidante, said he is not against negotiating again with the world’s leading fight promotion, though it’s clear the Russian businessman, who also owns the M-1 Global promotion, would have stipulations.

“We, M-1, we’re not in any way against working with the UFC. We’ve spoken to them before about the possibility of working with them together. Anything’s possible,” said Finkelstein.

Finkelstein proposed that an agreement for Emelianenko-Couture could be reached if UFC President Dana White was willing “to meet halfway.”

“It’s similar to what we’re doing with Affliction,” said Finkelstein. “Our relationship we’re currently seeing with Affliction is a co-production and a co-promotion and a partnership. If things aren’t monopolized and we can work together, then it’s a possibility.”

A co-promoted event between the Russian outlet and the UFC was rejected by Zuffa in Sept
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11 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Nate Double 10 months ago

    Great article.

    The UFC should just promote this event without it having any impact on their HW title or divisional picture.

    The best thing for all parties would be to let Randy walk away from his HW belt and fight Fedor in a UFC promoted event. That way if Randy loses it doesn't really matter to the UFC.

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    • Derek Bedell 10 months ago

      Right, they just need to have the fight soon! If it doesn't happen before the end of 09, they should give up. If Randy was younger I'd say press it for whenever but I guess only time will tell.

      Thanks for the comment.

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  2. Dorothy Willis 10 months ago

    Het, a really excellent article! Both Nate and Derek have made very good points. I have wanted to see them fight so long that I fewr that Randy is already past his shelf life--darn that Dana! If they do fight I am afraid it will be Randy's "last" fight whether he wins or loses. It has been delayed much too long.

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  3. Derek Bolender 10 months ago

    One small problem ... according to couture on adam carolla's radio show .... he's willing to fight fedor in the UFC but he thinks he and fedor both should receive a salary in the $6 - $10 million range for the fight.

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    • Nate Double 10 months ago

      Since the exact figures for what the UFC actual takes in per PPV buy are top secret I'll figure that they make 50% of the PPV fee before fighter expenses. (50% is the figure I've seen tossed around the most)

      So if Couture-Fedor could do 1.2 million (at $45 per) PPV buys it would bring in around $54M total, $27M for the UFC. If the UFC paid Couture and Fedor each $8M (split the range for the sake of discussion) and the other talent $3M total (I'm figuring that this would become a stacked card) the payouts would be $19M...

      Which means this fight isn't going to happen. The UFC's profit margin is thin at this point and they're assuming a lot of risk.

      A better bet would be for Couture and Fedor to each get a healthy say, 8 percent of the PPV buys and a $2M base. Makes it a little easier to swallow for the UFC since the fighters now make $6.3M a piece and the UFC makes decent money as well.

      If Couture and Fedor are really looking for that kind of cash what other promotion company can afford to put it on and still have a prayer of making money at it? Affliction can't right now. This fight would put them more on the map but also deeper into the poor house. Plus the UFC marketing machine is vastly superior to Affliction's.

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    • Nate Double 10 months ago

      Forgot to add that I don't think the UFC pays that type of money regardless because it sets a precedence for fighters to make twelve times the going rate the highest paid fighter is currently paid (Liddell @ $500k).

      As great as that fight is, continuing to make tons and tons of money off the PPVs that do 400-600k buys and only pay the fighters $2-3M total is what they'll do instead.

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    • Derek Bedell 10 months ago

      That's insane! The UFC would NEVER settle on that. Unfortunately, for fans, the only way this fight will probably happen is if somehow Couture gets out of his contract or goes on the reality show and wins it, lol.

      It's probably too late for this fight to be great anyway.

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  4. Derek Bedell 10 months ago

    The above comment is in response to Derek's comment.

    Nate, you have some great points. I'm pretty sure that Liddell and Ortiz during their rematch, the highest grossing MMA event, received close to a million if not more.

    Fedor wants a two fight deal with the UFC if he goes there. I don't think Dana and Co. are too keen on that idea.

    I feel this is going to be speculation, speculation, speculation until someone signs on the dotted line.

    At this point, I don't care if they ever fight. I'd rather see someone else defeat Fedor and shock the world.

    I just hate that Randy isn't fighting at all. I would've liked to see at least a few more fights out of the "Natural." Just seeing him come out to "Back In Black" used to get me excited. It's a damn shame.

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  5. James A 10 months ago

    Not letting Randy out of his contract is despicable. The guy has a right to leave a company just like anyone else. Dana White is being extremely spiteful. He knows the kind of money a fight like this can generate and he'd be stupid to just let Randy go for financial reasons. Randy has earned the right to fight whoever he wants. Dana we're running out of time!!!!!!!!!!!! Dana White is doing a disservice to the millions of MMA fans and Randy himself. Randy deserves to be let go and fight Fedor and we deserve to see it.

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  6. Jason Cottier 10 months ago

    Randy just signed a 3 fight contract with UFC. First fight Brock Lesnar...the winner of that fight going against Mir-Nog winner, which leaves a third fight (assuming Randy wins both) against who? Maybe a 1 fight deal with Fedor?

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