Fedor Emelianenko Blamed for Contract Failures

It's like 2007 all over again.

Yet again, it now appears that negotiations between the UFC and Fedor Emelianenko are likely to fail.

The sticking point?

Co-promotion with M-1 Global.

Fedor's manager, Vadim Finkelchtein refuses to budge on demands for co-promotion, which would essentially give M-1 Global a piece of the UFC pie.

The UFC is right to refuse this offer, as it would simply not be a good business decision.

Yet as contract talks have soured, those of us in the business of cheering and jeering inevitably feel the need to assign blame.

So who's to blame for the failed negotiations?

The three biggest suspects, of course, are UFC President Dana White, Fedor Emelianenko himself, and Vadim Finkelchtein.

Some people blame Dana White and the UFC.

Vadim Finkelchtein previously stated that negotiations failed because Dana did not show Fedor a propper level of respect.

Dana White has been known for being a little rought around the edges just as much as he has been known for playing hardball.  So it does seem possible that he might not be the easiest person to negotiate with.

Finkelchtein has denied the reports of a $30 million guaranteed contract, calling into question the UFC's credibility concerning the negotiations.

However, despite these protests from Finkelchtein, I think there are good reasons to believe that the UFC's attempts to sign Fedor are reasonable and genuine.

Dana White may not even like Fedor, or appreciate his talent, but if there is anything Dana White does appreciate, it is money.

Case in point: The UFC recently reconciled with Dana's former nemesis, Tito Ortiz.  Ultimately, Dana was able to overcome his own personal feelings to get a good business deal done.

Dana White was willing to satisfy many of Fedor's demands, for no other reason than that it would have been good for business.

Yet if Dana is not responsible for the negotiations, is Dana actually correct when he says that Fedor doesn't actually really want to face the best fighters?

I don't think so.

Over the years, Fedor has fought many of the best fighters in the world.  Perhaps not always when they were in their primes, but still, he is fully deserving of his accolades as a fighter.

I honestly can't believe that he would all of a sudden be afraid of fighting someone.

Is it possible that he wants a better contract, and more money? Yes, definitely.

But what would make him think that?  The UFC can offer Fedor more money than any other promotion could possibly afford.

Some, including Yahoo! analyst Kevin Iole have blamed Fedor for the failed negotiations, but I think the blame is still misplaced.

To understand that, let's consider again the reason why talks are failing: Co-promotion with M-1 Global.

But why would this be such a big sticking point?  Surely if the UFC offered Fedor enough money, then Fedor could simply sink that money into M-1 if he chose do so.

I think the big difference, is that while Vadim Finkelchtein may receive a cut of Fedor's contract, he receives a much bigger cut out of M-1 revenues.

It is my belief that Finkelchtein is giving Fedor bad advice due to his stake in M-1 Global.

Why does Fedor listen to Finkelchtein?  Maybe Finkelchtein is simply lying to him, and nobody who speaks Russian is able to tell Fedor the truth.

Maybe Finkelchtein has some other leverage over Fedor, other than his contract to M-1.

Many possibilities, but no concrete answers.

Fedor is one of the fighters I admire most.  It is extremely frustrating to me that his reputation will be dragged through the mud due to these recent problems.

As a fan, I refuse to believe that Fedor is responsible for this mess.  I blame Finkelchtein.